The Chaput Approach

This letter stands on its own, and should be a tonic to those who welcome forthright speech, prudence and courage -- three elements that could have served the Legion well in the last three years. Consider how such an approach could have helped the Movement to establish an authentic reform which it seems the Holy Father thought was possible. Sadly, they have clung instead to obfuscation, sentimentality and dodging accountability for very serious and repeated harms to its  members. It would seem that given the current trajectory in the Movement, especially given that those capable of reform are leaving and those most wedded to the obtuse narrative spun by the Macielistas remain at the helm. 

For the record, there has been no restitution to the victims of MM, there has been no apology to the 3gf's who [now!] it seems were subject to 30 years of bureaucratic oversights, and there has been no credible explanation as to how MM had millions of dollars at his personal disposal, decades of depravity with no witnesses and even his own children enrolled in Legion schools (and receiving the sacraments from the Holy Father himself) without anyone noticing. But, there are enormous funds available for the Adizes business consultants to polish their corporate image and self-promotion skills.

December 8, 2011
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

Dear friends in Christ,

Exactly three months ago, on September 8, I was installed as Archbishop of Philadelphia. In the weeks since, traveling the archdiocese, I’ve been struck by two things I encounter again and again: the reservoir of good will in our people, and the fidelity of our priests.

The Church in Southeastern Pennsylvania has deep roots and an extraordinary legacy of saints, service and public witness. These are profound strengths, built by the faith of generations of Catholic families. But all of these good facts depend on our willingness to sustain them by our actions in the present. Advent is a season of self-examination in the light of God’s word; a season of conversion and looking forward in hope to the birth of a Savior at Christmas. There is no better time to speak frankly about the conditions we now face as a community of believers.

Complacency is the enemy of faith. To whatever degree complacency and pride once had a home in our local Church, events in the coming year will burn them out. The process will be painful. But going through it is the only way to renew the witness of the Church; to clear away the debris of human failure from the beauty of God’s word and to restore the joy and zeal of our Catholic discipleship.

In the year ahead, we have a grave and continuing obligation to help victims of clergy sex abuse to heal; to create Church environments that protect our young people; and to cooperate appropriately with civil authorities in pursuing justice for both the victims of sexual abuse and those accused.

At the same time, we need to remember that many hundreds of our priests -- the overwhelming majority -- have served our people with exceptional lives of sacrifice and character. Since arriving in September, I have pressed for a rapid resolution of the cases of those priests placed on administrative leave earlier this year. The first months of 2012 will finally see those cases concluded. Whatever the results, the confidence of our people and the morale of our priests have suffered. The hard truth is that many innocent priests have borne the brunt of the Church’s public humiliation and our people’s anger. The harsh media environment likely to surround the criminal trial which begins next March will further burden our lay people and our clergy. But it cannot be avoided.

Finally, the resources of the Church do not belong to the bishops or the clergy; they belong to the entire Catholic people, including the faithful generations who came before us. The Church is a community of faith alive in the present but also connected across the years through time. The Church holds her resources in stewardship for the whole Catholic community, to carry out our shared apostolic mission as believers in Jesus Christ. This means that as archbishop, I have the duty not just to defend those limited resources, but also to ensure that the Church uses them with maximum care and prudence; to maximum effect; and with proper reporting and accountability.

In the coming year we will face very serious financial and organizational issues that cannot be delayed. They must be addressed. These are not simply business issues; they go to the heart of our ability to carry out our Catholic ministries. The archdiocese remains strongly committed to the work of Catholic education. But that mission is badly served by trying to sustain unsustainable schools. In January, the archdiocesan Blue Ribbon Commission will provide me with its recommendations on Catholic education. The Commission has worked for months on this difficult issue with extraordinary sensitivity and skill. It will likely counsel that some, and perhaps many, schools must close or combine. It will also offer a framework for strengthening our schools going forward.

