From Commonweal Magazine, by David Gibson.
It seems that former Episcopal bishop Jeffery Steenson was received into the Roman Catholic Church last weekend by Cardinal Bernard Law at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome.
You remember Cardinal Law, don't you? He was the archbishop and cardinal of the Archdiocese of Boston, who presided over a horrendous cover-up of child abuse that was in operation for many years. His punishment? Banishment to a position as archpriest of a basilica in Rome.
I wonder if Cardinal Law was Steenson's choice or was he imposed upon him? Could he have said, "No thanks. May I have someone else to do the job?"
The headline is a quote from the online article in Commonweal.
I understand that Cardinal Law now holds a Vatican diplomatic passport. This protects him from the prosecution as accessory after and before the fact in multiple cases of sexual abuse - prosecution that you or I would undoubtedly and deservedly face had we done what Law did and what he failed to do.
ReplyDelete"But whosoever offend one of these little ones, which believe in me: it were better for him, that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea."
ps Steenson's letter to his clergy on his decision to resign as Bishop of Rio Grande states: "The reason for this decision is that my conscience is deeply troubled about where the Episcopal Church is heading, and this has become a crisis for me because of my ordination vow to uphold its doctrine, discipline, and worship".
ReplyDeleteSo he quits the Anglican fold on the issue of gay clergy and bishops and is received into the Roman Church by a man who facilitated multiple cases of the sexual abuse of children.
So the cardinal has a diplomatic passport now that protects him from consequences. The whole scene is so bizarre - Oops! No offense, Lapin - that it's mind-boggling.
ReplyDeleteSteenson's conscience and reasoning process are deeply puzzling to me.
I am puzzled. What does Father Steenson expect to find on the other side of this (actually) imaginary river? An homogenous, orthodox family? I think and know not from experience. Yet I hope he finds happiness - and the false security he clearly needs. (Oops! Did I overstep the mark there?)
ReplyDeleteRR, I know from experience, having spent most of my life in the RCC. Steenson won't find a pure church, that's for sure. There ain't no such animal. Nevertheless, I hope that he finds peace.
ReplyDeleteYou'd have to do a lot worse than that to overstep the mark here.
+Jeffrey is a complex man whose heart has leaned toward Rome for some time. He and the progressives in the Diocese of the Rio Grande have been able to disagree and still be in charity with one another. Outsiders have no idea how great a thing that is. While he may not have been able to heal the gaping wounds here nor lead the diocese into a new future rich in God's grace, he was able to allow people to breathe--a vast improvement over what he inherited. This particular ex-pat from the Diocese of California was licensed by Bp. Steenson to serve God's people in my new home and I shall remain grateful to him for this sacred privilege.
ReplyDeleteGiven the givens, as my friend Helen always said, I think he is leaving us with as much grace as possible and I pray he will find joy and fulfillment. I also pray that the Holy Spirit will pour bounteous healing upon the DRG along with the grace to take our time in the search process.
Confident in the support of the blogosphere, I earnestly beseech your prayers for the Diocese of the Rio Grande along with the other troubled spots in our beloved Church.
Paul, I will pray for all your intentions for the Diocese of Rio Grande. At least - what to call him? Mr. Steenson? - did not try to take people and property with him. And he did let you in. That's definitely in his favor.
ReplyDeleteThere is a certain irony in his reception by Cardinal Law.
Indeed, Paul, you speak for him; I don't need to know more for now.
ReplyDeleteBlessings of the Advent of our LORD to you all.
Thank you, friends.
ReplyDeleteBelieving in the validity of Anglican Orders, I shall consider +Jeffrey a bishop in the Church of God, whether the Italian Church pays attention or not and whether he can exercise that ministry or not. He was duly and canonically ordained and has not been deposed or degraded. [I do wish that his desire to return to the mother church would have led him to Orthodoxy, however, instead of Benny's shop, but my preferences have little to do with the choices of others, which is probably a good thing.]
They clearly deserve each other.
ReplyDeletePaul, I consider that he is a duly and canonically ordained bishop, but if I understand correctly, he does not believe that his orders are valid, nor are the orders of the priests he ordained, nor are all the Eucharists that he presided over valid.
ReplyDeleteThat's very sad.
Paul, you know you've got 'em.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's very sad.
ReplyDeleteThen too, I believed in the Real Presence when Baptists celebrated Holy Communion, using grape juice and miniature cracker (biscuits for the Brits) and thinking nothing happened except remembering. I have, perhaps, an exceedingly broad view of God's sacramental action that ignores ecclesiastical rules and sees saving grace at work everywhere.
I confess that allowing oneself to be received by Law strikes me as an act of utter self-abasement and I am sorry for it. The Vatican is a very sick lot. Condoning pedophila while condemning adults who love each other is simply demonic. Ranks right up there with rejecting birth-control (and +Jeffrey's view of human sexuality is straight out of Vatican teaching--must always be open to procreation).
Paul, I have attended communion services in churches which do not claim belief in the real presence and serve the wafers and grape juice in the little plastic cups. I believe Jesus is present there, whether the rest of the folks do or not.
ReplyDeleteMay I say that at some of those communion services, I have experienced an atmosphere of reverence and awe that shames those of us in churches that claim belief in the real presence.
Having known, and heard of many gay priests when I was a Catholic, the idea of joining the Catholic Church to escape gay clergy strikes me as the height of irony. Still, I wish +Steenson the best, and my prayers go with him.
ReplyDeleteBluebird, welcome to my blog, and welcome to the club of ex-Catholics. Bp. Steenson's move is quite puzzling to me, too. He's not escaping the gays in his new refuge.
ReplyDeleteI typed a comment in earlier, I guess it did not take.
ReplyDeleteBernard Law is the fullness of all shame in my church. And the church that puts him in this position.
I feel ill. And I am not yet - note not yet,an ex-Catholic!
Paul's comments were especially enlightening.
Fran, you could stay where you are and fight the good fight. The RCC needs folks who will continue the task.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, the Archbishop of the RC Diocese of New Orleans is Alfred Hughes. He's one of five bishops around the country who did his bishop training with Cardinal Law. A couple of years ago, he went up to Boston to testify in the child abuse cases.
That is why I stay - well part of why anyway. I do love this wounded mother church, despite all reason. Is that not faith?
ReplyDeleteWe have a decent guy here in my Albany home, where I am most of the time and belong to a parish. Howard Hubbard. One of the last ok ones around.
NYC was awful- Egan, autocrat, evil. Not as bad as Law by any stretch.
Thank you, Fran. I mean that.
ReplyDeleteI do love this wounded mother church, despite all reason. Is that not faith?
ReplyDeleteFran, it is faith.
Hi, Mark. How are you? Thanks for stopping in.
Grandmere - Mark- thank you.
ReplyDelete