Pope Benedict XVI's Pastoral Letter to the Catholics of Ireland

From the VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE, both the Summary of Pastoral Letter to Irish Faithful and the Holy Father's Pastoral Letter to the Catholics of Ireland (both below the fold):

TWENTIETH YEAR - N. 54 ENGLISH SATURDAY, 20 MARCH 2010

SUMMARY OF PASTORAL LETTER TO IRISH FAITHFUL

VATICAN CITY, 20 MAR 2010 (VIS) - Given below is the English-language summary of the Pope's Pastoral Letter to the Catholics of Ireland, which was made public this morning:

 The Pope has written a Pastoral Letter to all the Catholics of Ireland, expressing his dismay at the sexual abuse of young people by Church representatives and the way this was addressed by local bishops and religious superiors. He asks that the Letter be read with attention and in its entirety. The Holy Father speaks of his closeness in prayer to the whole Irish Catholic community at this painful time and he proposes a path of healing, renewal and reparation.

 He calls on them to remember the rock from which they were hewn, particularly the fine contribution made by Irish missionaries to European civilisation, and to the spread of Christianity in every continent. Recent years have seen many challenges to the faith in Ireland, in the wake of fast-paced social change and a decline in adherence to traditional devotional and sacramental practices. This is the context in which the Church's handling of the problem of child sexual abuse has to be understood.

 Many factors have given rise to the problem: insufficient moral and spiritual formation in seminaries and novitiates, a tendency in society to favour the clergy and other authority figures, and a misplaced concern for the reputation of the Church and the avoidance of scandal, resulting in failure to apply existing canonical penalties when needed. Only by careful examination of the many elements that gave rise to the crisis can its causes be properly diagnosed and effective remedies be found.

 During their "ad limina" visit to Rome in 2006, the Pope urged the Irish bishops to "establish the truth of what happened in the past, to take whatever steps are necessary to prevent it from occurring again, to ensure that the principles of justice are fully respected, and above all, to bring healing to the victims and to all those affected by these egregious crimes." Since that time he himself has met victims on more than one occasion, listening to their stories, praying with them and for them, and he is ready to do so again in the future. In February 2010 he called the Irish bishops to Rome to discuss with them the steps they are taking to remedy the problem, with particular reference to the procedures and protocols now in place to ensure the safety of children in church environments and to respond swiftly and justly to allegations of abuse. In this Pastoral Letter, he speaks directly to a series of different groups within the Irish Catholic community, in the light of the situation that has arisen.

 Addressing the victims of abuse first of all, he acknowledges the grievous betrayal they have suffered and he tells them how sorry he is over what they have endured. He recognises that, in many cases, no one would listen when they found the courage to speak of what happened. He understands how those in residential institutions must have felt, with no way of escape from their sufferings. While recognising how hard it must be for many of them to forgive or be reconciled with the Church, he urges them not to lose hope. Jesus Christ, Himself a victim of unjust sufferings, understands the depths of their pain and its enduring effect upon their lives and relationships. Yet His wounds, transformed by His redemptive sufferings, are the very means by which the power of evil is broken and we are reborn to life and hope. The Pope urges victims to seek in the Church the opportunity to encounter Jesus Christ and to find healing and reconciliation by rediscovering the infinite love that Christ has for each one of them.

 In his words to priests and religious who have abused young people, the Pope calls upon them to answer before God and before properly constituted tribunals for the sinful and criminal actions they have committed. They have betrayed a sacred trust and brought shame and dishonour upon their confreres. Great harm has been done, not only to the victims, but also to the public perception of the priesthood and religious life in Ireland. While summoning them to submit to the demands of justice, he reminds them that they should not despair of God's mercy, which is freely offered to even the greatest of sinners, if they repent of their actions, do penance, and humbly pray for forgiveness.

 The Pope encourages parents to persevere in the demanding task of bringing up children to know that they are loved and cherished, and to develop a healthy self-esteem. Parents have the primary responsibility for educating new generations in the moral principles that are essential for a civilised society. The Pope invites children and young people to find in the Church an opportunity for a life-giving encounter with Christ, and not to be deterred by the failings of some priests and religious. He looks to the younger generation to contribute to the renewal of the Church. He also urges priests and religious not to be discouraged, but rather to dedicate themselves anew to their respective apostolates, working in harmony with their superiors so as to offer new life and vitality to the Church in Ireland through their living witness to the Lord's redeeming work.

 Addressing himself to the Irish bishops, the Pope notes the grave errors of judgement and failure of leadership on the part of many, because they did not correctly apply canonical procedures when responding to allegations of abuse. While it was often hard to know how to address complex situations, the fact remains that serious mistakes were made, and they have lost credibility as a result. The Pope urges them to continue their determined efforts to remedy past mistakes and to prevent any recurrence by fully implementing canon law and co-operating with civil authorities in their areas of competence. He calls upon the bishops, moreover, to rededicate themselves to the pursuit of holiness, setting an example themselves, and encouraging the priests and the lay faithful to play their part in the life and mission of the Church.

