SEATTLE (WA)
Catholic Culture
By Phil Lawler May 07, 2014
From Seattle comes this unusual story about a priest who, when removed from public ministry because of sexual abuse, ignored the order from his archbishop and continued functioning as a priest. Apparently the Seattle archdiocese only recently learned about his disobedience. But even if the archbishop had known earlier, what could he have done?
The Church does not have prison cells in which to hold canonical criminals, nor is there a corps of detectives ready to investigate allegations of ecclesiastical crime. State and local governments, which do exercise police power, cannot bring charges against a man who celebrates religious rituals without violating the principle of religious freedom. So if a suspended priest persists in celebrating Mass, who can stop him?
Ultimately, if a suspended priest persists in disobedience, he might be laicized. But then his diocese would lose all power to discipline him, and he would still be at large, with unimpeded access to young people.
For a decade Catholic bishops have been excoriated for failing to take effective disciplinary action against sexual abuse. Much of the criticism has been justified; the reaction from the hierarchy came much too late, after far too much dishonesty with the public and connivance with the abusers. But even now, after the bishops have set strict standards, some professional bishop-baiters persist in saying that whatever a bishop has done, it isn’t enough.
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