An East Longmeadow priest called yesterday from his pulpit for Pope Benedict XVI to step down, demanding greater protection of children and greater accountability from the Catholic Church hierarchy.
The church’s top leader has not been truthful, said the Rev. James Scahill of St. Michael’s Parish, violating an important tenet of the faith. His strongly worded sermon echoed sentiments he shared with parishioners several weeks ago, but this time, he spent more time and spoke with greater conviction on the controversial subject.
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“If we cannot get a pope that’s going to give us the truth, then our church is dead,’’ Scahill said.
Mark Dupont, a spokesman for the Diocese of Springfield, was quick to distance the diocesan leadership from the comments made by Scahill.
“It in no way represents the position of the bishop,’’ Dupont said. “We find his statements to be unfortunate.’’
Scahill, he said, has not properly recognized measures to ensure safety undertaken by the American Catholic leadership, which has “led the world in their efforts,’’ as well as steps the Diocese of Springfield took over the years to deal with the issue of sexual abuse.
Below is a video interview with Fr. Scahill.
H/T to Paddy Anglican for the video.
Spread the word - The writing is on the wall for the bad news coming from the Vatican - Time to reclaim the Church from those who seek to escape accountability and defend the indefensiblereseind
ReplyDeleteA friend just sent me a link to an article about the inspirational Fr. Scahill. Then, I come to your blog and find more about him- wonderful! What lucky parishioners- my guess is that more families will be joining his church.
ReplyDeleteWords from those inside the RCC carry greater weight than the words from outsiders.
ReplyDelete"We find his statements to be unfortunate."
ReplyDeleteYou don't say?
God bless him!
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ReplyDeleteFrom today's Guardian - a response from the Welsh & English RC bishops to Cardinal Bertone's statement linking homosexual orientation and paedophilia.
ReplyDeleteA statement from the Rev Fr Marcus Stock, general secretary to the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, said there was no empirical data to conclude that paedophilia had anything to do with homosexuality. His statement bears the authority and approval of all 32 Catholic bishops in England and Wales.
He said: "To the best of my knowledge, there is no empirical data which concludes that sexual orientation is connected to child sexual abuse.
"The consensus among researchers is that the sexual abuse of children is not a question of sexual orientation, whether heterosexual or homosexual, but of a disordered attraction or fixation. Many abusers of children have never developed the capacity for mature adult relationships."
The statement represents a concerted effort by Catholic clergy to distance themselves from increasingly erratic pronouncements from the Vatican on who or what is to blame for priestly paedophilia.
Lapin, thanks for the quote. I read the piece, but I didn't have time to do a link. Sometimes I wonder if Benedict is non compos mentis, and I'm not being snarky. To permit statements like Cardinal Bertone's to stand and then to see his bishops in England and Wales put distance between themselves and erratic statements from his defenders should be alarming to the pope.
ReplyDelete"It' the Jews; it's the gays!" Really.
Fr. Scahill and those like him are hopefully the future.
ReplyDeleteIt's ironic that you have Marcial Maciel right next to this post.
ReplyDeleteAmazing man! He is in my prayers.
ReplyDeleteAmelia, the irony was entirely unintentional. Once I saw the video, I had to post it.
ReplyDeleteWise words from a frustrated Priest, who is obviously a Good Shepherd.
ReplyDeleteSadly, his will be a Voice Crying in he Wilderness.
"it [the statement] in no eway represents the position of the bishop".
ReplyDeleteThat is very sadly true.
What a brave man!
While MP is on holiday he should be given the Wounded Bird Brick of the Day award.
Re the English bishops' statement, pity Rowan Williams lacks the balls that Vincent Nichols, archbishop of Westminster, seems to have. I think that Ratzinger p-ssed-off Nichols pretty thoroughly with the statement offering near-uniate status to discontented "Anglicans". Maybe he'd be interested in a job at Canterbury? Starting to think that the Rome job might be in his sights.
ReplyDeleteI hope Catholics can rescue their church from its leaders. I'm rooting for them, as well as praying for them.
ReplyDeleteAll those from inside the RCC or any church who speak out, even at great personal risk, against the abuses of power by the authorities in the church deserve honor and recognition. I hope that others join Fr Scahill in speaking out and that he will not be "a voice crying in the wilderness".
ReplyDeleteSadly, his will be a Voice Crying in he Wilderness.
ReplyDeleteAnd, figuratively, at least, he's likely to wind up the same way as John the Baptist.
Thank God for those brave enough to cry out against the Herods of the world.
Unfortunately, I don't believe that, “We find his statements to be unfortunate", will be the final words on the matter from the bishop's office.
ReplyDelete