This Catholic Has Lost Her Patience with the Church

By Helen Drinan
Boston Globe
November 1, 2018

https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2018/11/01/this-catholic-has-lost-her-patience-with-church/Iupsh6iY1dCwZVVx2JMdQO/story.html?s_campaign=breakingnews:newsletter

Cardinal Sean O’Malley spoke about the death of former Boston cardinal Bernard Law on Dec. 20, 2017, at the Archdiocese of Boston headquarters.

On Aug. 16, 2018, Cardinal Sean O’Malley issued a statement responding to the Pennsylvania grand jury report about the cover-up of decades-long sexual abuse by priests in that state. Attempting to offer some assurance to beleaguered Catholics, O’Malley stated: “The clock is ticking for all of us in Church leadership. Catholics have lost patience with us and civil society has lost confidence in us.”

He further urged “a spiritual conversion” within the church and insisted upon “legal transparency and pastoral accountability.”

As a 71-year-old lay Catholic woman who has worked for the Archdiocese of Boston under Cardinal O’Malley, I feel called by the Holy Spirit to share my professional encounters with the cardinal and our church, because they suggest just how unlikely it is that transparency, pastoral accountability, or spiritual conversion are ever going to happen under its present leadership structure.