 Finally, the Pope proposes some specific steps to foster the renewal of the Church in Ireland. He asks all to offer up their Friday penances, for a period of one year, in reparation for the sins of abuse that have occurred. He recommends frequent recourse to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the practice of Eucharistic adoration. He announces his intention to hold an Apostolic Visitation of certain dioceses, religious congregations and seminaries, with the involvement of the Roman Curia, and he proposes a nationwide Mission for bishops, priests and religious in Ireland. This being the international Year for Priests, he holds up the figure of St. John Vianney as a model and intercessor for a revitalised priestly ministry in Ireland. After thanking all who have worked so hard to deal decisively with the problem, he concludes by proposing a Prayer for the Church in Ireland, to be used by all the faithful to invoke the grace of healing and renewal at this difficult time.

OP/SUMMARY PASTORAL LETTER/IRELAND                    VIS 100320 (1200)

HOLY FATHER'S PASTORAL LETTER TO THE CATHOLICS OF IRELAND

VATICAN CITY, 20 MAR 2010 (VIS) - Given below is the complete text of the Holy Father's Pastoral Letter of The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI to the Catholics of Ireland:

 1. Dear brothers and sisters of the Church in Ireland, it is with great concern that I write to you as Pastor of the universal Church. Like yourselves, I have been deeply disturbed by the information which has come to light regarding the abuse of children and vulnerable young people by members of the Church in Ireland, particularly by priests and religious. I can only share in the dismay and the sense of betrayal that so many of you have experienced on learning of these sinful and criminal acts and the way Church authorities in Ireland dealt with them.

 As you know, I recently invited the Irish bishops to a meeting here in Rome to give an account of their handling of these matters in the past and to outline the steps they have taken to respond to this grave situation. Together with senior officials of the Roman Curia, I listened to what they had to say, both individually and as a group, as they offered an analysis of mistakes made and lessons learned, and a description of the programmes and protocols now in place. Our discussions were frank and constructive. I am confident that, as a result, the bishops will now be in a stronger position to carry forward the work of repairing past injustices and confronting the broader issues associated with the abuse of minors in a way consonant with the demands of justice and the teachings of the Gospel.

 2. For my part, considering the gravity of these offences, and the often inadequate response to them on the part of the ecclesiastical authorities in your country, I have decided to write this Pastoral Letter to express my closeness to you and to propose a path of healing, renewal and reparation.

 It is true, as many in your country have pointed out, that the problem of child abuse is peculiar neither to Ireland nor to the Church. Nevertheless, the task you now face is to address the problem of abuse that has occurred within the Irish Catholic community, and to do so with courage and determination. No one imagines that this painful situation will be resolved swiftly. Real progress has been made, yet much more remains to be done. Perseverance and prayer are needed, with great trust in the healing power of God's grace.

 At the same time, I must also express my conviction that, in order to recover from this grievous wound, the Church in Ireland must first acknowledge before the Lord and before others the serious sins committed against defenceless children. Such an acknowledgement, accompanied by sincere sorrow for the damage caused to these victims and their families, must lead to a concerted effort to ensure the protection of children from similar crimes in the future.

 As you take up the challenges of this hour, I ask you to remember "the rock from which you were hewn". Reflect upon the generous, often heroic, contributions made by past generations of Irish men and women to the Church and to humanity as a whole, and let this provide the impetus for honest self-examination and a committed programme of ecclesial and individual renewal. It is my prayer that, assisted by the intercession of her many saints and purified through penance, the Church in Ireland will overcome the present crisis and become once more a convincing witness to the truth and the goodness of Almighty God, made manifest in His Son Jesus Christ.

 3. Historically, the Catholics of Ireland have proved an enormous force for good at home and abroad. Celtic monks like St. Columbanus spread the Gospel in Western Europe and laid the foundations of mediaeval monastic culture. The ideals of holiness, charity and transcendent wisdom born of the Christian faith found expression in the building of churches and monasteries and the establishment of schools, libraries and hospitals, all of which helped to consolidate the spiritual identity of Europe. Those Irish missionaries drew their strength and inspiration from the firm faith, strong leadership and upright morals of the Church in their native land.

 From the sixteenth century on, Catholics in Ireland endured a long period of persecution, during which they struggled to keep the flame of faith alive in dangerous and difficult circumstances. St. Oliver Plunkett, the martyred archbishop of Armagh, is the most famous example of a host of courageous sons and daughters of Ireland who were willing to lay down their lives out of fidelity to the Gospel. After Catholic Emancipation, the Church was free to grow once more. Families and countless individuals who had preserved the faith in times of trial became the catalyst for the great resurgence of Irish Catholicism in the nineteenth century. The Church provided education, especially for the poor, and this was to make a major contribution to Irish society. Among the fruits of the new Catholic schools was a rise in vocations: generations of missionary priests, sisters and brothers left their homeland to serve in every continent, especially in the English-speaking world. They were remarkable not only for their great numbers, but for the strength of their faith and the steadfastness of their pastoral commitment. Many dioceses, especially in Africa, America and Australia, benefited from the presence of Irish clergy and religious who preached the Gospel and established parishes, schools and universities, clinics and hospitals that served both Catholics and the community at large, with particular attention to the needs of the poor.

