BishopAccountability.org
 
 

Your View by Saint Thomas More Parishioner: How We Can Help Create a Revolution in Catholic Church

By Tom Garrity
Morning Call
September 22, 2019

https://www.mcall.com/opinion/mc-opi-catholic-church-scandal-laity-revolution-20190922-dho7caagpzgg3kbhhjq3xbui3a-story.html

St. Thomas More Church, Salisbury Township (File)

Like so many Catholics, the sexual abuse scandal that rocked the Catholic Church has been demoralizing for me. I am angry. I’m sickened by the evil deeds of so many priests. My heart aches for victims and their families. And I’m saddened that so many of my family and friends have walked away. I have wanted to as well.

I think most everyone would agree — even if you didn’t believe in anything the Roman Catholic Church stood for — it was at the very least a moral compass, a rock, that we knew was there in the storm of life, challenging us to be better human beings. And then, poof, it all seemed to be a hoax. First Boston in 2002. Then the Pennsylvania grand jury report in 2018. Unfortunately, I’m sure there will be more to come.

The real loss here isn’t the dwindling population in the institution of the church; it’s that the church has become irrelevant in the hearts and minds of people who want/need/desire a nurturing of their spirit. And Christ has lost a channel to reach His flock.

We’re hard-wired as a people to look to something to aspire to, that provides a direction — in this case a vision of goodness and a calling to become a better version of ourselves.

The church is now in a tailspin and likely will be a fraction of the size it once was. Like so many things in life, human beings have made a mess of it. And human beings need to clean it up.

As a lay person in the Catholic Church, I have come to realize that our church needs a revolution. It needs to clean house, throw the bums out and get back to its mission of serving the people of God, not itself. It’s time to end the abuse of power and cronyism and renew the church in Christ. However, let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water. There are many good priests (the vast majority) who can and need to be a part of the revolution.

There are signs of hope.

Following the reports coming out of Boston in 2002, the bishops of the United States gathered in Dallas for their annual spring assembly. Out of that meeting came a set of protocols to govern the handling of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy. A simple internet search will provide the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, which includes zero tolerance regarding sexual abuse of minors and background checks, not just for priests, but for any employee of the Catholic Church. These institutional changes have made a substantial difference.

Although those protocols are a good start, there is much to be done. I believe lay people need to have a much deeper involvement in the management of their parishes. The model of leaving it up to the priest isn’t working and, quite frankly in my humble opinion, not acceptable going forward.

Additionally, there are still priests and bishops in place who may not have been direct accomplices in sex abuse crimes, but they were certainly accomplices by turning the other way. These guys have to go. My sense is this is no small number. But until the world sees the painful remorse and removal of these men (priests and bishops), it will not only remain skeptical, but downright angry that “nothing is really changing,” and former parishioners will not come back.

It’s time for the laity to stand up and say, “Enough is enough.” Get involved at your parish level. Demand change and be a part of it. This isn’t someone else’s job — it is our job. This includes governance, personnel and helping our priests become more relevant to our congregations. (People are begging for a message to help them manage the turmoil of life. Talking about what happened 2,000 plus years ago, and not tying it to how this relates to life today, is a total waste of time. Our priests and deacons have to step up their game from the pulpit.)

And we should encourage priests to have the courage to stand up in front of their congregations, apologize for the actions of their brothers, and tell the story and outcomes of what we are doing about it.

Tom Garrity is an Allentown resident and a member of Saint Thomas More Church, Salisbury Township.

 

 

 

 

 




.

 
 

Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.