In the process of writing our most recent article for the Washington Post, Dan and I came across a lot of information related to the recent scandal within the Catholic Church. While the Post article reflects Dan's personal reasons for his departure from the Church, the below article is more of a "bird's eye" view of the scandal - and more importantly, a call to action for Catholics who have felt disenfranchised by their Church.
As always, we'd love to hear your thoughts.
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The Catholic scandal continues to escalate yet the Church sits idle. In stark contrast to the compassionate philosophy of Catholicism, the leaders of the Church have turned a blind eye to their flock. While Church leaders fail their saddened and needy, ostracized followers are looking to each other for direction and support. As the climate worsens, the Church’s members may be the only hope of upholding their faith and directing much-needed change.
As the oldest institution in the western world, the Catholic Church claims to be built on a foundation of love, contrition and forgiveness. At its core, the Church is a reflection of what it worships: a merciful God and humble savior. However, throughout its 2000-year reign the Church has occasionally lost sight of its ideals, most recently protecting its own reputation at the expense of thousands of sexually abused children.
Websites like the Voice of the Faithful, National Catholic Reporter’s Accountability Section and the Boston Globe’s Spotlight Investigation: Abuse in the Catholic Church serve as on-line libraries of sexual abuse and cover-up stories dating back to when the crisis first broke nearly a decade ago. While claims of abuse and corresponding payouts have been declining in the United States, scandal has erupted in Ireland, Germany, and now Italy, with additional reports coming from various nations, including Canada, Norway and Brazil. A global crisis has been brewing, and some are calling for the Pope to resign.
What is most upsetting is that Catholic leaders seem disinterested in acknowledging the scandal and their role in it. Rather than address the issue, offer open arms for the wounded, or show compassion for the millions in heartache, Catholic leaders continue to sidestep concerns and place blame elsewhere. This past Easter the issue only seemed to worsen when a Cardinal referred to recent allegations as “petty gossip” and the Pope’s preacher drew a parallel between the current criticism endured by the Church and the “collective violence suffered by the Jews”.
The preacher was quick to apologize, but the Pope ended his Easter address as he’s managed recent events – Evasively. Without mention of the continuing allegations, unraveling cover-up, and sadness brought to so many, he concluded, “Easter does not work magic”. Although magic never seemed necessary, it may be now. When all anyone needed was a sincere apology and guidance, the Pope’s sterile efforts have left his faithful feeling empty. With new allegations suggesting that money may also be tied into some of the cover-ups, the situation is bordering on toxic and the Church’s leaders seem increasingly incapable of overcoming all the wrongs.
In 1984 George Orwell claimed, “If there is hope, it lies in the proles.” In this famous quote, Orwell was referring to the power and decency of the masses, the ability of followers to drive positive change. In 2010, the same sentiment may apply. And in this case, the Church’s flock may be better suited than its leaders to direct necessary reform. Reflecting the arguments of Harvard leadership scholar Barbara Kellerman, Sinead O’Connor recently reminded us that followers are needed to overcome crisis. In her passionate reaction to the Pope’s Pastoral Letter To the Catholics of Ireland, O’Connnor concluded that “All good Catholics . . . should avoid Mass”. Outraged with the Pope’s “insult” of an apology to the Irish people for the abuse so many endured, O’Connor recounted her personal experience in a Catholic reformatory school, her anger with Church leaders who covered up physical, sexual and emotional abuse, and ended with a call to arms, encouraging Catholics everywhere to demand change through peaceful protest.
Our generation has watched the Catholic scandal unfold for our entire adult lives, grew up listening to our parents Catholic school horror stories, and doesn’t want to pass down tales of abuse to our children. No one should be afraid of the Nun and her ruler or the Priest and his threats anymore, but slinking away quietly like good boys and girls will no longer do. While there is good reason to turn away from a Church that overlooked pockets of institutionalized abuse, followers must consider their role in defending their beliefs, their traditions, and their faith. More than ever, concerned Catholics are needed to serve each other as they were taught: extend a hand to those suffering, protest those who refuse to act, and work to rebuild what’s broken. While the Church may claim that its critics are “anti-Catholic”, nothing could be more Catholic than working to recapture the integrity of a once-respected institution.
All is never lost. The people of the Catholic Church still have the potential to heal themselves and their faith, but waiting for the Church’s failed leaders is only resulting in more heartache and time wasted. As O’Connor said “even little old ladies who go to church every Sunday” have an opportunity to help start the healing. Now is the time to go out and act.
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