The largest single gathering of the Catholic Church’s hierarchical leadership to combat clerical sexual abuse and coverup closed five years ago–five years to the day, if you are reading this on Saturday, February 24, 2024–with Pope Francis calling for “an all-out battle” against “abominable crimes that must be erased from the face of the earth.”
What have we seen in the way of leadership from Pope Francis in the intervening quinquennium?
Five years of failure
Pope Francis has refused to defrock a confessed child molester or even remove him from the College of Cardinals.
Pope Francis has protected a favorite Argentinian prelate he himself raised to the episcopate and threatened those who sought justice from the Church.
Pope Francis has presided over the appalling miscarriage of justice that has allowed a powerful celebrity artist-cleric not only to escape punishment for the abuse of as many as forty-one victims over three decades but even to remain in ministry as an extern priest resident in Rome.
Pope Francis has done more.
He has issued paper reforms–including one major piece of procedural legislation–and refused to use them except very sparingly, selectively and never transparently.
Before the year that preceded and precipitated the gathering in February 2019 was out, Pope Francis demonized men and women who demand vindication of their right to know the true character and conduct of their rulers in the faith.
More recently, Pope Francis has praised others–those who would be known as guardians and sentinels of the truth–for their perceived reticence in the face of appalling misdeeds.
He has paid lip service to impartial justice while he promoted an unready and thoroughly compromised favorite to high office, discouraging that hapless fellow from taking the interest in the administration of justice that his very office demands.
Were Pope Francis’s every other act of governance redolent with Solomonic wisdom, these alone–one may adduce many others– would be sufficient to measure his conduct of the Church’s government and find it sorely wanting.
Watchword or buzzwords?
Responsibility, Accountability, Transparency: This was the threefold watchword of the great gathering in 2019.
The meeting itself had little in the way of a real agenda. Ahead of the meeting, Pope Francis talked a great game from one side of his mouth. From the other, he was at pains to tamp down hopes for it. The chief organizers of the meeting were about the work of managing expectations for months before the thing even opened.
Almost immediately, opportunities presented themselves for Pope Francis and other senior churchmen to prove their earnest, but there were no real takers. By 2021, it was apparent that the watchword was no more than a collection of buzzwords.
Responsibility under Pope Francis had definite form by the bottom half of 2023, when the world stood witness as the Pope’s own Commission for the Protection of Minors lambasted the Vatican for “tragically harmful deficiencies in the norms intended to punish abusers and hold accountable those whose duty is to address wrongdoing.”
That statement came the very same day France’s La Croix reported that the disgraced former Archbishop of Bordeaux, Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, would be keeping his red hat and voting rights, and–as far as the Vatican was concerned–could keep his faculties to minister within the confines of the diocese where he resides, even though he admitted to molesting a fourteen-year-old girl.
Accountability under Pope Francis finds its most eloquent expression in his remark to the Associated Press regarding the impossibly sordid matter of Fr. Marko Rupnik: “I had nothing to do with this.”
“Nothing” was all Pope Francis had to do in order to see that his depraved olim confrère escape justice.
Francis’s late decision to change course and waive the statute of limitations behind which Rupnik had found refuge only made matters worse. The volte-face followed the explosion of worldwide outrage at news that Rupnik would be incardinated in a diocese of his native Slovenia after his expulsion from the Jesuits for disobedience.
Transparency under Francis was a Catholic bishop–Michael J. Hoeppner, insufferably emeritus of Crookston, Mn.–accused of interfering in a canonical or civil investigation into clerical sexual abuse, getting early retirement with honor and going to live with relatives in the Sun Belt.
Pope Francis allowed Hoeppner to preach at his own farewell liturgy, billed as a “Mass of Thanksgiving” for his time in office. “It’s been a real joy and a treat,” Hoeppner told the congregation in Crookston’s Immaculate Conception cathedral.
Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin
Just this past week, stories from Texas in the United States to the Australian outback either broke or saw major development. A simmering crisis spanning Europe and Asia also began to boil.
It has long since become inescapably evident that the rot in the Church’s clerical and hierarchical leadership culture is systemic. The clerical culture we have right now–without respect to ideological leanings or theological inclination–is utterly in thrall to the intrinsically perverse libido dominandi.
“The Church’s house will be clean,” this journalist wrote in the autumn of 2018–annus horribilis in which the carelessness of the hierarchy was already on garish display–the only questions then being whether Francis or Caesar would be holding the broom and whether the cleansing would come before or after the fire sale.
Those questions have not yet received a definitive answer, though the experience of the past five years has provided unequivocable indications.
The Church under Pope Francis is simply unable or unwilling to get its own house in order.
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Kind of guessing the current Pope isn’t particularly concerned about clerical misbehavior and is simply saying what he thinks will please whatever audience is currently before him.
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The other possibility that comes to mind is blackmail. It is entirely possible that when he was annointed Pope, he meant to take the evil doers by storm and clear them out, only to find the task was too big–if one cares about politics, power, reputations, and money, which I am kind of thinking he does.
