Dear Friends,

Many things happening.  Many things finished.  Many more celebrations waiting in the wings.  This year has been like a whirlwind and I have to say that I do look forward to the coming summer (heat and all) for a little break. 

But I have been struggling with something, in my mind.  No one can escape the most recent round of media revelations concerning the world-wide revelations of abuse within the church.  The revelations themselves came as no surprise to me.  What surprised me was that so many years passed from the major crisis in the United States to this latest round of scandals. 

I repeat what I said from the pulpit and in writing during those days, that there is no room in the church, as her ministers, for those who sin against her innocent children and those who protect them or shield them from justice.  And I have also shared with you my firm conviction, from my own personal knowledge in the years I spent in various diocesan assignments, that the Church of Newark has been a leader (though never perfect) in its commitment to the safety of our children.

My struggle has been whether or not to address this issue once again, the struggle generated not so much by the revelations but by the media attention focused on the Holy Father, himself, Pope Benedict XVI.  As I was leaning in the direction of addressing the issue, the Holy Father shared his own personal thoughts which need to be reflected on by everyone.  On the flight to Portugal, the Pope reminded us of two important realities.  “Today we see in a really terrifying way that the greatest persecution of the church does not come from the enemies outside, but is born from the sin in the church.”  As much as we,  as Catholics, can decry the negative attention the church has received, we must first admit that it has been caused by unfaithful servants within the church, for which the church, herself, must do penance, as the Holy Father has called for. 

The second reality is equally profound.  “Forgiveness is not a substitute for justice,” the Holy Father said.  While each of us is called by the Lord to both seek forgiveness and to forgive, justice for the victims demands some recompense by the guilty.  The words of the Holy Father were a forthright acknowledgment of failure and a real commitment to a more faithful stewardship on the part of church leadership.

This having been said, I have to be honest and acknowledge some deep feelings that some in the media have been grossly unfair to the Holy Father in their reporting, especially of the incident of the priest in Milwaukee.  I have tried to read, from original sources, as much as possible about these accusations and I believe that an unbiased reading of the timelines of these events will show that there was some very inaccurate reporting and that conclusions were reached unsupported by facts.  And it is instances like these which lead us to place the blame without, rather than looking to our own failures within.  Hopefully and prayerfully, with the Holy Father’s latest words, we have turned the page on the church’s response to this great calamity. 

God Bless,
Fr. Ron

PS.  I would be glad to make available two articles on the Milwaukee case for anyone who contacts me.