In London, Archbishop speaks
at Chrism Mass on media assault
Archbishop Vincent Nichols, celebrated the annual Chrism Mass at Westminster Cathedral on Tuesday 30 March 2010 in the presence of over 300 priests and 1,000 people from the Diocese of Westminster.
The Chrism Mass sees the blessing of the three Holy Oils: the Oil of Catechumens, the Oil of the Blessing of the Sick and the Oil of Chrism. These are used during the sacraments.
The blessing of the Holy Oils is one of the most ancient ceremonies in the Church. It is always celebrated in the Cathedral by the bishop surrounded by the priests, deacons, religious and lay people from his diocese.
Before the Final Blessing, Archbishop Nichols made the following remarks:
Just before we end Mass today, I would like to add a few words about the widespread reports of child abuse in the Catholic Church and all the accompanying comment.
First, and most importantly, we think of those who have been damaged by childhood abuse with all its lasting effects. We must readily express our sorrow and apologies. We are properly and shocked and shamed by each and all such acts which are a dreadful breaking of trust. We are also firmly resolved to continue all our work of safeguarding.
Secondly, attempts to implicate Pope Benedict are unworthy. Every time you read that the 2001 document from the Holy See imposed a duty on bishops to keep these things secret and hidden from public authorities, know that this is simply untrue.
There is nothing in that document to deter or hinder a bishop or a victim from reporting cases to the police. In fact since that time, when the Holy See directly called for greater vigilance and scrutiny, bishops have been urged to take that course of action.
Thirdly, please remember that in the last forty years the vast majority of priests in England and Wales – 99.6% to be precise – have never had such allegations made against them. But even one case is too many.
Every single case is, and always will be, a sin and a scandal, damaging its victims and shaming us all. All of this we commit to the Lord in this Holy Week. From him alone, through his wounds, can come the healing we need.
There is a vivid phrase to recall: Trust comes on foot but leaves on horseback. It is on foot, through our daily actions, that trust is strengthened. We know that. That is what we do. And there is great trust among us – rightly given and received.
So, before the blessing, let me again thank all our priests here today for their goodness and hard work. I appreciate them and assure them of my love and support. I am sure you all do the same!
+ Vincent Nichols
More to the point, here is the admirable reaction of the current
Archbishop of Milwaukee:
Milwaukee archbishop defends the Pope
and extends olive branch to abuse victims
By Annysa Johnson
March 30, 2010
Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki on Tuesday defended Pope Benedict XVI's handling of the clergy sex abuse scandal. And he absolved him of any blame in decisions involving Father Lawrence Murphy, a Wisconsin priest accused of molesting as many as 200 deaf boys over decades beginning in the 1950s.
"The Holy Father has been firm in his commitment to combat clergy sexual abuse, root it out of the church, reach out to those who have been harmed and hold perpetrators accountable," Listecki told the hundreds who gathered at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist for the annual Chrism Mass, a Holy Week service in which he blessed the oils the church will use for sacraments in the coming year.
Listecki drew applause for a wide-ranging statement in which he apologized for the sex abuse scandal, reached out to victims and spread the blame for the mishandling of the Murphy case, citing Milwaukee church officials, civil authorities and the journalists who first brought victims' stories to light.
He said the church is indebted to "those brave victims" who have come forward to tell their stories, often "after decades of feeling ignored."
"Because of their persistence and perseverance, we know the church has changed," Listecki said. "We owe these victims-survivors our deep gratitude, and we acknowledge our own actions have not always expressed that gratitude adequately."
Benedict has been widely criticized in recent weeks for his handling of clergy sex abuse cases in Europe and Wisconsin in what's been described as the most serious crisis of his papacy.
Documents made public last week as part of a Wisconsin lawsuit show that the Vatican's top doctrinal office, led by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, declined to defrock Murphy after being asked by then-Milwaukee Archbishop Rembert Weakland to do so in 1996.
The decision was first reported by the
Journal Sentinel in 2008 but drew international attention last week when lawyers in the case released the
latest records [???? None of it appeared to be new!] to
The New York Times.