 In almost every family in Ireland, there has been someone - a son or a daughter, an aunt or an uncle - who has given his or her life to the Church. Irish families rightly esteem and cherish their loved ones who have dedicated their lives to Christ, sharing the gift of faith with others, and putting that faith into action in loving service of God and neighbour.

 4. In recent decades, however, the Church in your country has had to confront new and serious challenges to the faith arising from the rapid transformation and secularisation of Irish society. Fast-paced social change has occurred, often adversely affecting people's traditional adherence to Catholic teaching and values. All too often, the sacramental and devotional practices that sustain faith and enable it to grow, such as frequent confession, daily prayer and annual retreats, were neglected. Significant too was the tendency during this period, also on the part of priests and religious, to adopt ways of thinking and assessing secular realities without sufficient reference to the Gospel. The programme of renewal proposed by the Vatican Council II was sometimes misinterpreted and indeed, in the light of the profound social changes that were taking place, it was far from easy to know how best to implement it. In particular, there was a well-intentioned but misguided tendency to avoid penal approaches to canonically irregular situations. It is in this overall context that we must try to understand the disturbing problem of child sexual abuse, which has contributed in no small measure to the weakening of faith and the loss of respect for the Church and her teachings.

 Only by examining carefully the many elements that gave rise to the present crisis can a clear-sighted diagnosis of its causes be undertaken and effective remedies be found. Certainly, among the contributing factors we can include: inadequate procedures for determining the suitability of candidates for the priesthood and the religious life; insufficient human, moral, intellectual and spiritual formation in seminaries and novitiates; a tendency in society to favour the clergy and other authority figures; and a misplaced concern for the reputation of the Church and the avoidance of scandal, resulting in failure to apply existing canonical penalties and to safeguard the dignity of every person. Urgent action is needed to address these factors, which have had such tragic consequences in the lives of victims and their families, and have obscured the light of the Gospel to a degree that not even centuries of persecution succeeded in doing.

 5. On several occasions since my election to the See of Peter, I have met with victims of sexual abuse, as indeed I am ready to do in the future. I have sat with them, I have listened to their stories, I have acknowledged their suffering, and I have prayed with them and for them. Earlier in my pontificate, in my concern to address this matter, I asked the bishops of Ireland, "to establish the truth of what happened in the past, to take whatever steps are necessary to prevent it from occurring again, to ensure that the principles of justice are fully respected, and above all, to bring healing to the victims and to all those affected by these egregious crimes".

 With this Letter, I wish to exhort all of you, as God's people in Ireland, to reflect on the wounds inflicted on Christ's body, the sometimes painful remedies needed to bind and heal them, and the need for unity, charity and mutual support in the long-term process of restoration and ecclesial renewal. I now turn to you with words that come from my heart, and I wish to speak to each of you individually and to all of you as brothers and sisters in the Lord.

6. To the victims of abuse and their families

 You have suffered grievously and I am truly sorry. I know that nothing can undo the wrong you have endured. Your trust has been betrayed and your dignity has been violated. Many of you found that, when you were courageous enough to speak of what happened to you, no one would listen. Those of you who were abused in residential institutions must have felt that there was no escape from your sufferings. It is understandable that you find it hard to forgive or be reconciled with the Church. In her name, I openly express the shame and remorse that we all feel. At the same time, I ask you not to lose hope. It is in the communion of the Church that we encounter the person of Jesus Christ, who was Himself a victim of injustice and sin. Like you, He still bears the wounds of His own unjust suffering. He understands the depths of your pain and its enduring effect upon your lives and your relationships, including your relationship with the Church.

 I know some of you find it difficult even to enter the doors of a church after all that has occurred. Yet Christ's own wounds, transformed by His redemptive sufferings, are the very means by which the power of evil is broken and we are reborn to life and hope. I believe deeply in the healing power of his self-sacrificing love - even in the darkest and most hopeless situations - to bring liberation and the promise of a new beginning.

 Speaking to you as a pastor concerned for the good of all God's children, I humbly ask you to consider what I have said. I pray that, by drawing nearer to Christ and by participating in the life of His Church - a Church purified by penance and renewed in pastoral charity - you will come to rediscover Christ's infinite love for each one of you. I am confident that in this way you will be able to find reconciliation, deep inner healing and peace.

 7. To priests and religious who have abused children

 You betrayed the trust that was placed in you by innocent young people and their parents, and you must answer for it before Almighty God and before properly constituted tribunals. You have forfeited the esteem of the people of Ireland and brought shame and dishonour upon your confreres. Those of you who are priests violated the sanctity of the sacrament of Holy Orders in which Christ makes Himself present in us and in our actions. Together with the immense harm done to victims, great damage has been done to the Church and to the public perception of the priesthood and religious life.

