Cardinal George: New Pope Must Have"Zero Tolerance" for Sex Abuse

[dixieagle]

It is a horrific idea.

The Church is not a democracy. It is not “We the Catholics” Church. The Cardinals have been given the authority (and ONLY the Cardinals) to choose the next Pope. We do not have the authority tp influence or interfere with that process, established by the Bride of Christ.

Horrible idea.

Now – if they wish to do this themselves, then fine. But “people petitioning” is not a good idea at all.

~Liza

Though I am as horrified by the abuse scandal and coverups as anyone, I agree completely with your assessment here.

It is simply not our call.

 

[dixieagle]

While the Church is not a democracy, it’s important for the hierarchy of the Church to be good examples and leaders. So, I think it’s important for our Cardinals to know that we have high expectations and that we want the sex scandal filth cleaned up. The new Pope should be beyond reproach and I think things won’t go well if the next Pope doesn’t live up to this expectation.

How they can expect to crack down on the smaller things is beyond me if they can’t tackle this problem. Cracking down on premarital sex, cohabitation, not going to Church, etc. All pales in comparison to children being sexually abused by clergy and worse, having it covered up. Leadership is not very effective if the hierarchy of the Church insist on a certain moral code of Catholics, but then do something else when it comes to themselves.

There’s no doubt in my mind that all eyes will be eagerly awaiting to find out about our new Pope, who he is, where he comes from, and will dig in his past to make sure he is beyond reproach, and more imporantantly, they will be eager to see what the new Pope does when he gets to work.

Precisely.

 

[manualman]

It may be a horrofic idea today, but the first three hundred years of apostolic tradition said otherwise.

A succeeding bishop of sterling character and spiritual reputation from a local church was chosen by the laity, deacons and presbyters from within that local church with public affirmation during the ordination presided over by three bishops from the region.

You can live in our political climate and still suggest such a thing would be GOOD!?! Do you really want to hear campaign speeches and such nonsense in church? Perish the thought!

There’s a REASON that early practice was abolished in favor of secret nominations made by regional bishops to the apostolic nuncio and the nuncio making recommendations to the pope. It takes the mob fervor out of the picture and makes the entire process focus on the spiritual merit rather than the popularity of priests that might be good bishops.

You may not realize that you have a REASONED ability to affect bishop selections right now. If you know a priest that would make an excellent bishop, write the nuncio to inform him and explain why this is so. I’m told that these letters actually do get read (especially if they are written well, with good details and reflect sound catholic thinking on the part of the writer).

 

[RobbyS]

And that “zero tolerance” needs to be retroactive.

An untold story is how the pope has “encouraged” hundreds of bishops to retire. Reminding me of a story about how Lincoln got rid of his very able treasury secretary who was at the same time a rival and an undercutter of his authority. He manuevered him into resigning rather than fire him, and in such a way that the secretary lost support. One can be subtle without being cynical.

 

[RobbyS]

You can live in our political climate and still suggest such a thing would be GOOD!?! Do you really want to hear campaign speeches and such nonsense in church? Perish the thought!

There’s a REASON that early practice was abolished in favor of secret nominations made by regional bishops to the apostolic nuncio and the nuncio making recommendations to the pope. It takes the mob fervor out of the picture and makes the entire process focus on the spiritual merit rather than the popularity of priests that might be good bishops.

You may not realize that you have a REASONED ability to affect bishop selections right now. If you know a priest that would make an excellent bishop, write the nuncio to inform him and explain why this is so. I’m told that these letters actually do get read (especially if they are written well, with good details and reflect sound catholic thinking on the part of the writer).

Speaking of politics, recall that our own Constitutional Convention was done in a locked room, with the delegates pledged not to reveal anything and with guards at the windows in the heat of a Philadelphia summer. This was to forestall any lobbying.

 

[mercytruth]

You can live in our political climate and still suggest such a thing would be GOOD!?! Do you really want to hear campaign speeches and such nonsense in church? Perish the thought!

There’s a REASON that early practice was abolished in favor of secret nominations made by regional bishops to the apostolic nuncio and the nuncio making recommendations to the pope. It takes the mob fervor out of the picture and makes the entire process focus on the spiritual merit rather than the popularity of priests that might be good bishops.

You may not realize that you have a REASONED ability to affect bishop selections right now. If you know a priest that would make an excellent bishop, write the nuncio to inform him and explain why this is so. I’m told that these letters actually do get read (especially if they are written well, with good details and reflect sound catholic thinking on the part of the writer).

There was no such thing as ‘politics’ in the early church. More than likely the Holy Spirit was guiding each congregation.

The holy deacon, or presbyter who was anointed by God to succeed the deceased bishop was more than likely evident among the congregation, oftentimes indicated by the previous bishop who was responsible for choosing and ordaining the deacons and the presbyters of that local congregation.