Murphy, who died in 1998, worked at St. John's School for the Deaf in West Allis from 1950 to 1974 before being allowed to retire and move to his family's home in the Diocese of Superior. He is the subject of two civil fraud lawsuits now pending against the Milwaukee Archdiocese.
Church and civil authorities have known of the allegations against Murphy at least since the 1970s, though he never was charged. Authorities said no charges were filed because the statute of limitations had lapsed, though victims dispute this in some cases.
In Tuesday's remarks, Listecki did not elaborate on how reporters who covered the story were to blame. And he appeared to extend an olive branch to victims, who complained Monday that they were being vilified by the pope and Catholic hierarchy.
It was unclear, however, whether he had softened his stance against meeting with SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, which has been seeking an audience with him.
Listecki has said he would meet with individual victims but not the organization, which he sees as having a political agenda.
Mary Guentner of Wauwatosa, who was abused by a Catholic nun in the 1970s, said Listecki was sending a mixed message, first that victims are politicizing the issue, and now they're brave and courageous.
"They're very kind words, but we hope they result in some action," said Guentner, who waited in the receiving line to ask Listecki if he would meet with SNAP as a group.
The few worshippers willing to speak after Mass said they were pleased that Listecki addressed the issue and maintained their faith in the Church and Benedict XVI.
"I love the Church, and I have faith that God will see us through this," said Tom Elmer of Waukesha.
Also defending the Pope Tuesday was Father Thomas Brundage, who served as the presiding judge for the archdiocese in the Murphy case between 1996 and 1998 and is now serving in Anchorage, Alaska.
Writing for the Anchorage Catholic newspaper, Brundage said one of the documents widely attributed to him in some media accounts was not written by him and that he did not recognize it.
Peter Isely of SNAP said the document was written by Superior Bishop Raphael Fliss and that the first page, which would have indicated that, appears to have been missing when lawyers provided the documents to
The New York Times.
Here is the full text of Archbishop Listecki's remarks to his congregation at yesterday's Chrism Mass:
Dear Friends,
This Lent throughout the archdiocese, we celebrated a Season of Mercy, acknowledging our sinfulness and our need to reconcile with our God. This Season of Mercy is a stark recognition of the presence of sin in our world, in our Church, amongst our people, and, yes, within priests and bishops. That sin has never been more present to us as a Church than through the sin and crime of clergy sexual abuse.
As a bishop, a priest, and as a man of faith, I apologize to anyone who has been a victim of clergy sexual abuse. This crime, this sin, this horror, should never occur, especially by a priest. Those who committed these crimes and those, including some bishops, who didn’t do everything in their power to stop it, go against everything the Church and the priesthood represent. For those actions, I offer my sincere apology.
So many people have suffered – first and foremost victims and their families. Because of the actions of the few priests who committed these crimes, all of us continue to suffer today.
This past week our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI has come under criticism for the way he has handled past cases of clergy sexual abuse of minors, including a case here involving Lawrence Murphy. The allegations against him, as well as the facts supporting him, are widely available.
The Holy Father does not need me to defend him or his decisions. I believe, and history will confirm that his actions in responding to this crisis, swiftly and decisively and his compassionate response to victims/surviovrs, speak for themselves.
The Holy Father has been firm in his commitment to combat clergy sexual abuse; root it out of the Church; reach out to those who have been harmed; and hold perpetrators accountable. He has been a leader, meeting with victims/survivors and chastising bishops for their lack of judgment and leadership.
Mistakes were made in the Lawrence Murphy case. The mistakes were not made in Rome in 1996, 1997 and 1998. The mistakes were made here, in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, in the 1970s, the 1980s and the 1990s, by the Church, by civil authorities, by Church officials, and by bishops. And for that, I beg your forgiveness in the name of the Church and in the name of this Archdiocese of Milwaukee.
