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For Catholics to heal, women need to be in hierarchy

Jersey Journal
March 27, 2019

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Photo by Jeff Swensen

For Catholics to heal, women need to be in hierarchy

As a former priest, I was asked to consider and comment on how healing can begin in the Catholic church after revelations that scores of New Jersey priests, many of them in the seminary with me, had been credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors.

Our hearts are deeply troubled by the numbers of priests worldwide who have sexually abused children and minors. Especially shocking to me was the accusation of pedophilia against Theodore McCarrick, once archbishop of the Newark archdiocese, where I was ordained in May 1965. Once cardinal of Washington, D.C., he is now no longer a cardinal, but is a disgraced and defrocked priest.

How, I ask, as do many, can there be such a huge number of priests in the majority Catholic areas of the world guilty of sexual abuse of children and minors?

I seriously believe that the very structure of the church has much to do with pedophilia.

Even though we are all created male and female, according to Genesis, the church, in its institutionalized hierarchical, patriarchal structure inferiorizes the feminine in all of us. It stills the voices of women and disallows priesthood for them, though we are all equally female and male.

Soul healing, not just of you and me, but of the whole human species, can only happen in the halls of religions or nations when women’s voices can be heard equally with men’s.

In a very profound way, this inequality in our institutions and systems is much the reason for not just pedophilia but also for the ongoing worldwide abuse of women, the birthers of Life in every species.

In Catholicism, the denial of priesthood to women and then the inferiorizing of the feminine must stop in order for our healing into harmony with Life can begin.

Finally, we all must engage, in whatever way we are able, in this healing return to our cosmic harmony, so we can sing together “L’Chaim, L’Cahim; to Life, to Life!” From now into eternity!

DEP, do your job: Clean up Kearny landfill

The state Department of Environmental Protection is finally acting on the Keegan Landfill.

For the past several months, residents in Kearny can barely breathe in their own homes because of the vulgar odors coming from sewage sludge illegally dumped at the landfill.

DEP had the power all along to require the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority to clean up their mess but refused not to use it. Why are they kicking the can down the road and taking so long to protect the health of these residents from these seriously damaging toxic chemicals? They could have required NJSEA to start a full cleanup and remediation process by now.

Ever since the Fennimore disaster occurred in Roxbury, the Legislature passed laws that allowed the DEP to shut down a landfill. In Roxbury, toxic wallboard was brought in, releasing hydrogen sulfide emissions that caused a public health crisis. People were sick for months and it took two years to properly clean up the site. Hydrogen sulfide has already been found at Keegan and it can have nasty effects on people. These chemicals can burn lungs and cause serious eye irritation.

In order to avoid another Fennimore disaster, the DEP needs to use the authority it has to make sure the NJSEA will clean up their mess. A $2,000 fine paid by the taxpayers is no deterrent for the NJSEA.

The DEP used its authority to clean up the landfill in Roxbury and it still has the same authority to do it in Kearny. By delaying a proper mitigation plan and cleanup plan, the DEP is putting the health of Kearny residents at risk.




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