 I urge you to examine your conscience, take responsibility for the sins you have committed, and humbly express your sorrow. Sincere repentance opens the door to God's forgiveness and the grace of true amendment.

 By offering prayers and penances for those you have wronged, you should seek to atone personally for your actions. Christ's redeeming sacrifice has the power to forgive even the gravest of sins, and to bring forth good from even the most terrible evil. At the same time, God's justice summons us to give an account of our actions and to conceal nothing. Openly acknowledge your guilt, submit yourselves to the demands of justice, but do not despair of God's mercy.

 8. To parents

 You have been deeply shocked to learn of the terrible things that took place in what ought to be the safest and most secure environment of all. In today's world it is not easy to build a home and to bring up children. They deserve to grow up in security, loved and cherished, with a strong sense of their identity and worth. They have a right to be educated in authentic moral values rooted in the dignity of the human person, to be inspired by the truth of our Catholic faith and to learn ways of behaving and acting that lead to healthy self-esteem and lasting happiness. This noble but demanding task is entrusted in the first place to you, their parents. I urge you to play your part in ensuring the best possible care of children, both at home and in society as a whole, while the Church, for her part, continues to implement the measures adopted in recent years to protect young people in parish and school environments. As you carry out your vital responsibilities, be assured that I remain close to you and I offer you the support of my prayers.

 9. To the children and young people of Ireland

 I wish to offer you a particular word of encouragement. Your experience of the Church is very different from that of your parents and grandparents. The world has changed greatly since they were your age. Yet all people, in every generation, are called to travel the same path through life, whatever their circumstances may be. We are all scandalised by the sins and failures of some of the Church's members, particularly those who were chosen especially to guide and serve young people. But it is in the Church that you will find Jesus Christ, Who is the same yesterday, today and for ever. He loves you and He has offered himself on the cross for you. Seek a personal relationship with Him within the communion of His Church, for He will never betray your trust! He alone can satisfy your deepest longings and give your lives their fullest meaning by directing them to the service of others. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and His goodness, and shelter the flame of faith in your heart. Together with your fellow Catholics in Ireland, I look to you to be faithful disciples of our Lord and to bring your much-needed enthusiasm and idealism to the rebuilding and renewal of our beloved Church.

 10. To the priests and religious of Ireland

 All of us are suffering as a result of the sins of our confreres who betrayed a sacred trust or failed to deal justly and responsibly with allegations of abuse. In view of the outrage and indignation which this has provoked, not only among the lay faithful but among yourselves and your religious communities, many of you feel personally discouraged, even abandoned. I am also aware that in some people's eyes you are tainted by association, and viewed as if you were somehow responsible for the misdeeds of others. At this painful time, I want to acknowledge the dedication of your priestly and religious lives and apostolates, and I invite you to reaffirm your faith in Christ, your love of His Church and your confidence in the Gospel's promise of redemption, forgiveness and interior renewal. In this way, you will demonstrate for all to see that where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more.

 I know that many of you are disappointed, bewildered and angered by the way these matters have been handled by some of your superiors. Yet, it is essential that you co-operate closely with those in authority and help to ensure that the measures adopted to respond to the crisis will be truly evangelical, just and effective. Above all, I urge you to become ever more clearly men and women of prayer, courageously following the path of conversion, purification and reconciliation. In this way, the Church in Ireland will draw new life and vitality from your witness to the Lord's redeeming power made visible in your lives.

 11. To my brother bishops

 It cannot be denied that some of you and your predecessors failed, at times grievously, to apply the long-established norms of canon law to the crime of child abuse. Serious mistakes were made in responding to allegations. I recognise how difficult it was to grasp the extent and complexity of the problem, to obtain reliable information and to make the right decisions in the light of conflicting expert advice. Nevertheless, it must be admitted that grave errors of judgement were made and failures of leadership occurred. All this has seriously undermined your credibility and effectiveness. I appreciate the efforts you have made to remedy past mistakes and to guarantee that they do not happen again. Besides fully implementing the norms of canon law in addressing cases of child abuse, continue to co-operate with the civil authorities in their area of competence. Clearly, religious superiors should do likewise. They too have taken part in recent discussions here in Rome with a view to establishing a clear and consistent approach to these matters. It is imperative that the child safety norms of the Church in Ireland be continually revised and updated and that they be applied fully and impartially in conformity with canon law.

 Only decisive action carried out with complete honesty and transparency will restore the respect and good will of the Irish people towards the Church to which we have consecrated our lives. This must arise, first and foremost, from your own self-examination, inner purification and spiritual renewal. The Irish people rightly expect you to be men of God, to be holy, to live simply, to pursue personal conversion daily. For them, in the words of St. Augustine, you are a bishop; yet with them you are called to be a follower of Christ. I therefore exhort you to renew your sense of accountability before God, to grow in solidarity with your people and to deepen your pastoral concern for all the members of your flock. In particular, I ask you to be attentive to the spiritual and moral lives of each one of your priests. Set them an example by your own lives, be close to them, listen to their concerns, offer them encouragement at this difficult time and stir up the flame of their love for Christ and their commitment to the service of their brothers and sisters.

