Posted on 08/18/2018 10:37:33 PM PDT by Jeff Chandler
Pastoral Letter from Bishop Olmsted and Bishop Nevares Regarding Recent Abuse Scandals August 17, 2018
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
We write you this day to express our own deep level of sadness and anger about the recent revelations surrounding Archbishop Theodore McCarrick and the newly released Pennsylvania Grand Jury report. These shameful and evil actions have harmed many innocent people, especially the young; and they are utterly inexcusable. This has also caused great pain, confusion and dismay among us all — laity, religious and clergy — who remain committed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are sorry that you have had to endure this anguish.
We support the recent announcement by Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, of a new plan that will involve laity, experts, and the Vatican to provide the strongest protection possible against predators in the Church and anyone who would conceal them. We welcome these efforts and renew our own commitments to do all we can to protect young people and others who are vulnerable, and to bring healing to those who have been abused.
The three goals of this new effort are as follows: an investigation into the questions surrounding Archbishop McCarrick; an opening of new and confidential channels for reporting complaints against bishops; and advocacy for more effective resolution of future complaints. These goals will be pursued according to three criteria: proper independence, sufficient authority, and substantial leadership by laity. Our office of Child and Youth Protection continues to provide assistance to victims and ongoing safe environment training to our schools and parishes in the Diocese of Phoenix.
During this dark and painful time, there is also a strong need to look to the light and healing of Jesus. Since our Lord told us that some evils can only be driven out by prayer and fasting, we invite you, as your shepherds, to join us in prayer, fasting and sacrifice for the purification of our Church. In particular, we ask that all priests, deacons, men and women in consecrated life and the lay faithful join together in fasting and prayer on August 22, the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and August 29, the Passion of St. John the Baptist. May Our Lady’s motherly care and powerful intercession bring the light of her Son to our hurting Church.
United in Christ, we are sincerely yours,
+Thomas J. Olmsted Bishop of Phoenix
+Eduardo A. Nevares Auxiliary Bishop of Phoenix
We don't want to hear about procedures. We want to throw the bums out.
Here is their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/phoenixdiocese/
Here is their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/phoenixdiocese/
If these letters do not point to homosexuality as the cause, all the other fluff is nice but not it. Bishop Morlino was uplifting because he defined the problem. Even the pope would not be honest. They ALL fear criticism from the secular culture, plus they want to maintain the lavender tint now coloring the Church.
Throw them out AND incarcerate them.
I’m heartbroken over it. Will my grown children stay Catholic? Will my grandchildren be too embarrassed to say they are Catholics? The scandal is so deep. The devil is thrilled.
For 40 years I’ve prayed for my husband’s conversion. Now what? Is there any hope he would want to join such a Church?
I felt sick at Mass tonight. Heartsick. And I wish the homily had been about how we can deal with this.
Pray hard.
And throw the bums out.
Morlino’s letter puts this one (and most of the others) to shame.
Just more BS from the Church. The only solution is to arrest,
prosecute and imprison the predators. Victims have to go to law enforcement and not allow the Church to “investigate”.
The Dallas Charter for the protection of children already requires each diocese to make referral to law enforcement for any complaint of clergy abuse against a minor. Both the individual reporting the abuse and the one taking the report have this duty, although one cannot make the reporter of the abuse do this.
The Church’s investigation has to do with establishing credibility of the accusation in order to deal with the alleged perpetrator from a canonical standpoint. The investgation by civil authorities follows a separate process looking at the criminal implications. And, of course, action in civil proceedings is always possible.
What I’ve described is what takes place since the charter was adopted nation wide in 2002. Much of the reprehensible cover up took place prior to that.
While it is possible that a Diocese might not follow the charter, it’s no longer likely. The USCCB has an office that can conduct Diocesan reviews on how the charter has been implemented and how to improve it in each diocese.
To me, the biggest problem historically has been the bishops’ passivity about pursuing aggressive measures.
In the cases where civil laws are being broken, this is absolutely what should be done, and what should have been done all along.
However, the Church still needs to investigate -- it has its own laws and procedures -- because it is not enough that a molester is put in prison; he also needs to be removed from the priesthood.
There are also many cases that are serious violations of moral and canon laws, but (perhaps regrettably) not violations of civil law. One grownup propositioning another to commit a sin of unchastity is an example. Those can only be investigated and punished by the church.
Feckless. They’re hirelings at best, wolves at worst. They must resign.
Things will only get worse as long as we keep tolerating the following:
These Catholic parishes openly celebrate LGBT. Why aren’t bishops stopping it?
New Ways Ministry:LGBT-Friendly Parishes
New Ways Ministry: Building bridges between the LGBT community and the Catholic Church since 1977
Many parishes have become heavily infiltrated by these degenerates yet the bishops do nothing. Sad to see one of my old parishes now listed as "Gay friendly".
Keep praying.
This letter says absolutely nothing. I am in the diocese of Phoenix and this is a carbon copy of every other letter the US bishops are issuing. Every bishop needs to go because they all knew. They are the thieve that are sorry they got caught.
A letter from the both of them?…well that’s kinda gay.
Tell the cops. The media. And the Bishop. In that order.
And "the problem" is not just a matter of legally-defined abuse (of minors). Every instance of clerical unchastity is a sin of sacrilege, and maintains that "sex network" which is at the root of the problem.
So I'll listen when the bishop says that he will root out every instance of clerical unchastity in his diocese, whether the cleric was acting out sexually with children or adults, females or males, including each other.
Every Diocese needs to have a public ceremony in which every priest, deacon, and seminarian individually takes an oath to live in perfect sexual continence, and to resist and report every person who makes any attempt to compromise their chastity in any way. No matter what, no matter who.
This morning’s homily by Reverend John Lankeit, Rector the Cathedral for Diocese of Phoenix, was powerful addressing this whole subject of abuse. He is one of those wonderful priests that we need many more of and need to pray for every day. This was the televised Mass for the diocese and I imagine the homily will soon be available through you tube. Hopefully, someone that knows how to post a link to his homily can post it when it’s available.
Of all the letters from the bishops, this the best one. I still have to read my Archbishop’s.
#CatholicMeToo
#EndTheSilence
My archdiocese is Hartford, CT.
He better not grandstand in his.
#CatholicMeTo
#EndTheSilence
#1Peter4:17
Are you referring to the written policy of your diocese or something you are suggesting?
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