Making Levada the point man in responding to media criticism of the pope was a dicey move. Pope Benedict chose Levada in 2005 to succeed him as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the office that historically ruled on disputes of theology. In 2001, Pope John Paul II gave Ratzinger control over abuse cases and whether to defrock clerics. To his credit, Ratzinger took on an issue that until then was scattered among other departments.
But choosing Levada to bring justice to the Vatican was always problematic, given his record as archbishop of San Francisco and before that, Portland, Ore. Levada used the same tactics of other bishops in sheltering perpetrators, which spurred civil lawsuits and bad headlines. Moreover, Levada stands alone among American bishops in having been sued, successfully, by a whistle-blowing priest, Jon Conley, who reported another priest to the police for making sexual advances on a teenage boy. Father Conley received a six-figure settlement from the archdiocese. Conley's struggle offers a cameo of what's wrong in the Vatican today.
Jason Berry - Politics Daily
The present torrent and great challenge facing Roman Catholicism simmers beneath deep concerns of the near 3 million sincere and faithful Catholic believers of New York, the seat of one of only 17 US Cardinals.
So far the Vatican has failed to chart a viable strategy to respond to the present severe crisis that shows no signs of subsiding.
The pontiff today gives evidence of extending the ecclesiastical and conceptual frame that resulted in his own appointment to handle abuse scandals under John Paul II. It seems though that inadvertently he also extends the very vulnerability that has brought the current scandal so very close to his own feet. Cardinal Levada is Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The same position from which Ratzinger himself was appointed as point person for this thorny and fiery issue. Ironically Levada, like Ratzinger has a questionable record on the very point in this all that matters most, namely sheltering perpetrators. New York's own Cardinal Egan faced the same accusations regarding his record in Bridgeport.
To pick a Cardinal (Levada) who has been successfully sued in the area of the greatest criminality (sheltering perpetrators) is bad enough. But to do so coupled with a strategy to use him to attack media boggles the mind.
Sympathizing with abuse victims is the easiest thing in the world. No language has the capacity to capture the extent of outrage and tragedy we feel when we reflect on what has been suffered by the defenseless, and how the world is diminished by this scandal.
Harder though is to sympathize with the Church. Yet I do. I want to see the church rise above this black reality with integrity and honor. I want to see the 100's of millions of innocent believers rescued and to have pride in their beliefs and lives of faith restored.
What the Roman Catholic Church must do is go on a relentless campaign to explain itself no matter how long it takes, and how fearful the prospect might be. The church should unequivocally reject every utterance and every strategy that smacks of an impulse "to make this damn problem go away" (as with the profoundly ill-begotten insanity of the Levada strategy, and the many missteps of the pontiff in recent days).
It is very difficult for lay people to understand the inner workings of a religious hierarchy, the ideals of compassion, the hopes in repentance, the conflicts elegantly expressed by the Apostle Paul who delights in the law of God after the inward man: but who sees another law in his members.
There is no excuse for the sins of lust, and less for the sins of sheltering perpetrators, but these happened for reasons. The Vatican, and the Roman Catholic curia must not excuse, and must not fight back. Catholic leaders must spend every night repenting, and every day explaining. Explain, explain, explain. Seek forgiveness, and seek understanding. The first response is for the Church to seek understanding and to do so publicly. The only hope for the Church and for us all is if what made these horrors possible comes to be understood. That effort is now a public exercise.
Comments
I cannot sympathize with this church.
To do what the Roman Catholic Church did to children is a sin. To cover it up is another sin. To file bankruptcy rather than compensate those harmed is another sin.
To then attack those who discovered the sin speaks volumes about this church. This church is evil for only those who are truly evil would be unrepentant in the face of the evil this church has done to children. Yet this church and its supporters continue to be completely and totally unrepentant in its deeds, its actions and its words. Such a church can only be considered evil and beyond redemption.
Nor are these children the church's only victims. This church has repeatedly used gays and lesbians as scapegoats. This church has also been involved in 2,000 years of persecuting Jews.
This church has repeatedly done evil, its history is filled with its victims and it is at point where we should no longer be surprised by the evil it has done.
I am a member of the Roman Catholic Church and I did not abuse anyone. To assault me with a generality like you just did is insulting to me. As a probable citizen of New Jersey which you may be, I could assault YOU in the very same way for all the abusers that abused in your state. But I will not do this. You are most probably innocent. Your zealous hate needs to be checked as it is in great error. With your next post ANYWHERE, please be more rational.
A nicer Gary:
Thank you for proving my point. You have risen to challenge of defending the indefensible sin. You are so enamored with your Roman Catholic Church that you are aiding and abetting a massive cover-up and condoning massive sins with your public defense of the Church responsible for those acts..
Now that it is public knowledge that the Roman Catholic Church has engaged in illegal activity, covering up of illegal activity, and massive sin, how much money have you put into their collection plates? How can you justify supporting those who molest children, beat children, cover up these sins and crimes?
I suggest that you look at your church, at the Jew hating doctrines (the Jews did NOT kill Christ and replacement theology), the scapegoating of innocents by the Bishop of Tenerife, and the scapegoating and persecution of gays and lesbians, before you accuse others of the sins you are defending your church for committing. Your acts make you as guilty as your church
These sexual problems occur in the Church because the doctrine of celibacy for life is unnatural. It is my opinion that this doctrine is far removed from the early church and likely adopted so that families of priests would not inherit any church property. Allowing clergy to marry and adopting social norms that do not contradict human nature is the only solution I see.
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