Let’s not forget Francis’s enablers, led in the United States by the (un)distinguished Archbishop of Chicago, Blase Cupich. Cupich singlehandedly forced his brother bishops in the USCCB NOT to address the Uncle Ted scandal.
His blitzkrieg on clerical abuse was so intrepid no one noticed it.
“Cupich singlehandedly forced his brother bishops in the USCCB NOT to address the Uncle Ted scandal.”
How was this possible if they had the courage to tell Cupich to take a hike? Weren’t they just willing wimps who agreed with Cupich or simply caved under some kind of a threat as opposed to actually being “forced”?
I think the answer of wimpiness among our episcopate was clearly demonstrated in their vote a few years ago of whether to allow political architects of mass murdering the unborn to continue desecrating the Eucharist with a resounding 222 to 8 of approval, after which they applauded their cowardice, and then examined their lunch menus.
Shockingly redolent of Catholic (& Lutheran) hierarchs in the charnel house of Nazi Germany.
Too bad U. Ted got away unscathed after all the havoc he created.
So goes the Pontiff of the McCarrick parasite cult.
The very same man who, when Archbishop of Buenos Aries, and President of the Argentine Bishops Conference, as reported by journalists in Argentina, orchestrated a secret, multimillion dollar church-funded defense of the “Rev.” Julio Grassi, the most notorious pedophile sex abuser in modern Argentine history, found guilty by the highest national court in Argentina, and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment, for sexually abusing orphans in his “charity-orphanage” agency.
No small wonder, when the sex abuse coverup Cardinal Danneels, and the financial fraud Cardinal Becciu trotted him out on the balcony after his papal election, a prominent Argentinian Catholic observer wrote this: “Oh the horror!”
Now we know in spades what he warned about, 11 very long years ago…
All clericalisms are equal, but some are more equal than others…
Wondering here, and quite apart from the papacy, what it means if a “couple” of young adolescents dabbling in experimental sex spontaneously request and receive from their pastor a non-blessing? Despite his claimed “accompaniment” under Fiducia Supplicans, is the priest actually grooming the pair? A Beach house non-liturgy?
And, if so, do the clueless and misled partners likely fall into hell, or with a millstone necktie is it only the cleric?
Thank you, good Mr. Altieri, for once again carefully and judiciously documenting this perfidious Bergoglian papacy.
We need to hear the truth, painful as it is, from reputable sources like CWR. Because we certainly don’t hear it from our Church leaders.
Dear God, please heed the cries of your little ones whose bodies and souls are in danger of being destroyed because of the depredations of satan’s minions who are posing as shepherds of the Church.
Amen.
Mighty Shepherd of the sheep of God, King Jesus Christ, please use Your rod of correction on the wicked pastors who are defying Your Word & corrupting Your sheep.
The behavior of the abusive clergy and those in the hierarchy who covered it up made a mockery of their ordinations, promises, vows, and oaths. The kind of clergy who are covered by the Church teaching on Donatism, whose word appears to mean nothing. Faithless promise breakers. With this track record, why should I believe a word that they say?
Although GregB. Then there are the theological ragpickers, who Pharisee like, follow behind for some scrap of evidence to disprove Catholicism’s boast of integrity. See! See! His Holiness speaks gibberish. Content with a reused dishrag that disproves two thousand years of doctrinal permanence. Forlorn in the monumental failure of their own denomination, now to brood in some dank corner savoring their obviously unimpeachable triumph.
In His woes in Matthew 23, Christ pointed out that the Pharisees didn’t practice what they preached. In Mark 7 He criticized their practice of Corban as a way to nullify God’s commandments. One major role of the prophets is to correct defective faith practice, as was done by St. Stephen in Acts 7. Our faith and relationship with God is based on Christ’s New and Everlasting Covenant ratified in His Own Blood. Covenantal fidelity is of primary importance. How often do we hear about the covenantal nature of the faith? My critique is not of the faith, but of defective faith practice, which is a timeless problem.
I used to travel a lot and have been to almost every state. With the exception of a handful of priest friends of mine, active in the pro-life movement, in the thousands of homilies I’ve heard from priests I did not know, all around the country, I never once heard a single condemnation of the overall decadence of American culture or the finding of fault with the sex revolution. Not once. A number of times I heard them mention Hollywood with hope that finally they would say something negative. Nope. It was always praise for how movies “made you think”.
Dear Edward J Baker, such valuable but depressing real life observations.
Like the hidden treasure & pearl of great price, after much searching, I’ve heard only one priest who fearlessly preaches our LORD Jesus Christ and His commands.
Have listened to one or two nuns who still hold The Faith (out of hundreds).
Sadly, heard no bishop, archbishop, or cardinal proclaim Christ unequivocally.
Made me think of the eleven serious words of Mark 10:31
This papacy is one utter failure.
The popes are infallible…..until they aren’t. The Christians around the world are watching as God is revealing the hypocrisy and the falsehood of the Catholic faith.
