The following is by Bishop Michael C. Barber of the Oakland:
All the Catholic bishops of the USA meet twice a year. We just concluded our November meeting, during which we, as a body, had planned to vote on specific “Action Steps” to purify the Church following the Cardinal Theodore McCarrick scandal, the Pennsylvania Grand Jury report and the Archbishop Carlo Vigano revelations. For weeks, each of us bishops has been hearing from you, our people, that we need “action, not just prayers” and we were prepared to do just that.
As our meeting opened, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, our president, told us he had been instructed by the Holy See hours earlier that we were NOT to hold a vote on our two most important proposals: 1. A lay-led “National Review Commission” to review complaints of misbehavior or “dereliction of duty” by bishops. 2. A “Protocol” on standards of conduct for bishops.
The Vatican told us to wait until the February 2019 meeting in Rome of presidents of episcopal conferences to discuss the issue with Pope Francis and the Roman Curia.
Cardinal DiNardo said he was “disappointed” in the Vatican’s decision. I think that was an understatement. Most of us bishops were more than disappointed. We were shocked. We were caught in the tension between our profession of loyalty to the pope, the successor of St. Peter, AND our duty to be good and faithful shepherds of the flocks committed to our care.
So we responded with respect. We did not hold the votes. But we also did everything we could to show a full and strong consensus of the body of bishops to take action. We asked Cardinal DiNardo to bring to the Vatican our resolve to move as quickly as possible on five action steps:
1. A process for investigating complaints against bishops reported through a third-party compliance hotline. We will complete a proposal for a single national lay commission and a proposal for a national network relying upon the established diocesan review boards, with their lay expertise, to be overseen by the metropolitan or senior suffragan.
2. Finalizing the Standards of Accountability for Bishops.
3. Finalizing the Protocol for Removed Bishops.
4. Studying national guidelines for the publication of lists of names of those clerics facing substantiated claims of abuse.
5. Supporting the fair and timely completion of the various investigations into the situation surrounding Archbishop McCarrick and publication of their results. We are grateful for the Holy See’s statement of Oct. 6 in this regard.
I left the six-day meeting feeling we US bishops were more united and determined than ever to lead the way in the protection of minors, and the purification of the church from the scandal of sexual abuse.
It’s not just an “American problem.” Look at Chile, Ireland, Australia and now Germany. My personal opinion is that the US bishops are ahead of the curve on the issue, and that the Holy See doesn’t want us to get too far ahead of the rest of the Church.
On the other hand, I believe other countries are looking for us to lead — since we were the first to come up with the “Charter for Protection of Minors” in 2002, which has been very effective. Of all the hundreds of complaints of abuse mentioned in the Pennsylvania report, which stretched back decades, only two priests from the seven dioceses were identified as having offended since 2002. The charter is working.
One last thing. I have attended 10 plenary sessions of the 250-300 US bishops since being installed in Oakland. At each meeting, the first address is given by the Papal Nuncio to the United States, the Holy Father’s personal representative. At every meeting all the bishops stood and applauded the nuncio at the beginning and end of his speech. This time no one stood.
From The Catholic Voice.
Oakland diocese delays release of list naming priests accused of abusing minors:
On Oct. 8 the Oakland Diocese announced it would release the list of all clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors in approximately 45 days. Since then, we have prioritized the work necessary for the publication. In doing so, it has become apparent we must push back the publication date to after Jan. 1, 2019. The primary reasons for this are two-fold. First, we have decided it is essential we contact survivors in advance of a public announcement, and this will require a sensitivity to their unique situations. Secondly, it is important we spend more time verifying the information we have on priests from religious orders and from other dioceses who served in the Oakland Diocese.
From Diocese of Oakland.
No one stood. But they still applauded. The American bishops acted cowardly. They let Mahony speak. They let Cupich drone on and on about his obviously prepared and preconceived plans; he had been tipped off by the pope. The bishops have no credibility.
You feel very brave hiding behind your anonymity and calling the anointed bishops of the Church “cowardly” with “no credibility.” Based on the Bishop’s explanation here, the Holy Father’s actions seems very plausible and very rational, measured, and calmer (than your emotionality). Honestly people, does it not frighten you that on the Day of Judgment your words–which lack any substantiality especially when you go on an on about wrongs of the clergy which in closer inspection are largely all whistles–will be taken into account? You people should really calm down.
