KANSAS CITY (MO)
National Catholic Reporter
August 17, 2018
NCR Editorial Staff
Editor’s note: The following editorial was written and will appear in the Aug. 24-30 print issue of NCR, which went to press the day before Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, president of the U.S. bishops’ conference, revealed that the bishops were inviting the Vatican to conduct an apostolic visitation to the country to lead a “full investigation” into questions surrounding Cardinal Archbishop Theodore McCarrick, that the bishops will take steps to create channels for easier reporting of abuse and misconduct by bishops, and that the bishops will push for better procedures under canon law to resolve complaints made against bishops.
We welcome yesterday’s announcement as a good first step in resolving the crisis that has enveloped the Catholic Church. Particularly encouraging is that the bishops have listed “substantial leadership by laity” as one of the criteria for meeting their goals. That, too, is a step along the way.
Cardinal DiNardo’s statement is addressed to “Brothers and Sisters in Christ” and ends this request: “Let me ask you to hold us to all of these resolutions.” The bishops should know that we will be watching.
With what we have learned about the abuse of minors and seminarians perpetuated by Theodore McCarrick and his parallel rise through the ranks of the church, coupled with the scathing grand jury report out of Pennsylvania that chronicles in vivid detail the rape of children and the culture of secrecy that enabled the abuse to continue for decades, what are Catholics feeling?
Anger and disgust don’t seem strong enough words. Revulsion? Horror? Betrayal?
The revelations of the last two months make undeniably clear that it is time for the laity to reclaim our ownership of this church. We are the body of Christ, we are the church. It is time that we demand that bishops claim their true vocations as servants to the people of God. And they must live that way.
At this time, it seems laity can do very little to effect the changes needed to bring about the solutions to the large issues that plague the church now — careerism, abuse of power, lack of transparency, no accountability. The fact is laypeople in our church today have little power.
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