Even Judas was an apostle, until he wasn’t. And–this news flash from Brother Brian–when there are no clouds the sky is often blue! Quick, alert the evangelical-and-lapsed Catholics!
No point, yet again, in reminding (“mind”?) Brother Brian of what “infallible” actually means within the Church founded by Christ and indwelled by the Holy Spirit—AND what it does not mean…
Instead, this meditation…
Consider the mysterious humility of the self-disclosing Triune One, whom in the Second Person willfully takes on our flawed human nature–especially including the prideful arrogance of each and ALL of us. And next consider the uniquely untainted humility of the Virgin Mother of God, without whom her absolutely simple “fiat” and the Incarnation and the Redemption would not have happened…
And, consider the depth of Christ’s self-abandonment to even work through (!) imperfect and even willfully-flawed human beings, in a Church that by His actions is sacramental. And, that in its apostolic and living Tradition even gave us the inspired and written Scriptures which some seem to think fell out of the sky into their evangelical hands (much as the Qur’an is said by Islamic sola scripturists to have been dictated (!) into the hands of Muhammad?).
So, rather than formally teaching heresy (yes, a violation of papal “infallibility”), what’s happening now is a less direct neglect and evasion and, also indirectly through proxies, the implication that pastoral practice can be separated from dogmatic and moral truth which remains intact on paper.
Very insidious….Almost like abandoning altogether the very bleeding “one, holy, catholic and apostolic” Church itself, and then pontificating one’s uninformed taunts onto the sheets of a Catholic website.
Meaning that the Church–a divinely commissioned institution indwelled by the Holy Spirit–remains holy as a reliable channel of sacramental and sanctifying grace; but likely not in its individual and fallen members, even those in high places.
Yes, to the most humble brother Brian, tis happily true that unlike the unfallen in modern times, Christ does not abandon His Church.
In response to PDB’s magnificent presentation of eternal truth, a genuine ‘unfallen’ would fall to their knees, weeping and saying sorry to Jesus Christ, His Most Blessed Mother Mary, all the saints & martyrs, and beg to be shriven, so as to be readmitted to their number.
Not a few such shriven ‘unfallens’ have found a non-condemnatory, joyful welcome awaits them in the Catholic Communion . . .
Dear brother Brian, its time to come home . . .
One serious erratum in your otherwise nice post:
“Consider the mysterious humility of the self-disclosing Triune One, whom in the Second Person willfully takes on our flawed human nature…”
The Eternal Word and Son of God assumed a perfect human nature and united to His Divinity in His Divine Person without confusion, without change, without division, without separation (c.f. the infallible dogmatic definition of the Council of Chalcedon, the 4th Ecumenical Council).
St. Paul says that Our Lord was like us in all things except sin (c.f. Hebrews). He had to be “the Lamb without blemish” in order to make infinite satisfaction for our sins (ibid).
Good catch, thank you. Instead of “flawed,” maybe “weak”…”For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin” (Heb 4:15).
You’re mistaken.
Infallible, yes. Charism of the office.
Impeccable, no. Consequence of the Fall.
No one ever said the popes are infallible other than anti-Catholic bigots. God is exposing the hypocrisy and willingness to take refuge in falsehoods by a man publicly making juvenile, unsubstantiated claims of personal animus.
However, dear Deacon Edward: “This papacy is one utter failure.”
You’d have to admit it is an outstanding success at revealing the ungodly hearts of very many eminent churchmen.
*Ethical Encounter Theology* suggests that such revelations are central to God’s purposes in creating a somewhat peculiar universe such as ours.
As much as God seeks those who love & obey, He also notes those who cunningly pervert. This is a sort of Binary Ethical Apocalypsis (BEA).
Comprehensive & exhaustive BEA is, in all justice & logic, the necessary precursor that enables the Ethical Dialysis that will wrap up this Age and introduce The New Heavens & New Earth of unopposed righteousness.
Shocked & disgusted as we are by papal & curial malfeasances, let’s never forget King Jesus Christ is reigning unopposed over the entirety. He is always with us and looking earnestly toward the soon-coming Day when He will implement the Ethical Dialysis balance sheet of all humankind!
Meanwhile – let’s take care good brother in Christ; blessings from marty
Sadly, I know full well of its failures, and I struggle with my anger. It’s especially hard to encourage Catholics who don’t follow papal scandals closely to become aware. A sober theologian I respect maintains that any Catholic can make a judgment of material heresy as distinct from formal heresy. So when I went to the March for Life last month, I mingled in the crowd wearing my “Francis is a Heretic” custom baseball cap and was quite prepared to explain my position to the numerous challenges that I did encounter.
Excellent! Faithful Catholic Christ-followers are going to be eternally rewarded for WITNESSING – no matter how discouraging the circumstances.
Catholics who measure themselves in terms of WINNING are serving another ‘god’.
King Jesus Christ has WON; His total victory is secure; our call is to keep witnessing to that eternal truth, in season & out.
