Posted on 05/01/2002 1:47:24 PM PDT by ThomasMore
Edited on 04/13/2004 2:07:45 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
ELLESLEY - In the basement of a parish school at Saint John the Evangelist Church, a quiet revolution is brewing.
A group that started three months ago as a listening session for parishioners upset about clergy sexual abuse has grown explosively in the past few weeks, drawing about 4,200 supporters from 36 states and 19 countries.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
I wish we could direct them to a few of the threads here on FR, it sure helped me learn more about my faith "listening" to some of the posters.
Well, as in the political arena, most of these people don't care about ANYTHING, and wouldn't come to a meeting of lay Catholics unless beer was involved.
I went to a couple of IBM stockholder meetings back in the early 90's when the company was losing money, and there were some angry people there who just wanted to have their say.
That's what I think is going on here. If Law had any guts, he'd have a townhall meeting and just let people vent. There'd be fewer people showing up at these VOTF meetings, although I don't think they're a bad thing at all. As with all groups, as time goes on, people lose interest until only the diehards are left, and they can be managed or marginalized.
I also think you could say "In the absence of some ACTION by the American bishops or the Vatican, Americans, being a people of instant gratification, rush to fill the void."
The most important action has taken place, most, if not all of the homosexual priests that are violating children, have been removed. What remains, is how to deal with the victims, the vile priests and how to make sure that those type of priests are no longer permitted within our ranks. That doesn't require "changing the church", IMO.
You are so right on this. He had a "listening" (barf alert, I'm as sick of that phrase as I am of "let the healing begin", etc.) session a few months ago but only the pastoral council of parishes were invited. I think there were a couple of thousand people there. But things have gotten so much worse - he needs to do something. I wish I had the minutes of that meeting, I think I threw them out. Anyway, most of the people who spoke were advocating changes in the church (modernization) that did not address the problems, IMO.
It is definitely a control issue. When do we ever hear the word "obedience" anymore?
My priest is kind of liberal. During a homily he gave a few months ago, he addressed the mounting opposition and calls for resignation of Bernard Cardinal Law. I could see it pained him, but he told us that he took a vow of obedience to his Cardinal, and he wasn't going to break it and add to the cacophony of voices.
That said, I do know that he wrote the Cardinal and outlined some of the concerns of the parishioners.
Absolutely true. It's not like the tube-tied, vasectomied, indifferent-to-abortion, porn-watching laity isn't getting the hierarchy it deserves. Both the priests and laity need a wake-up call.
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