Count on the curia to insert an off-key note in an important public statement.
The Visitators also encountered a certain tendency, not dominant but nevertheless fairly widespread among priests, religious and laity, to hold theological opinions at variance with the teachings of the Magesterium (sic), this serious situation requires particular attention.
I do recall reading Cardinal Dolan investigating seminaries as part of the visitation, and examining their orthodoxy or supposed shortcomings in that area. It’s probably an area in which Rome needs more schooling. Perhaps not unlike the good archbishop himself, where rights and the sacrament of marriage is concerned. Also the self-styled Temple Police. There’s no indication that ideology that differs from the conservative is any more or less inclined to abuse, cover-up, and other similar sins.
Let’s all take heart in knowing that one modern development, namely psychology, has done a lot of the heavy lifting where questionable seminarians have surfaced in formation. I’m sure it must sting like a hornet’s nest to consider that a morally neutral social science has done more to control sexual crimes in the clergy than “particular attention” being given to certain theological opinions. I’m not aware of any theology, aside from a hyperconservative dalliance with secrecy and cover-up, that would somehow open the floodgates to approve of bishops relocating sex offenders to new henhouses.
In fact, the more I think about this report, the more steamed I get. This curia, these bishops: they just don’t get it. Archbishop Dolan talks about putting an “attractive, articulate, intelligent” laywoman at the forefront of Catholic action on abortion. I wonder how he and his confreres would stomach a good talking-to from the same such person.
Catholic Sensibility 