 The lay faithful, too, should be encouraged to play their proper part in the life of the Church. See that they are formed in such a way that they can offer an articulate and convincing account of the Gospel in the midst of modern society and cooperate more fully in the Church's life and mission. This in turn will help you once again become credible leaders and witnesses to the redeeming truth of Christ.

 12. To all the faithful of Ireland

 A young person's experience of the Church should always bear fruit in a personal and life-giving encounter with Jesus Christ within a loving, nourishing community. In this environment, young people should be encouraged to grow to their full human and spiritual stature, to aspire to high ideals of holiness, charity and truth, and to draw inspiration from the riches of a great religious and cultural tradition. In our increasingly secularised society, where even we Christians often find it difficult to speak of the transcendent dimension of our existence, we need to find new ways to pass on to young people the beauty and richness of friendship with Jesus Christ in the communion of His Church. In confronting the present crisis, measures to deal justly with individual crimes are essential, yet on their own they are not enough: a new vision is needed, to inspire present and future generations to treasure the gift of our common faith. By treading the path marked out by the Gospel, by observing the commandments and by conforming your lives ever more closely to the figure of Jesus Christ, you will surely experience the profound renewal that is so urgently needed at this time. I invite you all to persevere along this path.

 13. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it is out of deep concern for all of you at this painful time in which the fragility of the human condition has been so starkly revealed that I have wished to offer these words of encouragement and support. I hope that you will receive them as a sign of my spiritual closeness and my confidence in your ability to respond to the challenges of the present hour by drawing renewed inspiration and strength from Ireland's noble traditions of fidelity to the Gospel, perseverance in the faith and steadfastness in the pursuit of holiness. In solidarity with all of you, I am praying earnestly that, by God's grace, the wounds afflicting so many individuals and families may be healed and that the Church in Ireland may experience a season of rebirth and spiritual renewal.

 14.      I now wish to propose to you some concrete initiatives to address the situation.

 At the conclusion of my meeting with the Irish bishops, I asked that Lent this year be set aside as a time to pray for an outpouring of God's mercy and the Holy Spirit's gifts of holiness and strength upon the Church in your country. I now invite all of you to devote your Friday penances, for a period of one year, between now and Easter 2011, to this intention. I ask you to offer up your fasting, your prayer, your reading of Scripture and your works of mercy in order to obtain the grace of healing and renewal for the Church in Ireland. I encourage you to discover anew the Sacrament of Reconciliation and to avail yourselves more frequently of the transforming power of its grace.

 Particular attention should also be given to Eucharistic adoration, and in every diocese there should be churches or chapels specifically devoted to this purpose. I ask parishes, seminaries, religious houses and monasteries to organise periods of Eucharistic adoration, so that all have an opportunity to take part. Through intense prayer before the real presence of the Lord, you can make reparation for the sins of abuse that have done so much harm, at the same time imploring the grace of renewed strength and a deeper sense of mission on the part of all bishops, priests, religious and lay faithful.

 I am confident that this programme will lead to a rebirth of the Church in Ireland in the fullness of God's own truth, for it is the truth that sets us free.

 Furthermore, having consulted and prayed about the matter, I intend to hold an Apostolic Visitation of certain dioceses in Ireland, as well as seminaries and religious congregations. Arrangements for the Visitation, which is intended to assist the local Church on her path of renewal, will be made in co-operation with the competent offices of the Roman Curia and the Irish Episcopal Conference. The details will be announced in due course.

 I also propose that a nationwide Mission be held for all bishops, priests and religious. It is my hope that, by drawing on the expertise of experienced preachers and retreat-givers from Ireland and from elsewhere, and by exploring anew the conciliar documents, the liturgical rites of ordination and profession, and recent pontifical teaching, you will come to a more profound appreciation of your respective vocations, so as to rediscover the roots of your faith in Jesus Christ and to drink deeply from the springs of living water that he offers you through His Church.

 In this Year for Priests, I commend to you most particularly the figure of St. John Mary Vianney, who had such a rich understanding of the mystery of the priesthood. "The priest", he wrote, "holds the key to the treasures of heaven: it is he who opens the door: he is the steward of the good Lord; the administrator of His goods". The Cure d'Ars understood well how greatly blessed a community is when served by a good and holy priest: "A good shepherd, a pastor after God's heart, is the greatest treasure which the good Lord can grant to a parish, and one of the most precious gifts of divine mercy". Through the intercession of St. John Mary Vianney, may the priesthood in Ireland be revitalised, and may the whole Church in Ireland grow in appreciation for the great gift of the priestly ministry.

 I take this opportunity to thank in anticipation all those who will be involved in the work of organising the Apostolic Visitation and the Mission, as well as the many men and women throughout Ireland already working for the safety of children in church environments. Since the time when the gravity and extent of the problem of child sexual abuse in Catholic institutions first began to be fully grasped, the Church has done an immense amount of work in many parts of the world in order to address and remedy it. While no effort should be spared in improving and updating existing procedures, I am encouraged by the fact that the current safeguarding practices adopted by local Churches are being seen, in some parts of the world, as a model for other institutions to follow.