Calling the early church congregation ‘a mob’ is disrespectful to the apostolic origins of the early church.

Cardinals were chosen throughout much of the history of the church usually by reigning Kings because of their wealth and nobility, and not for their spirituality.

God’s peace

 

[manualman]

There was no such thing as ‘politics’ in the early church. More than likely the Holy Spirit was guiding each congregation.

The holy deacon, or presbyter who was anointed by God to succeed the deceased bishop was more than likely evident among the congregation, oftentimes indicated by the previous bishop who was responsible for choosing and ordaining the deacons and the presbyters of that local congregation.

Calling the early church congregation ‘a mob’ is disrespectful to the apostolic origins of the early church.

Cardinals were chosen throughout much of the history of the church usually by reigning Kings because of their wealth and nobility, and not for their spirituality.

God’s peace

To clarify, you’d likely be right that this worked fine before Constantine when being a christian was as often as not a crime punishable by execution. But once christianity became “respectable” in civil society, politics came along with it. The evidence is all there in the historical record. We’re headed back in the direction of cultural hostility to the faith, but it’s not yet to the point where I’d call it persecution. Only when things get ugly enough that the lukewarm bail out for an easier life on the outside would such an approach work.

 

[mercytruth]

To clarify, you’d likely be right that this worked fine before Constantine when being a christian was as often as not a crime punishable by execution. But once christianity became “respectable” in civil society, politics came along with it. The evidence is all there in the historical record. We’re headed back in the direction of cultural hostility to the faith, but it’s not yet to the point where I’d call it persecution. Only when things get ugly enough that the lukewarm bail out for an easier life on the outside would such an approach work.

I would have to agree with your assessment. I think Emeritus-Pope Benedict saw it coming when he wrote his book on Faith and the Future., and even in his radio addresses to the German people in 1969-70.

However, I think most would agree that local governance is preferrable to the bureaucratic governance of let us say a Curia, which is more likely to be plagued by infighting, nepotism, and sometimes lacking in accountable oversight. (The Vatican Bank, for instance).

If I am not mistaken, I think Emeritus-Pope Benedict attempted to clarify Church Canon in giving Bishops the authority to laicise immoral priests, which is big step in the right direction.

God’s peace

 

[vames]

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) has just released a list of papabili with a bad record “in terms of protecting kids, healing victims and exposing corruption”:

They are Maradiaga (Honduras), Rivera (Mexico), Ouellet (Canada), Turkson (Ghana), Pell (Australia), Bertone (Italy), Scola (Italy), Sandri (Argentina), Duke (Czech Republic), O’Malley (United States), Dolan (United States), and Wuerl (United States).
…
Today’s list contains only church officials whose names have been reported as serious or likely papal possibilities in at least two recent mainstream news sources. There are other Cardinals who are not generally considered ‘papabiles’ who SNAP would also oppose. They include: Connell of Ireland, Brady of Ireland, O’Brien of Scotland, Sodano and Re of Italy, Danneels of Belgium and the following from the US: Egan, Rigali, Burke, Law, Maida, Levada, Mahony, and O’Brien.

snapnetwork.org/dirty_dozen_list

 

[JackyB]

So because people who aren’t Priests are pedophiles we should ignore the abuse and cover up in the Church?

Horrible argument and rationalization that should be stopped.

Is this what bemily was implying? I agree with your sentiment 100% but I am not sure about your accusation I am hoping bemily will respond.

 

[JMJSHJ]

I would have to agree with your assessment. I think Emeritus-Pope Benedict saw it coming when he wrote his book on Faith and the Future., and even in his radio addresses to the German people in 1969-70.

However, I think most would agree that local governance is preferrable to the bureaucratic governance of let us say a Curia, which is more likely to be plagued by infighting, nepotism, and sometimes lacking in accountable oversight. (The Vatican Bank, for instance).

The only problem with having laity (name removed by moderator)ut as to who should be a Bishop is that the laity can select a candidate who would not represent all Catholic values. The fact that 50% of catholics voted for Pres Obama is a testament of this.

If I am not mistaken, I think Emeritus-Pope Benedict attempted to clarify Church Canon in giving Bishops the authority to laicise immoral priests, which is big step in the right direction.

God’s peace

Source for this?

 

[mercytruth]

The only problem with having laity (name removed by moderator)ut as to who should be a Bishop is that the laity can select a candidate who would not represent all Catholic values. The fact that 50% of catholics voted for Pres Obama is a testament of this.

Source for this?

Today we are battling spiritual forces within all forms of the secular media that demand more than the Catholic piety of the 1950’s and early 60’s of which I was raised. We need the sacred scriptures and the Holy Spirit in addition to the sacraments in becoming a holy Church…something which we are just beginning to realize.

As for your source:

clsa.org/news/53703/

God’s peace

micah