Some souls, by grace, will accept our testimony to THE TRUTH & be included among the blessed. Others will reject it, revealing they have no part in Jesus or His Church.
St Paul says the whole universe is laboring to birth the blessed of God!
And: BLESSED are we, SO VERY BLESSED to be called to humbly co-labor at this time in history with Christ for the birth of our eternal brothers & sisters.
San Gallen Mafia strikes again.
Woe to those who end up in media ‘meat grinder,’ papal preacher says
The media exposed USCCB secretary Msgr. Jeffrey Burrill’s love of Grindr. He next progressed to “resume active ministry” in a parish of his home diocese. Whether his toys were taken away, the media didn’t say, so we don’t the woe or weal of him yet.
As much as I dislike the idea of Caesar wielding its broom, I think it would be preferable to allowing this festering cancer in the Church to continue as it has been. I am surprised that secular authorities have not already intervened effectively somewhere with so many victims crying for justice. The real problem is that anyone who attempts to deal with this has to begin to undermine the sexual revolution, and far too many people of all stripes are far too invested in the sexual revolution to want to consider such a thing.
Precisely, such will never happen.
The sex revolution = the neo-pagan godhead.
In the matter of clerical homosexual abuse as in everything else he has said and done, Bergoglio proves himself to be a monstrous liar and a hypocrite. The obvious question once again presents itself that is always ignored or suppressed: how can an evildoer and criminal like this be pope?
Ask the Heavenly Father as Jesus testifies, “for he would not be such if the Father had not given him this authority and office”…
thus, to those who are given much, much will be required”….pray and fast with JMJ and all of the Tri-Spousal People of God….
So….now what? Do we just wait for the “old guard” to die off? What is being done to prevent this in the future? I hope lots.
So…what exactly are we, the laypeople, supposed to do about this? What is the point of this article?–to foster even more distrust of our priests, bishops, and the Pope?!
Is this article yet another admonition to teach our children (and ourselves, too!) to avoid being alone with any priest, deacon, or pastor/teacher from any denomination? I actually think this is a reasonable action that we can take, along with being very careful to not entertain thoughts of a liaison or fantasize about someone who is not our spouse, even though television and Hollywood makes it seem that everyone except me is having a happy and harmless affair and hurting no one in the process! And of course, sadly, we need to constantly warn our children, which is probably not helping them to develop a love of the Lord Jesus and the Holy Mass and a desire to commit their lives to Jesus and His Church.
But is there anything ELSE the LAITY can actually DO(not just pray about) that won’t create a massive exodus from the Catholic Church and from “church” in general in a country like the U.S. where “nones” are becoming the norm among the young people and paganism is replacing religion as our elected officials are attempting to make laws that will supposedly create a safe nation where everyone has the resources (courtesy of the working taxpayers) to live a happy life?!
Other than prayer and crying out to the Lord God to please cleanse His Church and save us from our carnal desires, I see nothing in this article–no action, no movement or revolution, no “March or “Concert for Purity”, no “Sexual Purity Conferences” or “Purity Retreats”, that we, the laypeople, can participate in to end the sexual sins of our clergy.
All of us who are serving in any lay leadership capacity in our parishes are required to complete an online course about avoiding sexual sins and abuse in our ministries. I’m guessing that, just like our determination to stick to our food diets often goes awry, these diocesan educational programs are forgotten by some as they face a temptation and choose to give in to it.
So why do we think our priests are any better than are at resisting sexual sin?
And of course, there are various “sexual purity” pledges that we can take–but if our priests make chastity promises at their ordination that are even more binding than our simple promises and it STILL doesn’t work and they STILL give in to temptation, then purity pledges probably aren’t the answer–unless there is a painful penalty (such as de-frocking) for abandoning their chastity pledge.
And in the same way, I actually don’t think that marches and concerts or even conferences and retreats would help eliminate sexual sin among the clergy or the laity.
One action that comes to mind is for the laity around the world to withhold their tithes and offerings for one week each year (or possibly more weeks). Money talks, especially when the Vatican is facing a shortage of it at this time in history. I don’t know if this is even an acceptable course of action for Catholic Christians, but we could always give that week’s tithes and offerings to a trustworthy local charity that does good work for the poor, the sick, the elderly, and the children.
Withhold money is just a suggestion from a lay person who is tired of reading articles that have obviously been unsuccessful in sparking the ending the scourge of sexual sin among our clergy. In my opinion, opining over the problem is not helpful and serves only to foster fear and possibly causes disgusted people to drop out of organized religion entirely.
We, the laypeople, need a course of action, along with prayer and fasting, and constantly hyper-warning our children and guarding our own souls against sexual sin. We need “something” that will actually work to end this sin among the clergy. Withholding money is one possible “something,” although those who suffer from uncontrollable lust will probably be unfazed–but at least, they won’t be on the payroll of the Church! We need to seek other “somethings” that will actually end the scandal and impurity our clergy. Dear Lord Jesus, help us!
The sexual abuse workshops required by laity are run by the USCCB.