 I wish to conclude this Letter with a special Prayer for the Church in Ireland, which I send to you with the care of a father for his children and with the affection of a fellow Christian, scandalised and hurt by what has occurred in our beloved Church. As you make use of this prayer in your families, parishes and communities, may the Blessed Virgin Mary protect and guide each of you to a closer union with her Son, crucified and risen. With great affection and unswerving confidence in God's promises, I cordially impart to all of you my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of strength and peace in the Lord.

 From the Vatican, 19 March 2010, on the Solemnity of St. Joseph

 Prayer for the Church in Ireland

God of our fathers, renew us in the faith which is our life and salvation, the hope which promises forgiveness and interior renewal, the charity which purifies and opens our hearts to love you, and in you, each of our brothers and sisters.

Lord Jesus Christ, may the Church in Ireland renew her age-old commitment to the education of our young people in the way of truth and goodness, holiness and generous service to society.

Holy Spirit, comforter, advocate and guide, inspire a new springtime of holiness and apostolic zeal for the Church in Ireland.

May our sorrow and our tears, our sincere effort to redress past wrongs, and our firm purpose of amendment bear an abundant harvest of grace for the deepening of the faith in our families, parishes, schools and communities, for the spiritual progress of Irish society, and the growth of charity, justice, joy and peace within the whole human family.

To you, Triune God, confident in the loving protection of Mary, Queen of Ireland, our Mother, and of St. Patrick, St. Brigid and all the saints, do we entrust ourselves, our children, and the needs of the Church in Ireland.

.../PASTORAL LETTER/IRELAND  VIS 100320 (4690)

Comments

[Lasorda]

It's not possible for me to imagine a more passive, cryptic, and indecisive tone.

[Carl E. Olson]

t's not possible for me to imagine a more passive, cryptic, and indecisive tone.

I can; read this. Paragraphs 6 and 7 alone belie your remark.

[Laorda]

I want a paragraph titled: "To the priests and religious who knew of abuse and did nothing" And another one titled: "To the bishops who knew of specific instances of abuse and urged silence and caution." The entire content those paragraphs will read: "You're fired." This "WE are suffering" junk isn't cutting it.

[W.]

Carl,

Ha!

[Manuel G. Daugherty Razetto]

Carl, your prompt, reliable and to the point comment gives us a more than clear view of what is happening on this matter.
Just firing the bishops could be satisfying for the ones with more ire than good sense. It is not only important what BXVI says but what his thinking is behind his prudent and meaningful words.
Paragraphs 6 and 7 could not be more self-evident.
The Church is not a democracy, where the majority rules. Christ gave Peter Divine Right to govern.

[Lasorda]

Who said anything about a democracy? I want the Holy Father to rule with an iron, autocratic fist. I'm just making suggestions! And yes, I have ire toward those who obstruct justice on behalf of child rapists. It makes perfectly good sense to toss bishops who facilitated the rape of children. Do you disagree? Really?

[Mark]

I found the remarks to be helpful and meaningful.

And yet a times I still I struggle with two items.

1.) I distinctly recall these issues in the 70's and 80's. And often with firm stoicism several Church authorities, while not denying the claims outright, rebutted commonsensical and laymen calls for defrocking priests with the empathetic( empathy for the priest's soul) "once a priest always a priest". Now this defense is never offered. Why so much of this retort, even public comments, then? And none now?

The issues cannot withstand the light of reason and common sense in the public square today.

We were nevr taught to accord our lives in this fashion and for this reasoning.

2.) And perhaps for me the one issue still not addressed fully-the question of authority within our Church. I like it. I love it. I respect it. Without it we are in dire straits even more so than today.

And yet much of what we are asked to take on faith before full understanding within one's reason is hierarchal respect and submitting to the teaching authority. And I am truly grateful for this.

The sins of pedolfilia, while evil, are somewhere in the realm of getting one's "understanding" or " acceptance" of because of the nature of original sin and we are capable of grave sin. And yet the sober(?) coverup and lame excuses and mysterious deceptive movement of priests to other assignments by so many Bishops and Cardinals leads one back to the question of authority and hierarchy.

If we can be duped and deceived by such an easy task( the policing of such evil profane acts against minors) by an authority-- is it not to much to truly understand how those abused, or the greater public learning of the abuse have their reason tested to the maximum on the question of teaching authority? I have not seen this question addressed fully.

Carl, if you do know of or another reader does, I really would like to try and understand the Church's understanding of this riddle( at least for me) please.

There is no debate on the first sin in these stories.
The graver sin is the brooming if it all. The sinful acts of sexual abuse do not in and of themselves undermine the teaching authority of the church within and or without on grounds of reason.

The actions and nonsctions of their superiors I fear do for those still within and without the Church.

I sincerely would like to be better informed on the theological and philosphical Catholic response to this question of betrayal by those we are urged and proposed to follow even when we can't get our intellects fully around a position.

