BishopAccountability.org
	Seeking a Return to Moral Authority Dolan Must Do the Right Thing in Face of Former By Mark Belling GM Today February 6, 2008 http://www.gmtoday.com/milwaukeetoday/editorials/belling.asp What was Rembert Weakland thinking? * * * The Milwaukee Roman Catholic Archdiocese is in a mess. It is facing millions of dollars worth of fiscal cuts because of damages being paid to victims of sexual abuse by priests. Worse, the church is in danger of losing its single-most important asset, its standing as a moral leader, because of revelations about its enabling of pedophile priests. The latest round of news was especially bad. Documents from a California lawsuit chronicled the church's disgraceful handling of ex-priest Franklyn Becker, who was shuttled around by Milwaukee officials despite numerous reports of inappropriate conduct with young boys. But there are court documents and pending lawsuits in several other cases. If those records are as damaging as the documents from the Becker case, the church's disgrace will be compounded. In short, the Milwaukee Archdiocese has been exposed for repeatedly allowing dangerous men to have access to impressionable children and for refusing to do anything about them after being caught. * * * But, it wasn't the "church" that did all of this. The Milwaukee Archdiocese was run by Rembert Weakland when the priestly misconduct was occurring. The former archbishop was the one shuttling the clerical creeps from church to church and covering up their criminal and sinful conduct. Again, what was Weakland thinking? The best way to answer the question is to look at Weakland's own words. Several years ago he famously commented on abuse cases by saying many young boys attempt to "seduce" priests. He later denied that he meant this as a rationalization of the behavior but the comment is a window into Weakland's state of mind. Given his own dalliance with a young man, it's apparent Weakland empathized with priests who were faced with terrible temptations. Weakland's reaction was despicable. Whether he's an archbishop or a fast food manager, a person who is aware that adults under his supervision are taking indecent liberties with children has a legal and moral obligation to do something about it. Weakland should have contacted the authorities and done everything in his power to remove these abusers from the priesthood. * * * Timothy Dolan, Weakland's successor, is a remarkable man. He exudes holiness. He is a commanding moral leader and an undeniably spiritual man. He's the one who is left to clean up the Weakland mess. He's trying to sell the Cousins Center to raise money and is being forced to look at serious operational cuts. But he must take another step to restore the thing even more important than the archdiocesan finances. He needs to restore its moral authority. Dolan needs to publicly disassociate the Milwaukee church from Weakland. He can start by taking Weakland's name off the church buildings currently defiled with it. He must then condemn Weakland's unholy and legally liable actions. This isn't time for one bishop to stick up for another. Dolan must do what Weakland wouldn't - the right thing. * * * There's a lot of chutzpah and gall in our society but for an example of real hypocrisy we need only look at a small bar and restaurant in the town of Genesee named Saxe's. The owner, Tom Saxe, is currently featured in an ad campaign telling his "nonsmoking" story. Saxe describes his own bout with cancer, something he attributes to his years behind the bar having smoke blown in his face and down his lungs. He goes on to say he "cares very deeply" about his employees and won't let them be subjected to the hideous secondhand smoke that made him gravely ill. It's all very touching until you learn that Tom Saxe's restaurant ALLOWS smoking. Like most other places, you can't smoke in the dining room but are allowed to puff away at the bar, presumably blowing smoke in the faces and down the lungs of the employees Saxe claims to "care deeply about." When I asked Saxe about this astonishing contradiction between words and actions, he told me he hasn't banned smoking because he thinks it would cost him business. Saxe is pushing for a statewide ban on smoking in all bars and restaurants. But he could ban smoking right now without any change in law. In fact, a growing number of local restaurants have already gone smoke-free in response to customer demand. But instead of featuring the operators of joints that are actually smoke-free, the group called "Smoke-Free Wisconsin" is using in its ads a guy who allows smoking. When I asked Saxe why he doesn't join the others and ban smoking, he says it'll happen soon. After he calls a press conference, he says. This guy belongs in the Sanctimony Hall of Fame. One other thing. Saxe, who claims he got cancer from his years inhaling secondhand cigarette smoke, is a former firefighter.
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