Saturday, December 07, 2002, 12:00 a.m. Pacific
Cardinal sins
Mired in moral bankruptcy, the Archdiocese of Boston compounds its failings by contemplating Chapter 11 to evade its financial responsibilities for sexual abuse by priests.
Choosing the most contemptible route would be consistent for Cardinal Bernard Law. His brazen disregard for the welfare of the laity in the midst of the most despicable behavior by the priests under his leadership is stunning.
The release this week of 2,000 additional pages of diocesan documents was so deeply upsetting for some Boston-area Catholics, they were questioning the very roots of their religious faith.
The relentless accounts of predatory sexual assaults by priests — including those on young children, altar boys, girls pursuing religious vows and married women — would be over the top in the most steamy Andrew Greeley novel.
The vocation of the priesthood is wounded to such a profound degree that basic changes might be necessary. The issue of celibacy is the most obvious, and the most unlikely, to change.
Still, given the horrific revelations of the past decade, the wonder is the church hierarchy could imagine communicants thinking a married priest with a supportive family was any less Christ-like than a child molester with multiple parish transfers. Priests who consider their celibacy a gift from God could make that personal choice. For the institution, however, what is in place is not working.
That is especially true if the organization sees itself above and outside the law. The arrogance and corruptibility of absolute power is at the heart of decisions of a scared fraternity protecting its own.
The terrible toll on the faith of believers is a tragedy.
Who will remind these people their church is grounded in the Trinity, baptism and holy Eucharist? Predatory priests and accommodating bishops and cardinals are an administrative failure.
The institution is in deep trouble, but its foundation is solid as a rock.