Category: Bishops

Over the weekend, I transcribed Ed Peters’ 1995 HPR essay, “The coming bishop crunch“. At the time, Peters observed that two-thirds of America’s bishops were scheduled to retire in a twelve-year period and the Church would have to replace them, with the “crunch” years falling now, from 2005 to 2007.
So where can the Church find 15 priests a year “outstanding for their solid faith, good morals, piety, zeal for souls, wisdom, prudence and other virtues and talents, possessing advanced degrees or true expertise in scripture, theology, canon law…” for the work of a bishop in this country? The piece offers bishops and laymen some suggestions on how they can help meet the shortage of candidates. The years of peak demand are upon us now, but the need isn’t going away.

AP says:

A priest charged with molesting three boys had been accused years before of having questionable conduct with a minor while he was in the seminary and was still allowed to be ordained, according to a report released Monday that outlines a widespread breakdown in communication at the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago. […]
McCormack is accused of molesting three boys between September 2001 and January 2005.
Officials at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein were told McCormack acted inappropriately with two adult males and one adult minor in 1992, according to the report. McCormack was ordained in 1994.
Archdiocese spokesman Jim Dwyer said the allegation of questionable behavior with a minor was never fully developed. The report acknowledged that the archdiocese does not review seminary files.

In the whole piece, the name Bernardin (d. 1996) doesn’t appear once.

I just deleted a comment, for the second time ever. It was by someone who has been commenting a lot recently, and he shall remain nameless. Here was the comment:

Maybe if those bishops at that worthless synod that Paul VI instituted after Vatican II would have some guts and decided to excommunicate these “Catholic by name only” murders, or at least deny them communion, we would not have this discussion. But you see the Popes after Vatican II and the Bishops themselves are no better than the pharisies of the 1st century who handed our Lord over for crucifixion, only now they are handing our Lord over to baby killers. And you contribute money to this baby killing church?

They are more worried about being Loved by the world like JPII than doing what is right by God, and they are paying the price now.

I can’t speak for anyone else here on Catholic Light, but if you want to insult me, go right ahead — I’ve got a thick skin, and I can hold my own. But you will not use this space to disparage any pope, or the bishops collectively.
Offering a critique of a pope’s governance of the Church, with respect and true charity, is fine. Nobody said any pope is perfect (and any pope would agree with that.) But you simply cannot claim to be a faithful Catholic while throwing around phrases such as “baby killing church.”
I’m frustrated that many bishops don’t firmly rebuke Catholic politicians for publicly betraying the Faith. Everybody else on Catholic Light thinks the same way, too. If you really want to see the bishops take action, do you think baseless, angry accusations are the best way to accomplish that?

Bishop Robert Vasa of Baker, Oregon, has served notice that he is not going to comply with USCCB policy on “safe-environment” programs for children. While he’s willing to offer one in Catholic schools, he’s not going to push it on every child in the diocese, out of respect for parents’ right to direct the education of their children in sexual matters.
Thanks to Bishop Vasa for his willingness to buck the demands of the bureaucracy.
(via CWN)

A bishop in Brazil has started a hunger strike and threatens to go to his death, if the country’s President doesn’t put the kibosh on a proposed water diversion project. He seems to have forgotten that direct intentional suicide, even as a means to a good end, is immoral; and that threatening to commit suicide is immoral.

2281 Suicide contradicts the natural inclination of the human being to preserve and perpetuate his life. It is gravely contrary to the just love of self. It likewise offends love of neighbor because it unjustly breaks the ties of solidarity with family, nation, and other human societies to which we continue to have obligations. Suicide is contrary to love for the living God.
2282 If suicide is committed with the intention of setting an example, especially to the young, it also takes on the gravity of scandal. Voluntary co-operation in suicide is contrary to the moral law. Grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or grave fear of hardship, suffering, or torture can diminish the responsibility of the one committing suicide.

The scandal involved is not insignificant. The Punjabi bishop who shot himself in 1998 in outrage over the invidious blasphemy law in Pakistan is still treated as somewhat of a hero.

The chair of the convention, Catholic Bishop Joseph Coutts of Faisalabad, said “the present [election] system here is really nothing but political apartheid.”
“We want to be treated as equal citizens. We will continue our struggle peacefully for that,” said the bishop, who had succeeded Bishop John Joseph. In 1998, Bishop Joseph shot himself in protest against Pakistan’s Blasphemy Law and what he considered to be the harassment of Christians.
Asserting that the “qurbani” (sacrifice) of his predecessor “has not gone in vain,” Coutts said that “change does not take place all of a sudden. We need to be consistent and keep trying.”
[from CT]

“Qurbani” or “sacrifice”, in whatever language, is a religious word; and linking self-murder to it is gravely misleading.
(via Amy.)