ILLINOIS
Pantagraph
July 05, 2013
A life of service: Bloomington’s ‘Father Doug’ retiring after 50 years in the priesthood
BLOOMINGTON — Two things — one involving a title and the other involving action — offer a glimpse into who is the Rev. Doug Hennessy. Read more
Father Doug Hennessy weighs in on some controversial questions involving the Catholic Church:
Q: What has been the impact on the Catholic Church of the (sex-abuse) scandal?
A: It was a serious blow to the church’s moral credibility and authority. It is very sad and tragic. It bankrupted the trust account that priests used to have. Now, we have to nurture and develop that trust. It was handled badly by church leadership. If someone feels they were mistreated, they should come forward to church leadership. The worst thing that can happen is to let that fester without dealing with it. We want to care for victims while respecting the privacy of individuals and recognizing that some priests have been falsely accused.
Q. Is the Catholic Church still experiencing a priest shortage?
A: Many of us who serve as priests would say yes. I think the church has worked hard to encourage vocations. Many of us (priests over 65) are retiring or going to God. The numbers among 45- to 65-year-olds are thin but there are more young priests coming on. Pastoral planning now involves more sharing of resources among parishes (including combining parishes’ programs, classes and support groups). And a great many lay people are volunteering.
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.