Over the next 18 months the same careful scrutiny must be applied to every aspect of our common life as a Church, from the number and location of our parishes, to every one of our archdiocesan operational budgets. This honest scrutiny can be painful, because real change is rarely easy; but it also restores life and health, and serves the work of God’s people. We cannot call ourselves good stewards if we do otherwise.

These words may sound sobering, but they are spoken with love as a father and a brother. They are a plea to take our baptism seriously; and to renew our local Church with Christian charity, justice and zeal. As Scripture reminds us so frequently: Do not be afraid. God uses poor clay to create grandeur and beauty. He can certainly use us to renew and advance the work of the Church -- and he will.

On this great feast of Mary’s Immaculate Conception, may God grant you and those you love a holy Advent; and lift your hearts; and make you ready for the joy of Christ’s birth. And please pray for me, as I pray for all of you and your families every day.

Gratefully yours in Jesus Christ,


Most Reverend Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.
Archbishop of Philadelphia

Comments

[Anon2020]

Inspiring words, indeed.

Hate to be a nudge -- but it's offensive when Church officials blame the media for focusing on abuse of children (and other wrongdoing) by clergy and related Church officials. As if it was somehow the media's fault -- instead of the fault of the priests and bishops who committed the crimes and of those who covered up the crimes.

Let's thank the secular media for helping us to see that our Holy Church needed -- and doubtlessly still needs -- purging and cleansing in order to be worthy of Christ.

[Jeannette]

Anon2020,
I think bishops etc need to decide: do they want the respect that comes with MEETING HIGHER STANDARDS, or do they want abusive priests to be "no big deal" for the media, because Catholic priests don't behave any better than university football coaches? Respect has to be earned, and right now Catholic bishops are running a deficit; they'll have to earn it for years before they start receiving it again. The media didn't report lies here..

[Mary Ann]

I find it sad, not inspiring. so little faith. If the clergy were faith-filled, there would be enough money and people for the schools and parishes.

[Gems]

Having a hierarch such as he actually thank the media for the work they have done to expose the filth within the clergy would likely do a whole lot more to help the abuse victims than any expressions of sorrow over the whole fiasco ever could.

The letter leaves me completely uninspired.

Disclaimer: I don't particularly trust Abp. Chaput and don't find him inspirational in the least, mostly because I think he is of the ilk that has contributed to all the cronyism, narcissism, and arrogance of the clergy, the very attitudes that led to this crisis in the first place. Plus I personally know somebody that he treated quite rudely when approached for his help/advice post Legion meltdown in her own family.

The standing ovation for child-molester shuffling Msgr Lynn at Abp. Chaput's dinner--inspired by words from Chaput himself--wasn't too impressive, either.

I can only imagine how the parents of children abused by predator priests who were knowingly shuffled around and covered-up for by Lynn must have felt to read how Chaput singled out Lynn to express how difficult this whole ordeal must have been for him!

When will these guys learn? We in the pews are not stupid and more and more of us have awoken from a long slumber. Actions matter a whole lot more than words and are what will be required if the hierarchy ever wants to be trusted or respected again.

Mary Ann: Has their ever been a faith-filled clergy? I personally begin to wonder if faith-filled isn't the rare exception in the clergy rather than the rule. It has been a very, very long time since I have run across a priest who impressed me with his faith and true Christian love and humility. And I attended a college known for its orthodoxy and churning out a high number of "orthodox" priests who are supposedly the ones who are going to turn the Church around. Pomp, circumstance, lace, and incense might make a comeback, but a lot of these guys were quite honestly arrogant jerks in the first place. All the lace and orthodox appearances in the world won't change that. God help us if the "JPII priests" are what we are counting to save the Church.

[Mary Ann]

I agree, Gems. While we can't tar the whole lot with the same brush, enough of the new orthodox priests are as you say that they are almost a time bomb of abuse or meltdown - tos ay nothing of the harm done by arrogance and misogynism. The devil can hide better behind lace and incense than he can in revolutionary fatigues and clown suits.

