PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Whispers in the Loggia
October 4, 2018
by Rocco Palmo
For the record, for all the talk you’ve heard of major in-house investigations over the scandals unearthed through recent months, only one is actually happening – the Rome-chartered probe of adult misconduct by Bishop Michael Bransfield, the initial reports of which proved enough to force the West Virginia prelate’s quick removal last month (and which, according to the inquest’s overseer, had netted some 40 additional calls as of last week).
As for the rest, as first reported in these pages’ side-feed some weeks back, two major planks of the US bishops’ intended response to the fresh crisis – an apostolic visitation, and a lay commission which would report on allegations against bishops to the Nuncio to Washington – were both rejected by the Holy See as the USCCB Executive met with the Pope in mid-September. (In addition, given the separate scoop that Francis urged the bench to take a week-long group retreat in lieu of their usual November meeting, a previously-unrelayed piece on that front bears noting: the pontiff’s rationale for the suggestion was that the exercise was necessary for the conference to begin to heal the division within its own ranks.)
In the assessment of one ranking op, the fallout of the audience seemed to indicate that Francis “has had it with us.” And these days, more than a little says the Man in White is far from alone in that.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.