Megan Mulls It Over

+JMJ

I write this post with a heavy heart. The latest wave of sexual abuse allegations against Catholic clergy has left me feeling saddened, disillusioned, and confused. I call this a preliminary response because this is very much a developing story, and I will likely publish many posts over many months to unpack my thoughts on it. I hope that I will be able to present my views on this situation in a charitable and humble manner.

I want to keep always before me a quote attributed to Mother Teresa, who, when asked by a journalist what she would change about the Church, purportedly responded, “I’d change me.”

I also recognize that the words “charity” and “humility,” much like the word “mercy,” are very much misunderstood in American society today. Therefore, I also strive never to forget that there is no charity without truth and that a humility that obscures truth is a false humility.

I feel that it is important at the outset to reveal my personal biases that influence my view of this crisis. I do not consider myself a “traditionalist,” but I do prefer what many would call a more “traditional” style of public worship. I do not think that any Mass short of a preconciliar High Mass is invalid or irreverent. However, I am finding it increasingly difficult not to shake my head at Masses where most, if not all, of the hymns are inspired more by 70s folk rock than by music that was written specifically for liturgical settings.

Regarding Pope Francis himself, I will lead with something positive. When he first assumed the papacy, I liked his approachability and some of the things that he did that were viewed by many as refreshingly informal. A specific example that I found endearing rather than irreverent or iconoclastic was his choice to begin his first ever papal address with a simple “Good evening.”

Around the time of the publication of his second encyclical, however, I started to see some tendencies in him that troubled me. He has made some very cogent points about how our “throwaway” attitude towards material goods stems from our throwaway attitude towards human life. Nevertheless, I feel like he has said numerous things that can easily be construed as, “Don’t talk to that abortionist about his career choices – let’s talk about how you still use plastic bags to carry your groceries!”

In addition to these biases regarding Pope Francis, I also have my share of biases regarding the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). To once again lead with something positive, I like that they are generally very quick to condemn unjust wars, and they rightly have a very high bar for what constitutes a just war.

I also like that they are willing to criticize the Israeli government and military (btw they also denounce Palestinian wrongdoing). I am proud to say that no member of my own clergy has ever tried to make me feel like a bad Christian because of my mostly negative view of Zionism.

Nevertheless, I believe that the USCCB and Pope Francis often apply undue pressure on clergy and laity to accept their own views on certain matters of prudential judgment, such as immigration, gun control, and the economy. Many of these views, particularly on the economy and healthcare, are too close to Marxism for my own comfort. I acknowledge that many of my fellow Catholics would roll their eyes at that characterization. And sadly, I am certain that there are at least some Catholics out there who would say, “You say ‘Marxism’ like it’s a bad thing!”

Now that I have identified my biases, I will turn to an overview of what I see as the cause of the present crisis. Of course, the primary cause is predatory behavior by unfaithful clergy. But these men were enabled by a Church that allowed itself to become infested with moral relativism and a host of other “isms.” (I hope to identify and call out some of these other isms in future posts, so please stay tuned.)

One of the most noticeable manifestations of moral relativism in our Church is the unhealthy attitude of both clergy and laity towards fraternal correction. Too many Catholics (myself included) are too timid to give it and too prideful to receive it. This has led to cowardice among the clergy and a sense of entitlement among the laity. Many clergy are more afraid of offending a “protected class” than they are of offending the Lord. And as far as the laity, these are some of the attitudes that I have seen IRL and in the blogosphere:
       –“I am entitled to have an ‘active role’ in the Mass as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion or lector. And anyone who doesn’t think so is guilty of clericalism.”
        –“I am entitled to allow my child to misbehave at Mass. And anyone who disagrees hates children and may as well be working for Planned Parenthood.”
       –“I am entitled to enroll my child in Catholic school, no matter how heterodox my living arrangements are. And anyone who does not support my desire to socially engineer the Church doesn’t care about my child’s eternal soul.”

Many of you who are reading this might think that I have no hope for the Church. That is not true. I have hope that the Church will endure because I believe Jesus when He says that “the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.” However, “endure” is not the same thing as “find a solution that everyone will be happy with.” Truth will always be divisive, and for that reason I cannot support the all-too popular notion that “causing division” is inherently wrong.

I would like to end this post with a special shout-out to my Protestant (or other non-Catholic Christian) readers:
        –If you are a satisfied member of an orthodox sect (or a disillusioned member of a liberal sect), I hope that you will be inspired to fight for orthodoxy and accountability in your particular denomination.
       –If you are a satisfied member of a liberal sect, please encourage Catholics (lay and ordained) who think the Church needs to “get with the times” to have the integrity to leave the Church and join your sect.

Verso l’ alto,
Megan