Because of those who have come forward -- those who have been harmed in a most egregious way; those who have been relentless in their criticism of the Church; those who have pushed and prodded – some say even forced -- the Church to change; those brave victims-survivors who have had the courage to come forward and publicly tell their story even after decades of feeling ignored -- because of their persistence and perseverance, we know the Church HAS changed.
We owe these victims/survivors our deep gratitude and we acknowledge our own actions have not always expressed that gratitude adequately.
We know that today the policies and procedures in place in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and across the United States, ensures to the best of our God-given ability, that no priest with a substantiated allegation of sexual abuse of a minor can ever serve as a priest again in our Church.
Still, we know it is not words, but actions that will demonstrate our resolve. And, in some ways, regardless of what I say, tonight or any other time, our critics will say it is not enough. But that cannot and will not prevent me from making every possible effort at moving forward toward healing and resolution with those who have been harmed, and, determined, to make sure nothing like this can ever happen again.
To you gathered here tonight – our pastors, priests, deacons and lay ecclesial ministers – through your vigilance at our parishes and schools, we now have in place the mechanisms to effectively combat the scourge of child sexual abuse. Through the formation and training of our safe environment initiative, we know that you, in your parishes, schools and institutions, have put in place the necessary safeguards and practices to ensure our children are protected. Thank you. Remain vigilant.
Even though some do not want to hear it or accept it as truth, mistakes were made by law enforcement, medical professionals -- even reporters who helped bring initial stories to light and grappled with how to deal with perpetrators. We have ALL learned so much.
We cannot deny the past, but because of all of it, during these past years we have become a more prudent Church. We have taken significant steps to purge this abuse from our Church and even from the larger society. We hope and pray our actions have become a model for WHAT TO DO after decades of what NOT to do.
We are a Sacramental Church. Tonight, in this holiest of weeks, we consecrated the holy oil of the sick. This oil will be used this next year for anointing and healing throughout our archdiocese. Healing we all need.
So, tonight, my dear brothers and sisters, as we renew our commitment to love and serve Jesus Christ and his Church, may we
May God bless you.
God bless the archbishop, his diocese, and the victims of abuse. And may the Holy Spirit of eternal Truth and Logos prevail on those who wish the Church and our Pope ill!
Yet another profile in courage:
Brooklyn Bishop calls on his priests
and parishioners to besiege the Y Times'
March 30, 2010
In his homily to the priests and people of the Diocese of Brooklyn, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, called upon the priests and people of the Diocese of Brooklyn to stand up with him and “besiege
The New York Times. Send a message loud and clear that the Pope, our Church, and bishops and our priests will no longer be the personal punching bag of
The New York Times.”
Bishop DiMarzio’s spirited defense of the Holy Father was based on the decision of
The New York Times editors to, “Omit significant facts,” and ignore the reality that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which Cardinal Ratzinger headed up, did not have competency over Canonical Trials in 1996.
Moreover, Bishop DiMarzio continued “…the priest in question, Father Murphy was in the midst of a Canonical Trial. He died before a verdict was rendered.”
Reflecting on the timing of the stories, DiMarzio stated “Two weeks of articles about a story from many decades ago, in the midst of the Most Holy Season of the Church year is both callous and smacks of calumny!” He continued “This evening, I am asking you to join me making your displeasure known to the editors by letters or emails.”
Bishop DiMarzio reminded the priests, “Sanctity is what we are asked to aspire to; to become perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect, as Jesus invited us.”
He encouraged them to take as their model John Vianney, the 19th Century French Saint who was proclaimed the patron of all priests by Pope Benedict XVI.
The Chrism Mass is a celebration of the institution of the priesthood of Jesus Christ. During the ceremony approximately 400 priests will renew their priestly promises of fidelity to a simple life, celibacy, and obedience. Unique at this Mass, is the blessing of the sacred oils for use in the administration of the Sacraments throughout the Diocese.
Cardinal Mahony praises Pope’s
swift response to LA abuse cases
Los Angeles, Calif., Mar 31, 2010 (CNA).- Responding to controversial media reports about Pope Benedict’s handling of abusive clergy, Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, the Archbishop of Los Angeles, has praised “without hesitation” the future Pope’s quick and helpful response to allegations in the California archdiocese.
As Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), the future Pontiff responded “quickly and affirmatively” to all requests for assistance from prelates in the United States during the year 2002 with reports about the American sexual abuse scandal.
Cardinal Ratzinger and the CDF responded “swiftly” and advised how to proceed in cases of alleged sexual abuse by priests in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Cardinal Mahony wrote on his blog.
“We never had delays or a lack of proper response,” the cardinal continued. He noted that then-Cardinal Ratzinger responded quickly and approvingly whenever he proposed a certain priest be laicized and no longer able to serve as a priest.
Recently the
New York Times and other outlets have published reports questioning the case of a priest who sexually abused more than 200 students at a Milwaukee school for the deaf. The reports claimed the priest was “protected” from laicization in the 1990s by the CDF.
The accuracy of those reports has been challenged by figures like Fr. Thomas Brundage, the judicial vicar who oversaw the case. He said the reports are based on an incorrect letter from an archbishop and also do not understand that
the Roman Rota, not the CDF, handled cases of sexual abuse until 2001.
Cardinal Mahony’s praise for Cardinal Ratzinger’s work continued:
“Without the proactive and helpful assistance of Cardinal Ratzinger and the Congregation over these years, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles would never have been able to move forward aggressively to remove priests from ministry who were proved to be guilty of the sexual abuse of minors.”
Without the CDF’s insights, the cardinal added, “many guilty priests would still be considered priests in our Church.”
Cardinal Mahony expressed gratitude towards the present prefect and staff of the CDF, saying they continue with the same visions and policies Cardinal Ratzinger set before he became Pope.
Those procedures and policies have helped the Archdiocese of Los Angeles resolve cases to “make certain that the Church is a safe place for all peoples, especially children and young people,” the cardinal wrote on his blog.
Here is the Cardinal's blog in full:
THANK YOU, CARDINAL RATZINGER
While I have no personal information on some of the specific allegations against our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, when he served the Church of Munich in Germany, I am able to assert without hesitation the action steps which he undertook in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith when he served as Prefect of that Congregation.
Beginning in that dark year of 2002, the then Cardinal Ratzinger responded quickly and affirmatively to all of our requests for assistance here in the United States.
Recall that Canon 1324, par. 4, states that in Canon Law a minor is a person under the age of 16 years. However, in the civil laws of the United States, a minor is deemed to be a person under the age of 18 years. After we brought this gap to the attention of Cardinal Ratzinger, the canonical age was also raised to 18 years to accommodate civil law in our country and in other countries.
With respect to the processes of dealing with cases of alleged sexual abuse by priests in our Archdiocese, Cardinal Ratzinger and his Congregation responded swiftly and gave us advice on how to proceed with each of these cases. We never had delays or a lack of proper response.
Whenever I proposed that a certain priest be returned to the lay state and no longer serve as a priest, the Congregation responded quickly and in accord with my recommendations.
Whether the priest petitioned himself for a return to the lay state, or whether I insisted upon his return to the lay state, Cardinal Ratzinger and the Congregation responded in favor of the Church, not of the priest individually.
Without the proactive and helpful assistance of Cardinal Ratzinger and the Congregation over these years, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles would never have been able to move forward aggressively to remove priests from ministry who were proved to be guilty of the sexual abuse of minors.
The Congregation continues forward with the same vision and policies of then Cardinal Ratzinger, and I am grateful to the present Prefect and staff of the Congregation for their proactive efforts to assist us in our local Dioceses and Archdioceses to remove from active ministry any priest or religious found guilty of the sexual abuse of minors.
We have had a large number of former priests and religious returned to the lay state under the auspices of Cardinal Ratzinger and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Without those insights by the Congregation, many guilty priests would still be considered priests in our Church. That is no longer the case.
All of the procedures and processes which Cardinal Ratzinger implemented over the years have helped me and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles resolve many unfortunate cases in a manner to make certain that the Church is a safe place for all peoples, especially children and young people.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 31/03/2010 19:40]