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But here is a man willing to make his charges openly, notoriously, and on the record and under oath. He is to be taken seriously.

And I will take him seriously, when I hear what he has to say and consider the evidence that he's to present.

We also have to be cognizant of what we are giving up here when a priest sues a bishop successfully in civil court, and invoking the protections and the judgment of the state in internal church affairs: they're opening the doors for the state to deal with the Church as it would deal with ENRON. The Church will become a corporation in the eyes of the state and Canon Law will become no better than bylaws, susceptible to the state's nullification, particularly if priests are to be considered "employees" of their dioceses and not sons of their bishops; the state will see bishops as CEO's of the local branch of the Catholic Church, Inc., and the Church's employment practices will be forced to conform to civil law, including non-discrimination towards people whose moral behavior is irrelevant to the state's sense of equity, but not the Church's.

I'm convinced that when a priest sues a bishop in civil court, the plaintiff is opening the door for the very evils he seeks to avert to invade the Church. I think that the cure will kill the patient.

As bad as the scandal is that priests have molested tens of thousands of children, and bishops contented themselves to play musical chairs with them; as bad as the existence of the "Lavender Mafia," along with its dirty little subculture is, getting the state involved at this level will ensure their long term permanence and the destruction of the Church as the only independent entity able to challenge the culture.

That's what our adversaries WANT and many of us, led by our righteous rage, fail to see that we're playing right into their hands.

I don't want to sound unduly apocalyptic, but MARK MY WORDS: that's what's going to happen if we keep demanding the state's intervention inside the Church, as priests sue their bishops.

There has got to be another way. Doesn't ANYONE SEE IT?

-Theo

Dear Theo,

Sure I see it.

However, some bishops have not acted like spiritual fathers but rather as carnal wolves. Regrettably, there's more than a little evidence that the human institutions of the Church that should protect against these abuses aren't working.

In the past, I've criticized those who make these allegations second, third, and fourth-hand, without offering any evidence, without offering the open, under-oath testimony of those with first-hand knowledge.

Now, here is a man, Fr. Hoatson, willing to come forth and present testimony and evidence in a court of law. He deserves to be heard, and to have his evidence and testimony taken seriously.

That it has come to having to use the courts of the pagans is a travesty. But that is the fault of bishops, not the alleged victims.

If the allegations against Cardinal Egan and Archbishop Myers are true, then one must ask - what is to be done with them? Clearly, the human institutions of the Church have not dealt with these men - unless you consider being created cardinal a fitting consequence of such an allegation.

sitetest

Theo,

With all due respect, this matter has caused great harm and pain to many, many people in the Church in America. The way it has been treated has been very poor and for the damage done, not correct to this point in time.

With prayers all around, as the suffering has been so large, there may be some of God's will in using the State.

Not suggesting that it is the case, but if in fact this comes to pass, it may be part of God's plan.

To see this in the Village Voice or the NY Times gives me no pleasure.