Cardinal Sean, A Person Of Influence

Last week saw the first concrete move by Pope Francis to begin the reform of the Vatican, which was the first meeting of the advisory council of selected cardinals.  The council, dubbed by the media as the “G-8,” was formed to give the Pope advise and a sense of what issues the cardinals and bishops out in the world felt should be addressed. 

Among the cardinals appointed to this body, is Boston’s own Cardinal Sean O’Malley, OFM CAP, Archbishop of Boston.  In his own quiet, subtle way, he is, and has been a person of influence in the American church, and now in the global Church.  John Allen, Jr., of the National Catholic Reporter, has written an interesting column about Cardinal Sean, which was posted on the Vatican Insider.

It was reported that Cardinal Sean was definitely in the running at the last Papal Conclave.   And Mr. Allen seems to hint that he is still a viable candidate if a future Conclave needs to held in the next six or so years.

What Is A Conclave? A Helpful Resource Book

For those who are interested in learning more about what will be happening in Rome concerning the Papal Election, I would recommend a book “Conclave.”  The author is John L. Allen, Jr., a reporter and columnist for the National Catholic Reporter.  He wrote the book during the last years of the pontificate of Blessed John Paul II.  In it he outlines briefly what the roles of a modern Pope are; what happens when a Pope dies (in this case Pope John Paul II), and the process of electing a successor.  He outlines what qualities the cardinals, in general, would look for in a Pope.  He addressed the issues facing the Church, at least during 2005.  Some of those issues are still relevant for our current times.  However, the book is, in parts, dated.  Allen provides biographies of those cardinals, who would have been considered at that time, frontrunners.  It is interesting that in 2002, Allen did not consider Cardinal Ratzinger as one of those frontrunners. 

Still Allen is provides a lot of interesting information, some fascinating facts, and insider information, about what the Vatican is like during the time leading up to the election of a new Successor of St. Peter.  I would highly recommend this book.

Franciscan Cardinal Switching From Brown to White?

This morning, the National Catholic Reporter posted on their website a story by John Allen about the “buzz” amongst the Italian press about Cardinal Sean O’Malley, OFM CAP, Archbishop of Boston.  The Italian media is hinting that an American being elected as the new Pope is not beyond the realm of possibility, and that Cardinal O’Malley may be a strong candidate.  The story was picked up by the local Boston media, like WCVB, and by the national media.

As much as I admire and respect Cardinal Sean, I think the possibility of him being elected as Pope is remote.  John outlines in his article, the points that would not be in the Cardinal’s favor.  And to be honest, as much as I would really think it would neat to have a Boston man as Pope, he is needed here in Massachusetts.  The Archdiocese is about to begin a process of reorganizing it’s parishes into collaboratives.  It is a process that will be taking many Boston Catholics into uncharted waters.  There will be anxiety, there will be uncertainty, as parish members will be struggling to re-configure themselves into a new type of community.  We will be looking to the Archbishop, Cardinal Sean, to be there for us, guiding us, and encouraging us.  So I am glad that the Cardinal has a round trip airline ticket.

Reunification At Last?

The Catholic blogosphere has been abuzz with the news that there may be finally a reunification of the the Society of Saint Pius X, with the Roman Catholic Church.  John Allen posted a story on the National Catholic Reporter website, and the Catholic News Service also posted a report.

The Vatican, after much discussion with the Lefebvrites, gave them a "doctrinal preamble."  If the SSPX agreed to the document, then reunion was possible.  No details about what is in the document has been revealed, so we do not know how much of the store the Vatican is willing give away in order to heal the only major schism since Vatican II.  Of course in many ways the SSPX is like North Korea, just when you think you have a deal, they change the rules.  In this case, the leaders of the Lefebvrites are submitting changes to the preamble.  Many find it hard to believe that they would agree to rejoin the Church unless Rome totally repudiates the teachings of Vatican II.

The Lefebvrites are living in the past, struggling to hold onto a vision of the Church that no longer speaks to the hearts of a majority of Catholics in the world today.  Unfortunately, there seems to be those leaders in the Church who also wish to turn back the clock.  There does need to be continuity with tradition and the teachings  that have to come to us from the time of the Apostles; but there also needs to be a flexibility that will allow the Church to meet the needs of a world in changing times.  The Church leadership needs to be careful that in its desire to bring them back into the fold, that the SSPX does not become a weight its neck, holding it back.

A Sad and Tragic Anniversay

Ten years ago this month, the scandal concerning the sexual abuse of children by Boston Catholic clergy was revealed by the Boston Globe.  The revelations contained in the newspaper’s reporting sent shockwaves throughout the Boston Catholic community.  The shockwaves have continued to be felt in the national Church, indeed throughout the entire Catholic Church.  Like many Catholics, I was very angry; I felt betrayed by the very men I had believed were suppose to look after their faith communities, to be caring shepherds.  Instead, I saw bishops more concerned with covering up the scandal, to protect the image of the Church.  Anybody in public life could have told them that what really upsets people is not the crime, but the cover-up of the crime.  The scandal was a pressure cooker, waiting to explode; and because it was ignored by the bishops, it did.

