Mysterious Things

And they are Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church or metropolitans: Cardinals Murphy-O'Connor and O'Malley and then Archbishops Dolan (of New York), Prendergast (of Ottawa) and Collins (of Toronto).  We shall see; business isn't officially happening until the autumn.  It is noteworthy, I think, that Mons Dolan's remit will entail all priestly formation in the seminaries and not just those parts which might be considered most directly connected to any potential for sexual abuse. Ought to have added this link to David Quinn at the Irish Catholic tsk.  

From an article at the Independent.ie site (no idea if that is the Indy in Ireland or an entirely separate paper), an interesting observation:

... Yet, far from suffering empty pews, Irish churches have experienced a surge in attendance this Holy Week.

From north Donegal to south Dublin, congregations have flocked to Easter services in an expression of commitment and support that has left some clerics baffled.

In the run-up to the First Communion season, family masses are witnessing some of the highest attendance figures in several years. Some churches are even struggling to cope with the crowds....

Of course, the author O'Doherty seems to be a piece of tabloid work but....  Shane's comment at Damian Thompson's post about Rowan Williams's nonsense g. a.

Having just posted re the Times... it is amusing, Ruth Gledhill's article there about Cardinal Brady; specially the "receivership" line.  No, Miss Gledhill, the Roman Church is not like your Anglican one nor are the particular churches in each nation like your Anglican one, which latter is an historical and cultural artefact that has, for many decades, ceased to be a real church for most of its adherents. 

Noting that the Pope, in his pastoral to the Irish, lamented the irresponsible actions of some in the wake of the Second Vatican Council: Alex Massie wins the prize, which is a voice recording of me ranting about the utter nonsense that has happened in my own Catholic lifetime (am a convert) due to my idiot brethren who believe that there is a 'New Church'.  Contact me so I can mail off your cassette, Mr Massie.

People, Hierarchy and clergy is an exemplary act of the papal magisterium.  The expectations of those truly victimised may not be immediately assuaged by it but we others, more or less on the periphery, as it were, ought to be consoled and edified: the Pope reminds us of our sinfulness, our need to repent and seek out the merciful forgiveness of God, and to perform the works of reparation.  Playing about with administrative regimes and procedures has happened in Ireland (and in their own place such realities are necessary and constructive) although, I gather, more still needs be done.  The Irish bishops need to lead, to take up their crosses, and lead: or else resign themselves to marginalisation in Irish society.

The text is here.

Looking at the media this morning....  The Telegraph makes an effort to be objective, for a couple of paragraphs, and then descends to,

... He called for "concrete initiatives" to address the situation, but they amounted to little more than prayers, fastings and Bible readings....

But it does feature a press account of Mons Zollitsch's reaction in Germany, which is useful. Jean-Marie Guénois in Le Figaro is admirably serious, although I can't really imagine that reading the Pastoral Letter one doesn't comprehend that the Roman Pontiff is begging pardon of the victims--still, les Français, les Français....  (If I say, 'désolé', when someone talks about his dog's fleas, surely that is an entirely different use of the word than Benedict XVI's in this Pastoral Letter.)  Stephanie Le Bars in Le Monde is equally good, and the headline, even, is fitting.  Rachel Donadio at the New York Times is concerned that there be penalties and discipline.

... But the pope did not require that church leaders be disciplined for past mistakes as some victims were hoping; nor did he clarify what critics see as contradictory Vatican rules they fear allow abuse to continue unpunished....

The rest is just as sanctimonious as that: one imagines that some of those who would have become nuns of the old school, with rulers and frowns. must have gone into newspaper work.  Simon Alford in the Times is Miss Donadio's cousin across the water:

...He also ordered a Vatican investigation into the Irish church, but did not mention any Vatican responsibility for covering up the scandal.

Nor did he dole out any specific punishments for bishops accused of covering up years of abuse.....

I will admit that at least the European and UK papers link to the Holy Father's Pastoral Letter.

Update on Saturday, March 20, 2010 at 19:27 by Marc

Tom Kington in the Guardian is much more sensible than I should have expected in that newspaper, and even the headline writer has captured the sense and purpose of the Holy Father's pastoral letter It is with Great Concern.

Macte virtute, Father Finnegan!  The Bishops in the United States might well follow the wished-for Irish example.