Parishes are (a) required to run them for laity and (b) have to pay the USCCB to use the copyrighted material in them. So, these workshops are really meant to just be an additional source of USCCB revenue from gullible parishioners, a tax on volunteers and parishes, so the USCCB can pay for clerical sexual abuse. That’s all.
Since the perps are principally priests, but the workshops are directed at laity, they don’t serve any other purpose. To be fair, this is not exactly a new problem in the Church, as Chaucer’s Monk’s and Nun’s Tale will readily show.
What’s new is the idea that having sex with a 14-year old is child sexual abuse. Read Canon Law – a 14-year old girl is old enough to enter into the sacrament of marriage. Up until the 1983 Code revision, the age used to be 12 for both men and women. For all of human history, in every culture ever recorded, the age of marriage was always 12. Check US law in 1880 – age of consent in every state was 11, except for Delaware, where it was 9. Sexual abuse isn’t new. Pretending that it is child abuse when the targets are in their teens – THAT is new.
I can easily tell you what to do but it would be very difficult, for a Roman Catholic. Over my ten years of worshiping in the local Roman Catholic parish I observed that people consider a confrontation with a priest to be a mortal sin.
This notion of a fear of saying “no” to a priest is absent in the Eastern Orthodox Church which formed my understanding of ecclesiology. Paradoxically, Eastern Orthodox revere their priests, even kiss their hands after receiving a blessing but they also easily shout “Anaxios!” (unworthy) during an installation of the bishop who was a practicing gay. They would not shut up for all service. This action comes from a felt responsibility for the Church well-being and especially for the preservation of tradition and teaching which (as Eastern Orthodox teaching goes) the lay people fully share with clergy. The refusal to accept the bishop who is immoral is very scriptural. He has been called “Bishop Anaxios” ever since that event.
When I came to the Roman Catholic parish I continued acting as an Eastern Orthodox. Because I am an iconographer = have a substantial knowledge of theology I felt responsible for defending the truth so when I witnessed a liturgical abuse I would confront a priest re: that. I would also do that if his homily would twist Christian theology in Pope Francis’s fashion (Vatican II spirit, “we are first, God is seconds etc.”). I would do that politely, without witnesses but firmly. When I saw that something was grossly wrong in the parish I would share my concerns with the Bishop (who often responded well).
Sometimes I was heard, sometimes not but I felt I did my duty. Once when I dared to oppose an emotionally abusive narcissistic priest I was severely abused and prosecuted. The abuse culminated in that priest threatening me, shouting like mad in the church when I did some work. He attempted to intimidate me via pushing his (huge) body against mine. A few parishioners including men pretended they did not see it. There was no chance they did not see it because they were sitting in front of us. They clearly saw and heard that he was threatening but looked away. I felt betrayed. Such an event would not be possible in the eastern Orthodox church where the people would rash in because something wrong was going on.
This is the key to the trouble in the Roman Catholic Church. Sexual abuse is just a part of a widespread emotional abuse; there is no sexual abuse without emotional. An emotional abuse can thrive only if it is unopposed by parishioners. In clinical psychology it is called “enabling”. Hence the only answer to any kind of abuse is “stop enabling”. Every time you hear a homily that twists the Gospel, confront a priest after Mass. Every time you hear a priest emotionally abusing someone, interfere immediately. Every time you see some wrong practice being pushed onto the parish “from above”, say “no”. Accept a personal responsibility for the health of the Church. Stop being afraid of disobedience because the duty to obey a bishop/priest is over when a bishop/priest stops obeying Christ and magisterium.
Anna: a Bullseye!
A really informative & helpful comment, dear Anna.
The bully-boy, angry, vengeful, dominating cockerel is just below the surface in far too many of our clergy (as experienced in several countries around the world). It doesn’t take much for the nasty to show itself. Am wondering if this superiority complex is also related to some of them thinking they can do whatever they want sexually with children and vulnerable adults; & with church funds.
Why clerical bad behavior is so often tolerated or even smiled on by parishioners is imponderable. Maybe they expect authority figures to dominate others?
Where is the: “Follow me as I follow Christ?”
As one dedicated Catholic remarked: “The cross I bear is not imposed by unbelievers & atheists but by the unchristian words & actions of hubristic clergy.”
So: let’s praise God for those lovable clergy who really do follow the way of Jesus Christ.
Ever seeking to lovingly obey King Jesus Christ; blessings from marty
“Am wondering if this superiority complex is also related to some of them thinking they can do whatever they want sexually with children and vulnerable adults; & with church funds.”
Yes, of course. People with narcissistic traits feel entitled in themselves to have whatever they want, for a start. A position of a priest in the Roman Catholic Church with its given superiority and infallibility and “superhumanity” appears to encourage those traits, unfortunately, and also to provide such people with a cover.
I am going to guess this is why, despite having “converted” to Roman Catholicism from “none” back in 1996, I have slipped back into the “none” category as of 2019/2020. I have never, ever had a problem criticizing priests or bishops, even scolding a priest over his lackluster handling of the contraception/NFP issue (which was near and dear to me at the time–this was many years ago).