Trust in God. Faith in the Church. Be very wary of Machv. practices, etc. We are taught well from the classroom, the homily and the confessional on these admonitions and grounds--and yes fruitfully so.

And yet the teaching authority did not follow their own teachings. When does moral relativism apply to our own beautiful teaching authority? It tests our trust.

If we answer just have faith we are rejecting our Tradition.

[V Murphy]

Personally I think it is a very good letter. The media in Ireland is so anti-Catholic that I doubt if the Pope could have written anything that would have satified them (except maybe taking full personal responsibility, resigning instantly and admitting that the Catholic Church is wrong about absolutely everything, and even then I'm not sure if that would please them). I am delighted to hear that the seminaries will be reviewed, and I also like the suggestion of a year of Friday penaces. However I would like the Irish Bishops to go much further than this, perhaps starting with a novena for penance. We need to get out the sackcloth and ashes. Sadly I've never seen any sign of leadership from the Irish bishops, but hopefully it's not too late.

[Manuel G. Daugherty Razetto]

Lasorda said:
"I want the Holy Father to rule with an iron, autocratic fist"

1- No Catholic has power, any power to change papal Fiat. That right is only his. Far from being a suggestion your statement reads more like an order.
2- Good you admit having ire; believe me, that does not help. What helps is to calmly see what one can reasonably and effectively do to try to help Tradition return to our beleaguered Church.
3- Frustrating as it is, the "tossing" of bishops is not quite simple. I also wish more corrections be done to avoid the horrible behavior of a small percentage of priests. What is not wise is to fall in the path laid out by the Media, which enjoys every day a new scandal is available for exploitation.
4- I cannot believe that bishops, intentionally wish to 'facilitate' the rape of children. That some have been stupid enough to hide and move around the guilty priests, is quite true. That has been stopped. We are now re-heating old problems like the one in Ireland.
The matter is complex, embarrassing and uncomfortable for every Catholic and we all need to write to our bishops about what we see wrong. Better yet, since you seem to have plenty adrenalin you ought to call your bishop and give him your opinion. I write to my bishop form time to time.

[Lasorda]

Manuel: Don't patronize me. I know what it take to remove a bishop. I never said removing a bishop was simple, but does it need to be simple to be done? Was converting the Gentiles simple? Yet the first bishops managed to do it--without canon lawyers!! We're talking about child rape. Roger Michael Mahony knew that children had been raped by a priest, and he hid that priest and withheld information from investigators hoping to prosecute him. He remains my bishop. For shame! Are you suggesting that moving a child rapist from one parish to another doesn't facilitate the rape of children? This pose of aloof solemnity you take is repulsive.

[LJ]

If we can be duped and deceived by such an easy task( the policing of such evil profane acts against minors) by an authority-- is it not to much to truly understand how those abused, or the greater public learning of the abuse have their reason tested to the maximum on the question of teaching authority? I have not seen this question addressed fully.
Carl, if you do know of or another reader does, I really would like to try and understand the Church's understanding of this riddle( at least for me) please. – Mark

Excellent question Mark. Personally, to offer my meager thoughts on this, I think in the realm of reason we have to begin with the question of objective truth. Is there such a thing and if there is, can we know it? The Catholic answer is that yes there is objective truth and yes it can be known to the extent that God himself has revealed it.

The second question we have to ask is whether revealed truth can be taught by someone who is himself not obedient to that truth. That would encompass all of us here I think to the extent that what we say or pass on or teach, can indeed be objectively true and part of God’s revealed truth even though each one of us is not in a state of moral perfection. If objective truth is indeed independent and objective, it would not matter who speaks it, it would still be true.

The next question is authority. Here you must distinguish between teaching authority per se, ecclesial authority to govern and the apostolic authority of ordination to confer the sacraments. The beginning of this issue, regarding the conferring of the sacraments, was dealt with way back in the time of St. Augustine in his refutation of the Donatist heresy, in which he took and re-affirmed the position taken by St. Optatus that baptism is valid even when conferred by sinners, for it is conferred by Christ, the minister being the instrument only. This is the first important statement, echoed and expounded by St. Augustine, of the doctrine that the grace of the sacraments is derived from the opus operatum of Christ independently of the worthiness of the minister.

So the principle is longstanding that the validity of a sacrament is not compromised by the sin of the minister. Likewise our reason tells us that the truth, when taught, is not compromised by the sin of the minister.

This same principle applies to the rest of the promises of Christ, including the doctrine of the infallibility of the Pope and the college of Bishops in union with the Pope in teaching faith and morals. This doctrine comes directly from Christ in two places, first the promise to Peter himself at Caesarea Philippi and later his twice promise of the Holy Spirit after the Last Supper as recounted by St. John; the Holy Spirit who would guide them into all truth. This is key, because it is a promise for the future, and our assurance from Christ that the teaching authority of the Church comes from him.

We understand this doctrine quite often in the negative sense expressly because we know that not only individual Bishops but Popes as well have been not only sinners but notorious sinners in their day. Indeed, we are blessed to have had holy men as Pope in recent memory, and we pray that it continues, but we recognize that the promise of Christ is a protection from teaching error in faith and morals, not a guarantee of a great and holy Pope.