Despite my anger, I have never considered leaving the Church, or cutting back my involvement in the life of my parish.  Maybe it was because of my years of formation with other seminarians, who I came to love and respect.  Maybe, it was because of my knowledge of Church history, and experience within the institution; I have known the Church to be both very holy, and unfortunately, very human.  But, mostly, it has been my own encounter with Christ, and where those encounters have been, that have kept me in the Church.

The effects of the scandal are still with us.  I cannot tell you how many CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) release forms I have had to sign because I am both a parish volunteer and a Candidate for the Permanent Diaconate.  The measures taken to pay compensation to the victims are still controversial.  There is still a tug of war between those who want of the names of all accused priests released, and those who believe a person is considered innocent until proven guilty.  The guidelines to handle sex abuse cases, written by the US bishops, have not been followed by all bishops (Incidents in the Philadelphia and Kansas City dioceses come to mind).  This wound is going to be with us for a very long time.

One bishop who is working to heal that wound has been Cardinal Sean O’Malley, OFM CAP, Archbishop of Boston.  He was recently interviewed by John Allen, Jr., a reporter for the National Catholic Reporter.  The link is here.

New Cardinals Named, The Southern Hemisphere Still Ignored

On October 20th, Pope Benedict XVI created 24 new Cardinals. John Allen of National Catholic Reporter has reported on the appointments and has provided some anaylsis. Some observations, he made was the apparent "re-Italianization" of the College of Cardinals, and continued lack of representation of the Church in the Southern Hemisphere. To me, it is another indication that the Pope's concern about the declining Church in Europe, is causing him to not be attentive to the countries of the "Global South," where the majority of Catholics now reside. The Vatican ignores these people at the Church's peril.

National Catholic Reporter Interview with Archbishop Sean Cardinal O'Malley OFM CAP

Concerning the clergy sexual abuse scandal, one of the American bishops who has done the most to deal with the situation is Cardinal Sean O'Malley OFM CAP, of the Archdiocese of Boston. He has been the Vatican's go to man when it came to dealing with the scandal, in a couple of dioceses before Boston. His approach has lead to some healing of the victims; resolutions of a majority of the lawsuits; and a new confidence in the Archdiocese. Now, I have not always agreed with all of his policies, but overall, Boston has been blessed by his presence.

He has been at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal with Pope Benedict XVI. While there, he was interviewed by John Allen of the National Catholic Reporter, which can be accessed by this link.

Reporting on the Church Scandal

The clergy sexual abuse scandal is once more being reported through newspapers, radio, television and the Web. Only this time, it involves Catholic clergy in Ireland and Europe. The New York Times has been publishing stories that brings into question Pope Benedict’s knowledge of the abuse, as an Archbishop, a Cardinal in the Vatican, and as Pope; and his failure to act on that knowledge. John Allen, on the National Catholic Reporter Website, has been offering clarifications on the story, that all should keep in mind. In America magazine, Web columnist, Michael Sean Winters, blasted the New York Times for inaccuracies in their reporting.

After reading all this, and listening to radio and television interviews of Allen and Father Thomas Reese, SJ, I suddenly realize that there is a difference in the reporting of these current scandals, compared to the reporting of the American Church scandals. Back then, some of the newspapers, the Boston Globe in particular, had religion reporters who could provide context and deep background. They were religion literate, who knew their subject and could get beneath the surface of a story. Now, most news outlets no longer have such reporters on their staff, and you can tell this in some of the reporting.

This means that those of us who are concerned about the Church, need to look at the reports that have come out, and will come out; with open eyes and minds.

Reflections on the Synod on Africa

Currently in Rome, the Synod of Africa is being held. John Allen, of the National Catholic Reporter, has been posting daily stories on the Synod, on NCR’s website. I have been reading those stories with great interest, and encourage others to do so, because they let us know that there is a wider Church beyond our shores.

I think sometimes that American Catholics, be they conservatives or liberals; think the internal life of the Church revolves around the American Church. This Synod reminds us that there are other Catholics out there, with different priorities. John Allen has reported on the Catholic Church in Africa, Asia, and South America. He has described them as part of the “Global South.” While in some countries, especially in Africa, the Catholic communities have a more traditional view on family, sexual ethics; they have much more progressive view on social justice. They are less concerned about internal Church politics, and more concerned about how the Church is helping the poor.

If people are looking to continue the renewal of the Church that began with the Second Vatican Council, they need to be aware that Church is made up with more than Americans. If conservatives wish to preserve traditional liturgy, they need to be aware that there people in Africa who are seeking to inculturate the liturgy, so that it will speak to their peoples’ hearts. We all to need to learn more about each other, and to dialogue with each other; share with each other our dreams, our hopes, and our disappointments. We are all part of the Catholic Church; no individual Church can go it alone. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ, let us learn, share, listen and love one another.