Best Church accountability groups?

[Londoner]

I’m afraid the Bueller GIFs went right over my head. What do they mean? In what way are they snide?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

“Bueller, Bueller” is a meme for when someone is asking a question and no one seems to be answering and the question-asker is wondering why there’s no answer.

It’s like >>crickets<< , same thing.

 

[Beryllos]

This seems a hostile forum to this question so…

You have not gotten the response you expected. In my opinion the responses are not hostile, but guarded. Speaking for myself and not other forum members, I wonder how long it would take for a well-meaning accountability group to expand its mission. Let’s say it starts with a focus on eliminating sexual abuse. Who could argue with that? Next year, maybe it will look into questions of equality, like women priests and gay marriage. Maybe after that they will rewrite the Ten Commandments. So I would like to know how the accountability group is to be authorized, empowered, and regulated.

That’s why we have asked (and you still haven’t answered):

What would you, as laity, do if empowered? … What action would you take if given the power?

Be specific. Do you desire direct hire/fire control over the hierarchy? Civilian review boards like the police are subject to?

How would it operate? Can you give us an example of a good accountability group in some other domain?

You ask for the most informed. How would it be informed? You mention influential. Influential over the public, the Church, or whom? What sort of power does the accountability group have?

Holding leadership accountable to high standards of integrity, transparency, and responsibility. How does that work? What’s the process?

Are you looking for some sort of Church auditing group? Or a kind of big brother overlooking the work of the Holy See?

“On whose authority?”

 

[Londoner]

I see. I thought perhaps the person called Bueller was supposed to have some undesirable features.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

No, in this case his remark is being taken as suspect because he asked a very loaded question, and a reasonable poster would know it was loaded.
Many people here don’t think the laity need to be holding clergy “accountable” or believe that’s not a proper role for the laity.

Others, like me, think that to the degree we need such a group - bishop-accountability would be one such group that’s probably played a good role in keeping track of abusive priests during the years when the Church was covering up a good many of the cases, not releasing names, transferring priests hither and yon, etc. - we already have such groups, they’re quite visible, and the OP has already found them.

Not to mention that the OP seems like he might have an agenda and has already attempted to harm the reputation of another respected poster in this thread who disagreed with him.

No need for “Bueller, Bueller…” when it’s obvious why people aren’t rushing to answer.

 

[TheLittleLady]

The best accountabilty groups is to have your circle of friends made up of faithful Catholics who are all on the same path, toward perfection. Friends hold eachother accountable.

 

[blackforest]

I’m literally asking for examples in my post.

And @Beryllos is asking for specifics. Accountability for what, exactly? Sexual abuse? Corruption with money? Perceived doctrinal failures?

If it’s a matter of illegal activity, the best “accountability group” is law enforcement.

 

[DeniseNY]

Agreed. Shameful comment

 

[WillPhillips]

Wow, sorry all. I genuinely didn’t realize this would be the reaction to a question on accountability/watchdog groups. I figured a few might take offense but the number of flags would say otherwise. I tend to value groups focused on monitoring those in power. And I see significant problems in Church leadership. But I see that view may not be shared here.

Despite my snark, and assuming this post isn’t taken down (which it looks like it’s flagged for removal?), I’d still be interested in any attempts to answer.

 

[Beryllos]

The best accountabilty groups is to have your circle of friends made up of faithful Catholics who are all on the same path, toward perfection. Friends hold each other accountable.

Indeed, that sort of personal accountabilty group is what I thought of when I first read the title of this thread.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

The TOS says we’re not supposed to be publicly discussing our PMs on the forum. You’ve violated that repeatedly.

If you have a problem with a PM you got, please contact the moderator and discuss it OFF LINE.

I am tagging the moderator right now because I don’t wish to be a party to somebody having PM drama or worse yet committing defamation in the forum. @camoderator

Quit bringing it up here !

 

[Beryllos]

And yes, I was messaged a creepy request if I need an “accountability group” so I called it out.

It might have been an honest misunderstanding of your term “accountability group”. See my previous post (just 2 posts up) and that of TheLittleLady. In my parish, there is a men’s group which meets for prayer and mutual support, and a major part of their method is accountability for porn and masturbation. I think your request for information was misunderstood, and also you misunderstood that particular response. Be at peace.

 

[WillPhillips]

Did not realize that. Responding to the many folks who commented on it and don’t believe me. Edited my post and will handle outside the forum.

 

[WillPhillips]

So is my original post actually hidden due to flags?

 

[Beryllos]

Yes, sadly. That goes to shows that some forum members don’t understand how flags are supposed to be used. There was nothing even remotely objectionable about your first post.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I would imagine there were a number of people who flagged it for possible “agenda” posting, bad faith, and asking for the thread to be locked or hidden after the OP began to discuss the PM issue. Typically when people wish to flag an entire thread, they will flag the first post.

 

[redbetta]

Honestly, I think people just flag the opening post when they think the entire thread is inappropriate. There is no way to flag threads.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Right, that’s what I thought too. It’s not a lack of understanding of the flagging system.

 

[Beryllos]

Well, okay. I hope all those people who flagged the first post at least took care to choose the “Something Else This post requires staff attention for another reason not listed above” option.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Why would they not, and what’s it to you why they flagged it? If you have a concern, please feel free to write to the moderator about how you think the OP’s thread was inappropriately flagged. I personally think it’s a contentious thread and I’d expect it to be flagged by many.