Our current “pastor” is emotionally abusive and slams the musical ability our cantor both publicly and behind his back. If my husband were not Catholic, I would not attend.
Dear Mrs. Hess, thank you for such an honest description of life in your Catholic parish. Your observations are similar to many from around the world.
Reading The New Testament, I’ve found several examples of faithless & abusive leadership, right at the start of The Church. It’s nothing new! Jesus had to put up with miscreant Jewish leaders. Most of the Jewish prophets of God were treated roughly and some even murdered!
In Matthew 21:33-46, Jesus teaches that God’s Church (vineyard) can be occupied by violently ungodly tenants. Verse 43 explains that having displayed their wickedness, the vineyard (the Church) will be taken from those hypocrites and given to people who persevere in godliness.
Why? Maybe because we are still IN this fallen world, even though as believers we are not PART of it. Those of the world hate us because we do not belong to it but to God. see John 15:18-25.
But why IN our Catholic parishes? Because the enemy has seeded the field with worldly weeds who are cupboard-lover or pretend Christians – their behavior proves that! Please do see Matthew 13:24-30 for Jesus’ exact description of what you are experiencing!
SO! As with the ancient holy women & men, as with Jesus Christ & His Most Blessed Mother Mary, as with numerous saints & martyrs over the last 2,000 years, we are expected to keep faith and shine, even when our parish & priest have given up on Jesus’ Way and are behaving in ungodly, worldly ways!
God is depending on good sheep like you, Mrs. Hess, to perseveringly speak the Truth amidst the lies. See Philippians 2:15 – “. . be innocent and genuine, perfect children of God among a deceitful and underhand brood . .”
Bearing with ungodly priests & parishioners, it seems, is par for the course!
Take care. In the persevering love of The Lamb of God; blessings from marty
An excellent article by Mr. Altieri. I especially appreciate the fact that the article has none of the “on the one hand this, but on the other hand that” type of reporting.
The TRULY CONCERNING point is not whether “Francis’s” battle has been a personal failure but what that failure has meant for the Church. Francis, like his 264 predecessors, will one day be gone. But the damage inflicted by eight years of the current scandal–eight since Uncle Teddy was outed, five since Francis’s sham meeting, over three since the Sgt. Schultz Parolin report (“we know NOTHING, NOOOTTTHINGG!!”) absolving anybody alive of ever heard anything about a Mr. Theodore McCarrick–has inflicted INCREDIBLE harm on the Church’s credibility. That harm has especially been in her ability to speak to sexual ethics–ground zero in the fight about the dignity of the human person–because of her compromised position (coupled with the confusion Francis spreads whenever he decides to opine). The Church is paralyzed in its ability to speak to this crisis because it will not lance the boil of homosexual predation in the clergy, despite two major opportunities in the USA, in 2002 and 2018. Francis is an abject failure in this regard.
We need a Truth Commission comprised of laity.
An excellent suggestion, dear Deacon Edward. Inspired!
There are thousands of eminent Catholic judges and legal professors around the world. Their discrete ‘Papal Commissions’ should be guaranteed access to all documents and electronic media; conscripted witnesses to be constrained by the threat of excommunication if they deliberately deceive or refuse to be completely frank. Close links with the civil & criminal judiciary.
It would be helpful if some top Catholic legal professionals could comment on this brilliant suggestion that seems able to break the impasse and clear the way for a restitution of the integrity of Catholic Church administration.
Let’s not just let this pass. It’s of the utmost importance for Catholic futures.
Several years ago I came across a book, The Dictator Pope; The Inside Story of the Francis Papacy. At the time I wondered if it was true or if the author was sensationalizing to sell a book. Everything he claimed seems to have come to light. Lord save us.
‘Pope Francis’s “all-out battle” against clerical abuse has been a failure’
That’s in keeping with the unabated trainwreck pontificate that we’ve been enduring since 13 October 2013 not to mention Jorge Bergoglio’s behavior in the episcopacy beginning in 1992 in Buenos Aries. If only Kolvenbach hadn’t been ignored.
A thunderbolt from Ed Condon of ‘The Pillar’ –
*Five Years Forward, Five Steps Back*
“Wednesday of this week marked the five-year anniversary of Pope Francis’ global summit on the abuse crisis, held in Rome in 2019.
It was that summit which led to the promulgation of Vos estis lux mundi, the papal motu proprio introducing new laws and procedures to punish abuse of minors and vulnerable adults, and negligence by bishops and religious superiors.
It was meant to signal a new era of “zero tolerance” in the Church, with participants vowing “never again” amid mounting global scandals of which Theodore McCarrick was merely the most well-known.
The anniversary was marked in Rome, perhaps deliberately, by an update from the Vatican on the case against Fr. Marko Rupnik, the artist and former Jesuit accused by some 20 religious sisters of serially, violently, and spiritually sexually abusing them for years.
