The U.S. bishops’ conference called for a Vatican-led investigation into allegations of sexual abuse and cover-ups surrounding Archbishop Theodore McCarrick, as well for new abuse reporting processes, and greater involvement of laity in addressing abuse concerns.
“We are faced with a spiritual crisis that requires not only spiritual conversion, but practical changes to avoid repeating the sins and failures of the past that are so evident in the recent report,” said Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, president of the U.S. bishops’ conference, in an Aug. 16 statement.
The bishops will invite the Vatican to conduct an official Apostolic Visitation to the United States to address questions surrounding Archbishop McCarrick, in consultation with the lay members of the National Review Board, DiNardo said.
Previously the U.S. bishops did not “make clear what avenue victims themselves should follow in reporting abuse or other sexual misconduct by bishops,” acknowledged DiNardo, who called for the development of “reliable third-party reporting mechanisms.”
Among the bishops’ goals is to make canonical procedures for complaints against bishops “more prompt, fair, and transparent” and “to specify what constraints may be imposed on bishops at each stage of that process.”
DiNardo outlined three criteria for how the bishops will approach past and future abuses: independence from bias or undue influence by a bishop, substantial involvement of the laity, and respect for proper authority in the Church.
DiNardo ended the bishops’ statement with an apology:
“I apologize and humbly ask your forgiveness for what my brother bishops and I have done and failed to do. Whatever the details may turn out to be regarding Archbishop McCarrick or the many abuses in Pennsylvania (or anywhere else), we already know that one root cause is the failure of episcopal leadership. The result was that scores of beloved children of God were abandoned to face an abuse of power alone. This is a moral catastrophe. It is also part of this catastrophe that so many faithful priests who are pursuing holiness and serving with integrity are tainted by this failure.”
Full story at Catholic News Agency.
Uh…well…that’s good, I guess…What part of the “Vatican” exactly? The cat is kind of out of the bag with the problems that exist in the Curia with regard to negative homosexual influences. Do they really carry the credibility that is needed right now?
There is no credibility. The gesture is merely “form over substance” with no intention or ability to take disciplinary action. The Holy Father is the only one who has the juridical authority to discipline the bishops, and we all know that tje Holy Father is too busy invalidating the Cathecism’s teachings, overturning centuries of Sacred Tradition, and allowing centuries of the Church’s accumulated patrimony to be squandered in legal fres and settlements. Nothing will come of this.
That’s an April Fool’s story, right? The Vatican investigating US Bishops would be the greatest whitewash of the 21st century. It is no secret that the Vatican is a den of homosexual priests, Bishops and Cardinals. That goes for the Italian hierarchy as well.
We Catholics in the pews demand nothing less than a committee of lay Americans who are known to be faithful practicing Catholics investigate every diocese and archdiocese in the US and ferret out every priest, Bishop, Archbishop and Cardinal who has had any involvement in these sexual activities or who had knowledge of same and chose to cover it up or play dumb and ignore it.
No! This is beyond foolishness. Satan is calling his children to himself now. You are about to see Lucifer’s power. We must remember what Christ warned us about: ‘I am the vine; you the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) That’s right, good Catholics, “nothing.”
The fools in the Vatican think that they have authority, power, and a path to order. They do not. Gather all the procedures you want; without Tradition, the True Faith, you are lost.
In short, the prelates are more afraid of secular criticism, financial liability and public image than they are of losing the lay faithful. The laity have bought into their deceptions long enough.
The Vatican relinquished all Church governance, and use of the Code of Canon Law, after Vatican II– in favor of “individuals’ right to their own decisions, based on their own conscience”– both laymen and clergy. We were told, that the Church had for centuries been “too authoritarian” and “too cruel!” At that time, the pastor of our parish said that he thought this was marvelous– as he hated “telling people what to do all the time!” (I think he wanted to “be friends with everyone!”)
Oh hell no! We don’t need Church flaks to investigate. We need lay people not connected with the hierarchy and not in the employ of the Catholic Church to investigate. I’m guessing that will end up being DA offices and police departments, if not the federal Department of Justice. I cannot imagine a large-enough Catholic apostolate who could do it, although that would be great. The Knights of Columbus are big enough, but the leadership is too-closely connected with the hierarchy.
I was in seminary when we underwent a visitation from outside Churchmen. A waste of time.
