Author: Sal

Fr. Paul Mankowski on CatholicCulture.org.

Here’s a snippet:

The housewife who complained that Father skipped the Creed at mass and the housewife who complained that Father groped her son had remarkably similar experiences of:

• being made to feel that they themselves were somehow in the wrong;
• that they had impugned the honor of virtuous men;
• that their complaints were an unwelcome interruption of more important business; — that the true situation was fully known to the chancery and completely under control;
• that the wider and more complete knowledge of higher ecclesiastics justified their apparent inaction;
• that to criticize the curate was to criticize the pastor was to criticize the regional vicar was to criticize the bishop;
• that to publicize one’s dissatisfaction was to give scandal and
  would positively harm discreet efforts at remedying the ills;
• that one’s duty was to keep silence and trust that those officially charged with the pertinent responsibilities would execute them in their own time;
• that delayed correction of problems was sometimes necessary for the universal good of the Church.