Speech to Voice of the Faithful, All Hallows College Dublin, 21 Dec 2005

 

On December 14th 2002 Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith told journalists:

 “I am personally convinced that the constant presence in the press of the sins of Catholic priests, especially in the United States, is a planned campaign, as the percentage of these offences among priests is not higher than in other categories, and perhaps it is even lower… In the United States, there is constant news on this topic, but less than 1% of priests are guilty of acts of this type…The constant presence of these news items does not correspond to the objectivity of the information nor to the statistical objectivity of the facts. Therefore, one comes to the conclusion that it is intentional, manipulated, that there is a desire to discredit the Church. It is a logical and well-founded conclusion.”

It is essential that those within the Catholic Church, those faithful and dedicated lay people, who have been outraged by the failures and negligence of the Catholic Hierarchy and the Vatican, speak out clearly. It is unacceptable that voices that seek to hold the institutional church to account are labelled as anti-catholic, that such voices that speak with integrity and dignity continue to be dismissed as being driven by an agenda based on anti-religious bigotry.

 

Surely any church that sees itself as the true church of Christ must embrace truth and be open to its own failings? The naming of truth should never be seen as a challenge to the church of Christ. Surely Christians have a duty to respond to hurt with care, compassion, integrity, honesty, courage and love? As a man who often reflects on my own relationship with God I find myself questioning where Christ would be in this debate. Would He be seated in Rome telling us these scandals are the fault of the corruption of western society, of an anti-catholic media, of greedy victims, of homosexuals, of all and any but those who ignored the truth and moved offender after offender to places where any sane and objective person would know there could only be one consequence; more rape and more abuse? Or would Christ be here? What or who would Christ clear from the Temple in this third millennium?

 

In a week that has seen the Vatican launch a detailed report on homosexuality in the priesthood I am again left somewhat bewildered by the continuing failure of the Vatican to even comment upon the Ferns Report. Rome has thus far failed to even acknowledge the existence of the Ferns Report, the first ever internationally to find the Vatican in part responsible for clerical sexual abuse. How can it be that a Church Hierarchy who comments upon the content of a children’s film can fail to comment upon a report commissioned by this State and authored by a former Supreme Court Judge that found Rome culpable in the rape and abuse of Irish children? How can the highest authority in the Roman Catholic Church see fit to suggest that Harry Potter is a threat to the development of children yet refuse to acknowledge findings by this sovereign State that the institution he heads has permitted the rape and abuse of children? How can a church that speaks in the name of Christ fail to respond to the hurt of its people, its faithful, who are struggling to understand how this could have happened?

 

Rosa Parks, whose courage and defiance in the face of injustice became the spark that lit the US Civil Rights movement, died on October 25^th this year, the same day that the Ferns Report was published. Rosa Parks is an outstanding inspiration to all who see injustice, rage against it with dignity and who conquer the fear of speaking out.

 

I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.  

- Rosa Parks

 

Her words and dignified silent action speak of how our fear to name injustice is always lessened if we stay in the truth of what is simply right. More than that, her words speak of how allowing oneself to see the change that must be, in itself creates the impetus for real and purposeful change. In understanding this perhaps we can even understand the fear of change that exists in our society; we can understand how those voices who refuse to hear simple, plain fact continue to deny those facts and speak instead with barely disguised hate.

 

Change has happened; change will continue to happen. The challenge for us all in our nation is to be compassionate and appreciative of the fear that change instills in those who have lived in the utopian world of moral certainties. In a nation which for so many years failed to grow up and determine its own values; where we looked to dogma for moral certainty and did not trust our own inner knowing of what is right and what is wrong, it has been frightening for many to have the source of that dogma exposed as flawed and even deceitful.

 

Increasingly the words used by Catholic Church leaders have moved from expressions of their personal hurt at the sins of their brother priests to some acknowledgement of their own institutional failures. But in the total absence of any indication that the Vatican and the pontiff is prepared to own those failings, to acknowledge and own them fully and without seeking to blame western society, the media, lawyers, psychologists, victims or anyone else, then words can seem empty. What we have learned is that it is easy to speak of sorrow, of regret and of compassion.

 

So what of Christ? Who will speak for love and truth? It seems clear that the only authentic voice that will speak from within the Roman Catholic Church with truth and with love will prove not to be the voice of any hierarchy but rather the voice of the faithful.

 

John 3:18  

Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.