[pete vere]

Thread hijack!

Linda Gibbons has been arrested again, and will spend another Christmas in jail:

http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/imprisonment+Linda+Gibbons/5862988/story.html

Prayers are appreciated. As are expressions of support for those of you with blogs.

[Ohh]

I judge the clergy, religious and the "simple faithful" by their Christian charity more than by someones(perhaps one of Gems jerks) self proclaimed standards of orthodoxy. There have been some wonderful, compasionate responses to the abuse crisis, but the legion raks right up there with Bernard Law for their total lack of concern for the victims.

[Gems]

"The devil can hide better behind lace and incense than he can in revolutionary fatigues and clown suits."

Amen. I suppose I am particular sensitive to this subject right now because we currently have a creepy "JPII" seminarian at our parish. My gut screams, "Sound the alarm!", but until I have something concrete to be able to bring to the priests, I am not sure exactly how to go about doing it without totally being written off as some crazy suburban mom made paranoid by all that hating on the Church by that evil media.

Not that I care what the priests think, but I just don't want them not to take me seriously because I really do think there is a problem with this guy.

In the meantime, Mr. Pomp and Circumstance, parading around in lace quite impressively starched and shoes you could see your reflection in, has started to rule the liturgy with his dour and sometimes downright mean attitude, and when he sang in the choir last week, my husband--also in the choir--said he was afraid Mr. Pomp's head was going to clunk on the floor as he bowed during consecration. I knew it must have been bad when my husband, for whom uncharity is hardly his biggest vice, announced he felt he needed to go to confession immediately after mass. The day Mr. Pomp gave a sermon (can seminarians even give sermons?) proclaiming JPII and Abp Chaput as his personal heroes while fixating on the subject of pornography repeatedly throughout(I'm hardly a prude, but this was over the top) was the day I felt I needed the confessional after mass. And don't get me started on the very-obvious-to-me sexual issues he has. The misogyny is fairly palpable. My husband (immediately before telling me he felt he needed confession) basically stated that if Mr. Pomp is straight, he'll eat his shoe.

Oh, yes, that is just what we need to save the Church---self-proclaimed "JPII priests", extremely-orthodox-in-appearance, arrogant and narcissistic, sexually immature men having a hard time accepting and/or integrating their sexuality in any kind of mature way.

It's worrisome. It concerns me that as far as I can tell, his behavior is AOK with both our priests. They certainly don't seem to be doing much to tone him down.

Don't believe it for a second if anybody tries to tell you that the new screening processes set up by the Church for seminarians are going to keep out the men with personality disorders and sexual immaturity issues. That's all I can say.

[giselle]

I don't doubt your gut feeling about your seminarian, but I think it's a little much to tar all young priests who were inspired by JP2. The young priests and seminarians in our diocese are wonderful and balanced young men. It's up to the rector of your seminary to judge this man's integrity and human formation, so perhaps that's what we should be praying for. As long as he's not ordained, there's no long-term problem and perhaps he's being watched already; it really depends on your seminary staff. If you feel strongly enough, perhps a man-to-man talk between your husband and someone at the seminary is in order -- at least then you could calm your conscience.

[Jeannette]

Gems,
Have you taken the "Protecting God's Children" (or your diocese's reasonable facsimile) course? I know a lot of people are turned off by the screening process etc, but it's a great help for something like this: you learn the red flags. Make sure you're coming up with the right words to describe what specifically worries you about him.

[Mercy]

Dear Pete Vere!! Thanks for the hijack. Just posted on my FB profile. Have been to jail for the cause and it was the best thing I ever did because I did believe that innocent life was being taken and needed to stand in front of the death chamber to try and protect those innocent babies who have no one to speak for them. When I am free from family obligations, I may spend my last years in jail as well. Thanks again and Merry Christmas!!

[****]

Sex abuse of minors and the evolution of seminary formation from a Jesuit perspective:
http://www.americamagazine.org/content/article.cfm?article_id=13195