Interdict?

So … when the Vatican says it won’t ordain any bishops for a country until an investigation is complete, is it something like an “episcopal interdict?” Cardinal Marc Ouellet, head of the Congregation for Bishops, has communicated his office will not fill three vacancies in Scotland dioceses. And despite Cardinal Keith O’Brien’s sensational resignation on conclave eve, the investigation continues. Cardinal Ouellet’s office “also wants evidence on the allegations of a ‘gay mafia’, sexual bullying and open sexual relationships in seminaries made in a recent book by a serving priest in Lanarkshire, Father Matthew Despard.”

This could get interesting.

I still think there should be a more explicit connection between the faith witness of an archdiocese or diocese and its status as a red hat see. A scandal-ridden bishop taints his diocese. There should not be red hats for Boston, Philadelphia, or Edinburgh. Or any other archdiocese touched by serious cover-up of criminal clergy. At least not for another round or two of appointments. Additionally, the premiere see of a region should shift to another city. Keep an archbishop  in Philadelphia, for example, by all means, because of its size and standing. But the metropolitan should be in Pittsburgh or Hartford of elsewhere.

Even if Pope Francis doesn’t take my suggestion and shake up the hierarchy, it does look good that Rome is getting serious about the cover-up of sex abuse. We’ll see how this plays out in places like Newark.

 

More Institutional Narcissism

Another parable for putting the institution first. (Hint: it’s not the institutional church this time.) But you’re probably right with your second guess. WaPo sports journalist Jason Reid:

(T)he initial response by (Rutgers University) also was pathetic. By merely suspending Rice for three games and fining him $50,000 in December after investigating what he viewed on the tape, Athletic Director Tim Pernetti displayed an even bigger failure of leadership. The whole Rutgers mess provides yet another sobering reminder about the warped nature of big-time college athletics.

Too often, the first instinct of some university officials is to protect their schools’ interests rather than doing what’s morally — and usually clearly — right when crises occur. When faced with potentially embarrassing situations, many decision-makers seem to first try to handle things as easily as possible for themselves. Minimize negative scrutiny, the thinking goes, in an effort to protect the brand.

This would be another example of what Pope Francis referred to as self-referentiality and narcissism. Mr Pernetti:

The most important thing I am factoring in is trying to make sure that we don’t do harm to Rutgers University, because we are a small slice of the pie here at this great place. I don’t want to put any negatively on the university when we have a lot of real good things going on.

Hard to believe. Many sports people think athletics, especially money-making ones, are at the top of the heap. This strikes me as spin.

In this light, it’s not so different from the institutional church. The Secular Religion of Sport is a powerful force in the US, especially on college campuses. Tens of thousands descend on campuses for the rituals of basketball and football. Massive feelings of support are generated that involves not only the athletic event itself, but also clothing and food and vehicles and such on game day and beyond. It warps the place of athletics on a college campus. Division III schools have the right balance, I think.

 

Latest Vatican Story

The gay lobby story coming out of Rome seemed to be just a little too much to be believed. I was relieved to see John Allen weigh in with some sensible commentary.

If you want to understand why Benedict is tired, in other words, part of it is because he knows that putting things right inside the Vatican will take a tremendous investment of administrative energy, which he doesn’t feel he can supply, and which probably isn’t in his skill set in any event.

No, Benedict didn’t quit under the pressure of a “gay lobby.” But the perceived disarray in the Vatican, which may well be one part perception and one part reality, probably made resignation look even better.

Applying the old philosophical tool seems to fit. The pope is old and tired. He said what he said.

We also know that the upper hierarchy is no more or less virtuous than any other group of human beings. Ordination, elevation, and careerism impart no special quality of holiness. Holiness derives from God’s grace and from human cooperation with God’s call in our lives. That cooperation might be found in the call to ordination and service, especially if that is aligned with the God-given gifts and abilities of the believer. But thwarting God’s call by the human expressions of nepotism, careerism, greed, and other human considerations–this will result in decay of the culture, especially the individuals and groups involved. There’s no getting around that.

I don’t believe you can completely discount the cumulative impact of the various meltdowns over the last eight years on Benedict’s state of mind.

This makes more sense. Pope Benedict was already at the end of a career as a professor, theologian, bishop, and curial bureaucrat in 2005. He likely counted on a united support from his brothers in the episcopacy and especially the curia. It’s rather ironic that he was unsuccessful in achieving unity with schismatics, and continued to take the hard line against bishops like William Morris who were no threat to him or to the Gospel. He let bishops like Robert Finn, Bernard Law, and others continue, despite the scandal of their behavior and the damage done to the preaching of the Gospel.

Above all, we need a pope who can cut through the blind spots of the Roman perspective and reorient the upper hierarchy to the Gospel.