Even if Benedict XVI were a rogue he would have the authority and protection to teach the Irish Church in matters of faith and morals including child abuse. But what is there here to teach? It is not a matter of deciding whether child abuse is bad. The Church has categorically condemned this evil from a long way back.

The problem is one of the sin of certain priests and the sin of certain bishops in concealing and not dealing with that sin. The Irish report clearly pointed out that the Church already had Canon Law and mechanisms in place to deal promptly and judiciously with such problems as they arose. But they were ignored. To me, that re-enforces my confidence in the Church, in that such circumstances had already been anticipated.

What we are seeing is a crying need for spiritual renewal, not just among the lay faithful but right up into the ranks of the episcopate. But is that something new in the history of the Church? She has often staggered from century to century, rife with immorality until one movement of renewal or another has come to bring holiness once more to the Bride of Christ.

Is that an excuse? Of course not, but it is reality and for those who would seek Jesus elsewhere or turn their face from him altogether because of this, the point has been made (and misunderstood), that there is no place, no organization, no ecclesial communion that is immune from this problem. The outside world chooses to ignore that truth and that is their prerogative, but for Catholics, it should be a reality check, that we should think twice before abandoning ship, even if we are disgusted with this entire mess, as we should be.

We have a great advantage over faithful Catholics of past centuries in that we have ready information at our fingertips about what the Church actually teaches in respect of faith and morals. There is no excuse in the twenty-first century for not knowing the truth.

If we are faithful and holy, following the two thousand year history of teaching authority that we can access at any time, there is no place anymore for bad or dissident priests to hide, or for colluding bishops. That is in some measure the reason these scandals have surfaced in our time. We can and should rebuke those who would lead us into sin while at the same time respecting the office that they hold.

Anyone of us can begin with two books that every Catholic should have. The Holy Scriptures and the Catechism. Those two comprise virtually everything the teaching authority of the Church has given us in two thousand years.

[Manuel G. Daugherty Razetto]

Lasorda, Pity you took my suggestion as 'patronizing', it was well intended.
No further comment.

[Brian J. Schuettler]

Asked why there were no punitive provisions in the letter, Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi noted that the letter was pastoral, not administrative or disciplinary in nature, and that any further measures concerning resignations would be taken by the competent Vatican offices.

Stay tuned and hold judgment.

[Thomas Mellon]

I think faithful Christians should be careful,or prayerful, that they don't end up doing the job that some people have been seeking to do for two thousand years, that is destroy the church, the mystical body of Christ. Anyway,they won't, or cannot, succeed.
Perhaps priests could set an example by not only hearing confessions but going to confession more.How often to we see a priest in the cue.
I live in England and if I had a pound for every Irish person that openly criticised the church I would be a rich man.It becomes such an embarrasing lament that i swith off, and none of them are practising Catholics.I think it was St Francis who said, or warned, that even the most wicked priest should be afforded some charity as they are able to bring Christ before us.Maybe I'm wrong or maybe just a bit fed up.

[Mark]

Thank you Carl for your thoughtful and helpful responses.

I do think that the ecclesial authority abuses in
governance unfortunately impact the receipt of the teaching authority. Many Catholics respect the authority of the Church and do not come to these truths through primarily discerning objective truth but faith and respect in the teaching authority.
Even those who also pursue the limits of our human reason for further understanding came to these Truths
through respect and adherence to the teaching authority of the clergy.

The summary advances a possible contributing cause that society places at times and in part perhaps too much trust and faith in the clergy and authority figures....." a tendency in society to favour the clergy and other authority figures".

I am not sure if this favortism is addressed to the criminal justice system on the followup or to all of us in general.

If it is the latter it seems at first glance to be a circular defense or argument. The church and the people benefit from authority and now calling into question that favour seems peculiar or at least complicated.

Authority is no small matter for society as a whole and for the history and tradition of our Church.

Carl, you have addressed very kindly and thoughtfully objective truth, the validity of Sacraments, and distinguishing between ecclesial and teaching authority.

While Faith and Reason are distinguishing and beautiful charateristics of Catholicism, most of us start and end and struggle through with Faith while making incremental strides in further understanding with our imperfect and finite human reason.

The abuses in ecclesial authority impact the human responses at least in part to that ecclesial authority And that in turn can undermine the teaching authority.
Addressing the question of authority in a fuller manner
could make some good out of a sinful situation for the greater good of our church and its people.

I have faith and reason in our Church and in its responding kindly and throughtfully to the specifics of this matter and how it addresses the question of authority. That, beyond the understandable pain of the victims, is the lasting potential legacy of this issue.

Carl, thank you for your time and thoughtfulness.
Authority is no small issue and for me this remains the issue in this story --big and small.

[Mark]

I actually should have addressed my thanks to
LJ for the time and care he took in responding to my
questions. Apologies to him and Carl for not properly noting the actual author of the post.