CHANGING THE CATHOLIC CHURCH TO REMOVE CLERICALISM WHICH HAS SPAWNED CLERGY SEXUAL ABUSE
We just heard Jesus say “You who weep now are blessed, for you will laugh.” We just heard him stir people’s imagination with a vision of the reign of God that is already breaking into the world. Jesus doesn’t give any commands or expectations. He just states what it will be like in the new age. The poor, the hungry, the persecuted, who were used to being scorned will be “blessed," and the wealthy who were used to being happy, well-fed and praised will “weep in their grief.”
That sounds good but we’ve recently heard many reports of a situation which is incompatible with Jesus’ vision. That is the sexual abuse by Catholic clergy, including bishops. We’ve also heard reports of bishops covering up abuse. What can be done about this scandal of huge proportion? What is being done?
Several groups of Catholics are sending letters to Rome protesting this misuse of power by clergy. In the face of the growing clergy sex abuse scandal, on January 25, 2019, the bishops of the Roman Catholic Women Priests worldwide and the bishops of the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests sent a letter to the Planning Committee for the Clerical Sex Abuse Conference called by Pope Francis. We hope the letter will be heard as a forceful call to the members of the committee.
The fourth paragraph of the letter states: “The absence of women in ecclesial authority denies the Church the wisdom and insight women bring to the process of discernment and decision making. Patriarchal gender stereotyping silences the voice of half of humanity. Women know from experience that the hierarchy of the Catholic Church is a primary carrier of the global toxic virus of misogyny and the virus it engenders. The cure for that virus is equality: the inclusion of women in all ministries of the Church so that men and women are equal partners in gathering and shepherding God’s people.”
The letter expresses the hope that the “meeting in Rome will produce the real changes necessary to restructure Church governance,” calling for “nothing less than a conversion from clericalism and entitlement to service.”
Meanwhile Cardinal Sean O’Malley who has insisted on zero tolerance for clergy sex abuse was disinvited from the planning committee for the Conference, which was O’Malley’s idea. On the other hand Cardinal McCarrick, former Archbishop of Washington, D.C., has been defrocked for his participation in Sexual abuse and its coverup.
Along with the women bishops we, St. Mary of Magdala Catholic Community, are calling this privileged group of people to conversion. Most of those clerics are comfortable in their lifestyle and possibilities for promotion that they have been taught are owed to them because of their loyalty to “The Church,” i.e. that hierarchical, misogynist tower of power.
At the same time we are being called to live in the new age that is being born, the age where clericalism is gone, “where women and men are included in all ministries of the Church.”
We just heard Jesus make new visions possible. He created a space where people can begin to experience the reality of God’s reign. His words to his disciples describe what, in practical terms, it will look like. Hungry people will be hungry no more. Those in tears will experience joy and laughter.
How does this connect with us? Here we are in this sacred space as people who have put our lives on the line for the sake of equal justice for women and men in the Church. Now what? What do we do next to keep this vision alive? It won’t thrive and grow on its own.
We can encourage and support personally and financially women who feel called to prepare to serve as priests. We can encourage others to consider the possibility that they are called to the priesthood.
How else can we contribute to equality of women and men in Church leadership? Jesus gave us an example. Just as he would sometimes step away from the crowds and go apart and pray for guidance, let’s all do something similar on a regular basis. God will lead us deeper and further into the reality of God’s reign. Jesus promised that we will begin to experience justice. We who weep because of the extend of the clergy sex abuse scandal and the seeming intransigence of the over a thousand year old, hierarchical, misogynist Catholic Church governance structure, will laugh!
We have all participated in actions geared to bring justice to people who are oppressed. Let’s include working for justice in our Church in our efforts for social justice in general. For example we can write letters to our Archbishop Charles Thompson expressing our displeasure with the
Clergy sexual abuse and insist that our archdiocesan officials begin to take all steps that are necessary to change the structures of church governance here. Nothing less will change the culture of abuse.
Maria Thornton McClain, RCWP
February 17, 2019
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