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	Lubbock Churches Carry on As Usual Amid Protests against Pope By Kellie Bramlet Avalanche Journal March 31, 2010 http://lubbockonline.com/stories/033110/loc_598378515.shtml LUBBOCK (TX) -- Protesters in London demanded the Pope's resignation and some in Switzerland called for a registry of pedophile priests, The Associated Press reported, but Catholic leaders in Lubbock are carrying on as usual. "We are much bigger and much stronger and much more multidimensional than this one terrible problem that has plagued the Church," said Monsignor David Cruz, pastor of Our Lady of Grace Church. "We cannot let this one issue define who we are." Cruz said he's spoken with individual members about the recent allegations that Pope Benedict XVI knew of some of the incidents of sexual abuse committed by clergy members while he served as the archbishop of Munich, but Cruz hasn't addressed the whole congregation regarding the issue. He said he knows that people are concerned about the news, but reminds them that even Jesus faced persecution - a theme that's particularly relevant during Holy Week, when Christians remember Jesus' death on the cross. "If it wasn't Holy Week and Easter, I'd address this to the congregation," Cruz said, adding that the scandal could distract church members from issues more relevant to their own lives. "If I did that, it would really take away from all the devotion and the goodness we ought to be focusing on this week." Monsignor Ben Kasteel, pastor of Christ the King Cathedral, said he also would not discuss the scandal during church services. He said he's already addressed the issue. "We went through this here a number of years ago when it was going on in the U.S.," he said. But Monsignor Eugene Driscoll, pastor of Holy Spirit Church, used a sermon centered on forgiveness as a means to discuss the allegations during a Monday night penance service. The message was relevant to the service, a communal absolution from sin, but it was also relevant to the current scandal surrounding the Catholic Church, Driscoll said. Some may fear that the negative press plaguing the church's top official would push away some members, disillusioned by the leadership. But Driscoll said he hasn't seen any wavering in attendance. "This weekend we still had 2,000 people in the church," he said. Contact: kellie.bramlet@lubbockonline.com
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