Of course you say that “jon,” as an apologist of the Vatican II-inspired death march of the Church. “Anonymous” is entirely correct: the Vatican sought to orchestrate Baltimore and will give the world the Church’s moral sewage in February. The insult of permitting C. Cupich, Mahony, Tobin (“nighty-night baby”), et all, to part of this is corrosive to any sense that the Church cares at all about what the perversion of its clergy, and that it intends to “fix it.” Of course, step one in “fixing” anything is to enforce the Church’s ban on homosexuals becoming priests and, as step two, to decide what to do with its large homosexual priestly population. We need to pray for all, of course, per Michael Hichborn of Lepanto Institute.
Jon, to this extent I agree with you: actions speak louder than words. It is on specific actions (or the lack thereof) that should be the subject of scrutiny. And most of us are not “in the know” about all the inner workings of the Vatican. One who is would be Archbishop Vigano. He has the credentials to comment forthrightly on crucial problems in Rome. Now he is in hiding. Why, I wonder? He evidently knows things we do not know (but would very much like to know)
Well said! I find it so disheartening to see such vile comments about the Successor of St. Peter et al. As Roman Catholics it is horrifying to fight sin with sin. God bless your true Catholic heart Jon!
Agreed, they are all in hiding but it might be worse when later they will be found out. If I am a bishop right now and I know I was involve in one way or another with the abuse, I will slowly step down for the sake of the faithfuls frustration and anger. You the bishops should FEAR that you are near heavens gate so you still have time now to make yourself credible.
“At each meeting, the first address is given by the Papal Nuncio to the United States, the Holy Father’s personal representative. At every meeting all the bishops stood and applauded the nuncio at the beginning and end of his speech. This time no one stood.”
The first address was not the nuncio. It was DiNardo breaking the news that there would be no vote. The second address was the nuncio.
What happened in Pennsylvania when they made their investigation of all the diocese in that state should be the norm in all other state. That would lessen the frustrations, the anger of the faithful because we can see that something is being done.
NOT …surprised…not at all..there will be many folks that will be amazed when the full TRUTH is known..think how Christ’s Apostles felt when they learned it was Judas..!!! We must pray that we not be misled into error.pray for the Good Shepherds who must feel betrayed by the wolves posing as shepherds.
Shocked? Look at this. It is closely reminiscent:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjbPi00k_ME
There was no “shock.:
The analogy to the police raid at Rick’s in the clip from the movie “Casablanca” is so analogous to the feigned shock of the bishops.
The are not shocked by the sucker punch they hot from Rome. Rather, their syaged fakery to being shocked is because they realized that they no longer have credibility.
How about if the Bishops begin to focus more intensely on the Seminaries as well as develop protocols to oust Bishops? Use a little of that preventive medicine so popular these days. Rid the body faithful of the crippling disease before it creates a massive (spiritual) disease.
“Even the elect will be lead astray.” Looks like Jesus’ words are coming true in our day and age. If the church would have stuck with RELIGION and the things of GOD we would not be in this mess. Fund raising, social activities, politics, all this we can get in many places. If we want to hear about God and Jesus and be filled with the word of God and be educated about the faith and sacraments, the church is the ONLY place to go. And the church is letting us down. Instead of homilies we get chats about current events.
When is the Pope going to consecrate Russia to Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart as she requested in 1917 at Fatima? 101 years is a long time to wait! The Pope needs to gather all the bishops together and do as Our Lady…
Perhaps you missed something, Alice? https://www.marian.org/fatima/about/russia.php
Alice, the Kyivan Rus were converted to the Faith in 888 long before America existed and long before the supposed apparitions at Fatima. I don’t believe that the Mother of God would be asking for prayer for the conversion of a country that has venerated her and worshiped her Son with great devotion for over 1200 years.
Lets, pray for the conversion of America instead.
Hope that they can feel the conviction of God and act according to it since He is the God of Justice,
Are we shocked at this layest development with Cdl. DiNardo?
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/police-raid-chancery-of-president-of-us-bishops-looking-for-evidence-of-cle
“Immorality in the Church” – 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 (Solution – Verses 12-13)
They are part of an international crime syndicate. Wake up folks.
Which folks should we wake up?
A comma makes all the difference, as in “Let’s eat, Grandma” versus “Let’s eat Grandma.”
With all of the dirty details springing up, we should not be shocked when another one like this appears:
https://m.ncregister.com/58836/d
Dear Bp. Barber,
We are shocked by this disclosure:
https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/bad-optics
What is this “profession of loyalty to the Pope”? Is it a vow that the bishops are required to take? If it is, I guess that they need to abide by it. If not, what was stopping them from taking the votes? Apparently, synodality has its limits. If the bishops are certain about the authority of the pope, why is a profession of loyalty needed?