Fr. Michael,
Here is a published cicil case decided in 2014, with the underlying circumstances dating back to 1978, involving the former Directior of Development for the New York Archdiocese. Ironically, it involves seminarians also and the perpetrator (found guilty on a canonocal proceeding, upheld on canonical appeal) was laicized:
Kavavagh v. Zwilling, 997 F.Supp.2d 241 (2014).
The subject was a contemporary of McCarrick.
Fr. Michael,
Further to my previous response, the case cited in that response can be found at the following link:
https://www.leagle.com/decision/infdco20140218c23
Chardin and Xavier,
I couldn’t agree more. I remember reading back when Pope Francis was elected that Cardinal Mahoney was one of Francis’s prime supporters. If true, that’s the kiss of death — expect no meaningful change from the Vatican.
Pray tell. Why does the Vatican have to be invited. They should have been there already. Where is the Pope in all of this horrendous scandal? Our beloved Holy Catholic Church is being lead down the path to destruction by the worst men in the world….pretending to be Cardinals. And the parade is being lead by the likes of Cardinal Wuerl and a few others as bad as he is. To hell with all of them!!!
Given the seriousness of the situation, I think Canon Law needs to be amended to provide for the EXCOMMUNICATION or INTERDICT of any bishop who is found to knowingly harbor and protect any clergyman who repeatedly violates his oath of celibacy.
This wording, itself, has issues that need to be worked out — but you get the point.
The gem of this idea is that it quickly eliminates from the Church all the deadweight that is dragging her down.
If the Church is teally serious about an investigation, the trail is already in its records. There is also a civil case of a high ranking and well-connected Monsignor in the New York Archdiocese, who ironically was a contemporary of McCarrick.
See: Kavanagh v. Zwilling, 997 F.Supp.2d 241 (2014). The underlying circumstances date back to 1978 and involves seminarians in the New York Archdiocese.
The entire trail, including results of the canonical trial and appeal, is contained in the published federal court opinion above.
Maybe I’ve missed a comment from him. But where is YFC in all this? From his perspective, does he have anything to share?
Hi Larry thanks for asking. I said a lot on the blog post regarding McCarrick, so much of my thought is there. Obviously, this is horrific stuff, and the bishops have been complicit through their coverups. It’s only gotten marginally better recently. The coverups need to stop, there need to be lay investigations of the past and lay oversight for ongoing efforts, we need to continue to investigate and understand (and correct) the obvious institutional questions raised by all this, and we need to do right by the victims. The death of Mr. Sipe is a blow to those efforts.
Larry, given “YFC”s longstanding defense of all things homosexual, why would you want that perspective? Just wanna mix it up a little bit with someone with their head in the rainbow cloud, or are you sympathetic to those misguided notions? Get yourself a more orthodox sounding board!
This would have ZERO credibility. Get independent, professional investigator[s] who promise to publish the findings, whatever they may be.
And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the chairs of them that sold doves: And he saith to them: It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves. (Matt:21 12-13; Douay-Rhiems translation)
And entering into the temple, he began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought. Saying to them: It is written: My house is the house of prayer. But you have made it a den of thieves. (Luke 19 45-46).
Jesus is risen; do we have to wait for the Second Coming for the cleansing of His Church?
“For the time is, that judgment should begin at the house of God. And if first at us, what shall be the end of them that believe not the gospel of God?” 1 Peter 4:17
Forget about the so-called “apostolic visitation. The sons of Judas in the hierarchy of thr U.S. Church, as well as in the Vatican, have caused the potential of a criminal investigation using the same laws as ate used againat organized crime. The RICO statutes are serious. Take a look at the latest things being considered:
https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/episcopal-sodomy-fear-grips-the-vatican
Not sure what the 1970 RICO Act — “Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act”– could potentially do, to the Catholic Church, in America. Would it possibly have the result of great destruction to the Church, in this country?? Could it destroy the Church, financially? If the Catholic Church continues to refuse to properly govern her clerics, worldwide— and if sex crimes by clerics (priests and prelates) continue to be committed, and ignored and covered-up by the Church— while thousands of young lives are destroyed — could it result in the Church, and her parishes, schools, charities, etc.– being strictly outlawed, in many nations, for the safety and protection of their people??
Linda , I am sure some prosecutor who wants to make their bones is already planing this , it would cost the church in time , money and further damage its reputation. Jail terms would not be out of the question, the prosecutor could drag this out for years , and the public might well remain on his side. Moving priests from state to state and internationally , covering up the evil that they did might well make a good case . The church has lost it’s goodwill in the public eye to a extent that this would be encouraged even by catholics . The church has enemies , some of them it has made from former catholics with these and past scandals