ABOUT THE CHURCH AND THE VATICAN

A lack of prudence and its consequence
in enormous damage to the Church
by VITTORIO MESSORI
Translated from

Sept. 2, 2009


Like everyone in my milieu, various rumors have reached me for some time about the alleged court appearance of the 'Boffo Dottor Dino, from Asolo' [a lame attempt at an Italian play on words by those who coined it, since 'boffo' means 'a resounding hit', as in a box-office success] for a homosexual 'story'.

And why before a court in Terni? Because, the gossips would answer with a malicious smile, "that is the location of Don Gelmini's community and... you know, Don Gelmini was reduced to the lay state becasue he was accused of pederasty". [This was a long-running story in Italy in 2006 or 2007, that I 'chronicled' in translation in the PRF, because it involved an octogenarian priest whom many considered a living saint because of his lifelong work to rehabilitate drug addicts. The malicious insinuation of guilt-by-association is just too patent!]

I knew then that somehow, someone would try to get court records about it - those documents that can be made public under the law, but held back when appropriate to protect the reputation of the accused.

As a Catholic, I listened to the gossip calmly. Even if sooner or later, there would always be someone - because of political enmity, out of vedentta, or simply in search of a scoop - who would disclose any embarassing files.

And it has happened, with the enormous damage to the image of the Church that I feared, regardless of how the whole episode turns out.

Let me make clear: I confirm to Dino my fraternal closeness during this terrible time that he is having, and wish him - and for all of us - that he may clear everythign up.

Allow me, among other things, to offer proof of his professional honesty. Many Catholics in Italy are convinced - despite all my denials - that Boffo was responsible for ending the twice-weekly column 'Vivaio' that I wrote for Avvenire for years, and which attracted both passionate readers as well as enemies. It ended because of a decision made by me alone, which, in fact, provoked Boffo's sincere regrets.

In any case, thanks to him, we have admired the leap in quality and autoritativeness of a newspaper which had once seemed like nothing more than a semi-official news bulletin.

This being said, honesty leads me to confess that I am disconcerted by the conduct of the Church hierarchy on which the CAtholic media system depends.

And in this, Boffo is the hinge - as editor of Avvenire, and director of both Sat2000, the TV outlet in which the CEI has invested and contnues to ivnest millions, and of InBlu, the CEI's radio network with more than 200 stations. A virtual human institution, though a layman, occupying soem of the most sensitive positions in an ecclesial institution.

In reviewing the history of the Church, I always admired one constant element: cardinals and bishops had always accompanied their virtues with that of prudence, ever vigilant to turn aside dangers.

What has now happened, we ask. In effect, after the 2004 judicial incident, traditional prudence would have suggested that the 'accused' be asked to resign, to take on other responsibilities less exposed to blackmail and scandal. Regardless of whether the incident was the result of an equivocation, a vendetta or judicial error.

Plutarch praised Caesar for repudiating his wife on the basis of inconsistent suspicions, saying that the prestige of the Head of Rome could not tolerate any shadows even if invented ones.

Was the Terni sentence disputable? Or was it all just 'junk'? If it should turn out to be so - as we believe and hope - then we can all breathe a sigh of relief.

But meanwhile, a man who is a symbol of the Church in Italy has been plastered on the front pages and will continue to be, under suspicion of 'unusual' tastes whose very shadow continues to weigh heavily today on the Church.

This case was bound to become public sooner or later, and in a malicious way. Why then did five years have to go by with no one doing anything to avoid just this kind of terrible diclosure? As one would normally do with a clear conscience.

If another newspaper has now attacked Boffo on its front pages, it is because the cardinals and bishops, whose duty it was to act, failed to name him to other responsibilities earlier, away from political aggressions.

These are difficult issues to raise, certainly. But they are the questions of a believer who knows that the last thing the Church needs now is yet another case that allows many to shake their heads and murmur, even if unjustly, "Well, that much we know - priests and their friends moralize to us, while they, in secret, are behaving even worse..."

Whatever happens, the shadow and the suspicion will stay.

There is a dear price to pay when one forgets the virtue of prudence.



I agree the responsible cardinals and bishops at CEI should have known better - to 'protect' an important human asset from just this kind of malicious attack by not giving him such high-profile responsibilities.

They could have erred by naivete - simply trusting that whatever Boffo's private morals are, he would be invulnerable to the kind of foul play that is always possible in he public arena. Which is sheer naivete to think!

But Boffo himself should have realized that when he paid that court fine - regardless of the objective facts of the case - he opened the door to potential blackmail and character assassination. And he could have asked the CEI then to give him a less visible post.

Many reports in the Italian media claim that besides all his formal titles, Boffo had also emerged as chief adviser and strategist on public affairs for Cardinal Bagnasco. That's a 'hidden' role that he might have continued to play without the public exposure he has as the CEI's trimedia czar.

Far more than Caesar's wife, the Church and its prominent members should be above suspicion!

But maybe it is too much to expect that someone can keep all his wits about him at the prospect and actual chance to be a lay titan in the Church.


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Now, for the first time, I find myself questioning the common sense and wisdom of Cardinal Bagnasco!

I just came across a Corriere della Sera article today that says Boffo left the editorial offices of Milan yesterday morning to travel to Rome and present his resignation to Cardinal Bagnasco. Who promptly rejected it and reportedly said that "More than ever, you should stay".

That Boffo did not stand his ground and say, "It would be better for everybody that I go, at least until everything is cleared up", tells me he cannot have been very determined to resign!

His friends claim he returned to Milan 'more determined than ever to stand his ground and resist'. I think his ego is very much in the way in all this.

Especially after Cardinal Bagnasco got the telephone call from the Pope yersterday afternoon, assuring him of his full "esteem, respect and confidence' in the Italian bishops' conference, while asking for "information and assessments on the situation". {That does not sound to me like the Pope thinks the last word has been said on Boffo's case!]

For all that he may be worth as a human being and as a media whiz, why do Boffo's person and career seem to be more important to Cardinal Bagnasco than the image of the Church???? Surely, there must be someone in Avvenire who can take over as editor at short notice, at least for the time being! Executives - and employees - must never forget that no one is indispensable; when things must change, you will find someone to fill the gap.

A couple of other reputable Catholic conservatives wrote articles today saying Boffo must go because, in effect, the Church must be above suspicion, especially at this time.

The estimable Roberto Di Mattei has very compelling arguments in behalf of the Church for why Boffo should resign, in which he says what has been unsaid so far - Boffo has not once denied that he is homosexual, although he has denounced homosexual acts as morally reprehensible.

Marco Politi has also written a sensible piece about the Pope giving the signal to the hierarchy to close ranks in the matter of dealing with the Italian government. I will post the articles as soon as I can translate them.

9/3/09
P.S. It turns out the bylined article about Boffo submitting his resignation to Cardinal Bagnasco on Tuesday was apparently unfounded. Boffo denied it categorically Wednesday - but how ironic that the following morning (today, Thursday), he would in fact resign irrevocably from all the top positions he held in the CEI trimedia empire.

I rashly expressed my disappointment in Cardinal Bagnasco for not accepting the resignation on Tuesday - because I trusted that Corriere della Sera would not have run a bylined article on Boffo's supposed resignation if the journalist who wrote it did not have his facts right! See, I can still be trusting - at the wrong time! - despite my general distrust of current journalism!