Two of Rupnik’s victims also marked the occasion by holding a press conference to describe their abuse, and the “deafening silence” and “rubber wall” from Church authorities in the face of their claims.
It’s hard to argue with their characterization. That Rupnik only now faces the prospect of canonical justice is only due to immense public outcry from Catholics worldwide, and a public shaming of the Vatican’s handling of the case by the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors last year.
The depths of Vatican dysfunction, or indifference, to Rupnik’s crimes has been laid bare over the last two years. Even setting aside the still-unexplained decision not to waive the statute of limitations on his crimes for several years, it is clear the en vogue artist benefitted from efforts to protect him.
In 2020 he was tried, convicted, and excommunicated for crimes against the sacrament of confession and then so quickly rehabilitated that no one ever knew — he was allowed even to retain his public appointments as an expert consulter to at least three Vatican dicasteries during the process.
As recently as last year, the pope’s own diocesan curia in Rome was issuing statements backing Rupnik, even as the Jesuits belatedly moved to expel — though not laicize — the priest.
To this day, the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communications seems to default to featuring Rupnik’s artwork on its devotional and promotional materials.
If Rupnik’s case were a solitary outlier within five years of concerted progress, it would still rightly be a source of shame for the Church. Instead, his case is closer to typical for a Vatican still mired in personal favoritism and a culture of clerical deference.
No number of new policies or commitment to transparency was enough to convince the Vatican to hand over its case files to Argentine authorities in the trial of Bishop Oscar Zanchetta, who was convicted of sexually abusing seminarians in 2022 but had been shielded from justice for years after Pope Francis allowed him to resign his local diocese for “health reasons” and gave him a make-work Vatican job.
Speaking of “health reasons,” they also supposedly triggered the resignation of Bishop Christopher Saunders form the Diocese of Broome, Australia, in 2021 — despite Saunders having spent a year “stepping back” from governing the diocese over allegations of serial sexual abuse of young Aboriginal men.
In another illustrative commemoration of Wednesday’s anniversary, local police arrested the retired bishop on Feb. 21, charging him with 19 counts of rape and sexual abuse. They made the bust on the strength of a leaked copy of the Church’s own Vos estis investigation into the bishop — its contents were enough for the Australian police to act, though the file has been stuck in Vatican limbo for some time now.
Meanwhile, as of last year, Saunders was still listed as the legally “responsible person” for nine Catholic charities in his former diocese, several of which are affiliated with local parishes.
In the United States, the first bishop to face a full Vos estis investigation, Bishop Michael Hoeppner of Crookston, was also allowed to resign, rather than face a formal canonical trial and sanction, after he pressured a victim to recant his abuse claim.
While he wasn’t able to cite “health reasons” for his premature retirement, he did throw himself a Mass of Thanksgiving for “the blessings that Almighty God has bestowed upon us” through his time in charge, which he called “a real treat.
Meanwhile, the former president of the French bishops’ conference, Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, remains a cardinal in good standing and able to vote in a future conclave, despite having admitted in 2022 to abusing a 14-year-old girl.
Rupnik, Zanchetta, Saunders, Hoeppner, and Ricard make a revolting, though far from exhaustive, summary of what “transparency and accountability” actually mean in the post-Vos estis Church.
For all the motu proprios, vademecums, reports, policies, and clarifications, it is clear there has been virtually zero substantive change in operating mindset at the top of the Holy See.
Indeed, five years on and five steps back, the enduring lesson of 2019 and the McCarrick saga seems to be that public outcry and forensic journalistic scrutiny remain the only real or reliable mechanisms of accountability.
After five years on a reforming road to nowhere, this is where we’ve arrived.”
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following Ed, I discern our current pope & his henchmen singing:
“Why worry, we be happy – no one can touch us!”
Maybe that Small Still Voice singing: “You really think so!”
is expressing Almighty God’s view? Let’s hope so.
‘Love and glory to You Lord as a sun that burns for love of You ‘ – Rounds format of prayers in Divine Will – https://www.queenofthedivinewill.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/The-rounds-of-the-soul-in-the-Divine-Will-final-edition-2014-Copy.pdf
Those prayers too might seem as ‘vain reptition ‘ – even Holy Mass , esp. as many find the struggle in uniting the self will to the Diving Will , to thus be more like the sun that produces new light and warmth through fusion , even as the soul is destined to rejoice in every new blessing and prayer, the goodness, holinessand peace it is blessed to ‘create ‘ in The Spirit , to last through and multiply unto eternity into lives of generations …
The dangerous leaven of boredom , in seeing such occasions as ‘vain ‘ repetition to make persons be left with lukewarmness – to be in the danger of being ‘spat out’…carnality and worldliness leading to blindness – no longer seeing the richenss of the new light and Love , peace and blessings that priests as well as laity are blessed to ‘create ‘ – through Sacraments and other occasions ..even through every kind word and deed and thought , in place of contempt, fear ..seeing / blessing the other too , as being capable of being like the sun that is ‘creating’ – light and love and peace in The Spirit ..
