By Dan Horn
Cincinnati Enquirer
December 20, 2009
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/AB/20091220/NEWS01/912210313/Pilarczyk++Clergy+abuse+biggest+test
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| Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk blessed the new St. Bernadette Church in Amelia during the dedication ceremonies Nov. 22. Photo by John Seney |
Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk's first job as a priest 50 years ago was writing financial reports with an old manual typewriter and plenty of carbon paper.
It was tedious work that he now describes as "administrative dreariness."
But he didn't have to wait long for things to get interesting.
He rose quickly through the ranks at the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and became archbishop in 1982. He won praise as a scholar and national leader of the Catholic Church, endured criticism for his handling of the clergy abuse crisis and was tested by challenges such as parish closures and a shortage of priests.
Now the longest-serving active bishop in the nation, Pilarczyk is preparing for life away from the job he has held for 27 years.
He celebrates his 50th anniversary as a priest Sunday and will soon retire as archbishop. His successor, Coadjutor Archbishop Dennis Schnurr, already has been in town for a year and will take over when the Vatican formally approves Pilarczyk's retirement.
"Part of the problem when you become archbishop is you get tired," Pilarczyk said. "I don't think I'm totally ineffectual, but I'm 75 years old. And I'm tired."
The archbishop sat for an "exit interview" with The Enquirer last week that covered a wide range of topics, from how he handled the abuse crisis to why Catholics should go to church more often to why he doesn't worry much about not having a "warm and fuzzy" personality.
Question: Was becoming archbishop a goal of yours when you entered the priesthood?
Answer: "I don't think I spent an inordinate amount of time stargazing. I suppose every kid dreams of hitting a home run in the World Series, but I can say I never did anything to deliberately promote the career. If you look at it as a career, you're in trouble. It's a calling. You answer the call. Although there are times when you think, Why did I ever say yes?"
Q: What was your greatest challenge?
A: "That was clergy abuse, without any doubt. That was a dangerous time ... I felt if we don't do this right, we're going to be in big trouble and (the victims) are going to be hurt more than they have been already."
Q: Did the church protect priests at the expense of victims decades ago, when much of the abuse took place?
A: "I think it was protect the priests and protect the victim. It wasn't, 'Don't tell anybody anything.' The problem was we didn't understand the depth and virulence of what was in the psyche of the perpetrator. We'd move that individual. Then, gradually, we learned. We learned it is not effective and not appropriate to move the priest, although that was part of the common wisdom."
Q: The archdiocese aggressively defended against abuse lawsuits and set aside $3 million in a fund for victims, which some considered inadequate. Did you strike the right balance between the needs of the victims and protecting the interests of the archdiocese?
A: "I think we did. We had good legal advice, good canonical advice. Other dioceses went broke over this. We didn't. We gave reasonable help to everyone who asked for it. We set aside the $3 million fund. Is everybody happy with the financial assistance we gave? No. But no amount of financial assistance can undo the harm that's been done."
Q: The number of priests and parishes has been declining for years. How big a problem is this?
A: "We have to avoid the trap of equating numbers with quality. Would I be happier if we had more priests? Sure I would. But it doesn't mean catastrophe has struck because we have fewer ... Today we've got lay ministers and professional people working with the priests. In the old days, there was a pastor, a school principal and a maintenance man. Today, (the pastor) has a staff."
Q: How has the archdiocese responded to the priest shortage?
A: "We have a vocations office with two full-time people in it. And we have got a really good seminary. It's academically good, spiritually good. I think that's important. People considering the seminary know there's a good place to go.
"We're getting high quality priests. I think the training they get is more effective and professional than the training I got. For example, they all do a one-year internship. When I was ordained, you went right into a parish. I think the guys are better prepared than we were."
Q: Are you concerned about a decline in Catholic school enrollment?
A: "I think our diocese is better off than many. We're 26th in size (population), but we're eighth in enrollment. Relatively speaking, we haven't dropped ... Our area of the country is not all that healthy economically. If money is tight, some parents won't be able to send their kids to Catholic schools. And I regret that."
Q: About 31 percent of Catholics say they attend Mass every week or almost every week. Why don't more Catholics go to church?
A: "The problem we're dealing with is secularity. Our society says, 'Buy and be comfortable.' How do you preach the Good News to someone who thinks they have all the good news they need already? They've got a house, a computer, a car. Who needs salvation? If I've got everything I need, and I'm comfortable, why should I go to church?
Q: Why should they?
A: "Because you still need salvation. You need the life of the Lord in you. If you think you don't, you're playing fast and loose with your existence."
Q: You recently barred a nun from teaching in archdiocesan schools because she supported the ordination of women. Why?
A: "The formal teaching of the church is women cannot be ordained to the priesthood. I am bound by that ... She was representing the church. You can't represent the church and teach things that the church doesn't teach. I believe I was forced to take some action."
Q: You've been criticized by some for being too academic, for not seeming pastoral enough. Is that fair?
A: "No. I think I'm this wonderful, warm-hearted guy (He laughs). If that's what they think, then I'm sorry. You know, I got an e-mail today. It was very nice. It said, 'Some people think you ought to be warm and fuzzy. Well, I don't.' ... If I could do it over, I would try maybe to be a little bit friendlier. But then you run the risk of being a phony."
Q: What is the state of the archdiocese today?
A: "It is sound and healthy. Is everybody happy about everything? No. They never are this side of heaven. But the state of the archdiocese is sound and healthy. That's not my doing, that's the Lord's doing."
Contact: dhorn@enquirer.com
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