UNITED STATES
Questions from a Ewe
I understand some hearts are aflutter after Cardinal Sean O’Malley’s recent interview on the US television show “60 Minutes.” During the interview Sean hinted that he felt convicted-criminal-for-failure-to-report-child-abuse-and-active-Opus-Dei-bishop-of-Kansas-City, Robert Finn, maybe shouldn’t be an active bishop anymore. Rather than rejoicing, I find myself disillusioned that a) O’Malley is the first of the more than 5,000 worldwide bishops to open his mouth on this…over TWO YEARS AFTER Finn’s conviction and b) this STILL has not been addressed by the pope. Talk about a “no-brainer” action to take…
In Roman Catholic Clergy time, perhaps two years is the equivalent of breaking the sound barrier for speed, but to me, it seems slow and underwhelming. After all, I repeat: Finn is still the active bishop of an entire diocese despite Sean’s groundbreaking public criticism. If Finn had ordained a woman, he would have been relieved of his duties before the sun set on the next day. It doesn’t speak well to papal priorities that the welfare of children is something to ponder for years before acting.
Sean also said the Vatican’s handling of the US nun’s visitation was a “disaster.” Thanks, Sean…Glad you caught on to that one too, albeit a little slower than the Finn situation.
But what really caught my attention were Sean’s statements about women and Jesus. Here’s a synopsis:
Reporter Norah O’Donnell asked if excluding women from the hierarchy was “immoral.” O’Malley replied, “Christ would never ask us to do something immoral. It’s a matter of vocation and what God has given to us.”
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