Scorn /contempt and loss of trust towards Father figures to add to the clouds that block out the sun .. to create instead terrifying dragons that grow in the thickness of such darkness , wanting to create ‘glory of Father land’ , having taken in fear and contempt towards Father figure of Papacy for centuries,to be afflicted with the seven times worse evils of spiritual worldliness and its unimaginable lust for power and control ..
Holy Father , in spite of his many efforts might have limitations for reasons that we may not fully grasp to kick out any and all at the hint of any whisper of impropriety-unlikely that such would lead to all out eradication of all such evils .. he has chosen The Way of invoking The Spirit to shine more brightly , even as does The Father and His perfection in ‘creating ‘ more goodness and compassion ,as in putting on the robe and ring and sandals on the Prodigal , to empower him to
trust that he too can ‘create’ – repentance and reparation ,harmony ,peace , goodness ..inviting the older brother too to see his own similar role .. not that more stringent remedial actions as needed are to be neglected , after having discerned what remedy for whom – as an area that may not be in the reach of many outsiders ..
May the remaining season of Lent, the related Feasts and all bless many to take in more of the strength that our Lord earns for us in the desert and all devotional practices , as occasions to create new Love and repentance , even unto the thick dark dragon hearts ! Mercy !
Aside from magically invisible all-out-battles, the words sound reassuring for the faithful forlorn, though few if any expect remedial action. A commenter asked why no one has responded to why this is allowed to happen. Some commenters here have, including Ich, and go to who would know. God.
Our Heavenly Father loves us, although we haven’t loved him sufficiently. Since the lighting strike on St Peter’s, which Benedict XVI thought was an omen for good or for bad, things have gone quite bad. Some have correctly assumed we’re being tested. A plan has been rolled out for those of us who would prefer to enter paradise with little or no effort. It’s been said the biggest mankiller spirituallywise are the sexual sins. Among the many horribles, the evil man invents, he’s been very inventive sexually. Abortion another great crime. Clerical pretense another.
Mostly everyone here recognizes the all-out-blitzkrieg against clerical abuse is both predictable failure and pretentious sham. We’re in for a fight in which we fight or die. Dying in our sins is infinitely worse than dying in physical combat. We must be grateful we’re aware of what’s occurring, rather than rationalizing, hoping it will all go away. Evil has advanced too far, in both world and Church. The latter most significant, demanding of us moral courage and staying power [fortitude]. As such we’re blessed, mercifully knowledgeable of what’s required of us for our sanctification and the opportunity to rescue others through our witness to Christ.
Thanks, dear Fr Peter Morello, PhD for this powerfully prophetic discernment: “We must be grateful we’re aware of what’s occurring, rather than rationalizing, hoping it will all go away. Evil has advanced too far, in both world and Church. The latter most significant, demanding of us moral courage and staying power [fortitude]. As such we’re blessed, mercifully knowledgeable of what’s required of us for our sanctification and the opportunity to rescue others through our witness to Christ.”
In short: Faithful Christian Catholics will be certain that under every circumstance, no matter how bad, we are each called to witness to Gospel Truth.
Praying to be given the blessing of helping the lost to find salvation in Christ.
Note: commanded to WITNESS not to win! God does the winning and in Christ Jesus already has the total victory – the end is known. Meanwhile, we must stay faithful and full of love and bright hope, as we witness to the wonders of our incomparable God and His sure promises.
Most Blessed Mother Mary and all you holy saints & martyrs, please intercede for us as we battle against sin & confusion in this increasingly dark & dangerous place.
Always in the love of King Jesus Christ; blessings from marty
Lamentable. Praying for the Holy Spirit to come upon Pope Francis. Matthew 5:37
There is no will at the Vatican to really take on clerical sexual abuse once and for all. Every Pope says they will and then don’t do anything with positive results. It’s obvious that this abuse exists at the upper clerical levels or it would have been dealt with years ago.
They should name some lay people who have survived childhood sexual abuse to a commission and give them the power needed to produce results. Enough with these weak kneeded clerics.
Great, positive idea, dear Kasandra Van Keith.
It would be helpful if CWR readers could nominate suitably qualified commissioners for such a “Lay Papal Clerical Abuse Commission”.
I haven’t asked his permission but think Dr Stephen de Weger (of Queensland University of Technology Law Faculty) is the sort of lay Catholic who would serve the Church well. He has been a victim of clerical abuse and is Australia’s leading expert on clerical abuse of vulnerable adults. Ed Conran of ‘The Pillar’, a qualified cannon lawyer,’ is another obvious suggestion.
Please, let’s build up a list of potential lay commissioners from around the world (at least 50% qualified women), who can draft guidelines for their work, obtain papal approval in terms of a concrete implementation of the Pope’s “all-out battle against sexual abuse”, and then seek operating funds and ancillary staff.
If we all get behind this, it is doable (just like many Royal Commissions); and would do much to put right what has been so terribly wrong for far too long.
Always in the love of Jesus Christ; blessings from marty
APOLOGIES
Ed Condon (not Conran)