The Church in Crisis: Causes and Cures

By Irene Lagan
HERALD Staff Writer
(From the issue of 9/26/02)

ANNANDALE — First came Jeremiah, then Isaiah, and finally, Paul — such were the comparisons made in jest to the three speakers at Saturday’s conference titled, "The Church in Crisis."

The conference held at Holy Spirit Church in Annandale was part of a series of conferences directed to diocesan catechists.

Over 300 participants were in attendance for the half-day seminar that addressed the issue of the current crisis of sexual abuse scandal in the Church. Conference organizers, the directors of religious education from several parishes, divided the program into three separate talks, each addressing different aspects of the scandal.

The first talk, titled "the Roots of the Crisis: Dissent and Homosexuality," placed into context the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal that has become standard fare in daily newspapers across the country.

Father Paul D. Scalia, parochial vicar of St. Patrick Church in Fredericksburg, jokingly referred to himself as the "Jeremiah" of the three speakers, charged with the task of stating plainly the reality of the crisis. Father Scalia said the "side issues" to the scandal that people often focus attention on are not the real underlying causes. For instance, "the ‘celibacy is the issue’ battlecry fails to find statistical evidence," he said. "If celibacy were the problem, then married men in general would be innocent of this particular crime. But they are not." Moreover, Father Scalia noted that the roots of the crisis do not lie in clericalism or anti-Catholicism in the press, and that the term "sexual misconduct" is too general a term.

"The core problem is dissent," Father Scalia said. Referring to the statement released by the Vatican after the pope and the American cardinals met last April, he drew attention to the fifth point of the statement as both the "most significant and substantive." According to the Vatican statement, the roots, and hence response, to the crisis lie along two principle lines: first, promoting correct moral teaching and publicly reprimanding those who spread dissent; and second, emphasizing fidelity to the Church’s teaching in seminary formation and examining suitability criteria for candidates to the priesthood.

"The principle of unity and authority in the Church is truth," said Father Scalia. "Priests and bishops remain united only when they profess the same faith and share the commitment to teach the truth. People turn to priests, not because they are always great guys, but because a priest represents the truth." He added, "Dissent denies truth, and therefore distorts all relations in the Church. When truth disappears, the priniciple of unity and authority becomes power."

Father James Gould, pastor of St. Raymond of Peñafort Parish in Fairfax Station, was the second speaker. In a talk titled "The Crisis in Context: Possible Solution" Father Gould was likened to Isaiah as he announced 3 approaches to resolving the crisis. First among these were recommendations made by the Holy Father that call for a recognition of the crimes that have been perpetrated by prelates and "solidarity and concern" for the victims; establishing criteria to ensure that such crimes are not repeated; the need for conversion; a recommitment of bishops and priests to the truth; and confidence that this time of trial will bring purification to the Church.

Secondly, Father Gould reviewed and gave a detailed explanation of the charter of the American Bishops from the June meeting in Dallas, pointing out the direction that the American bishops are taking to correct the problems the Church is facing as well as to promote healing and reconciliation with victims of sexual abuse.

Finally, Father Gould, who serves as the chaplain for the Catholic Medical Association, spoke about therapies that are available for persons struggling with homosexual inclinations, or same-sex attraction, and gave participants a list of clinicians in the area who uphold Catholic moral teaching and who are trained in helping people with SSA reclaim a heterosexual identity.

The third speaker, Father Paul deLadurantaye spoke to catechists and other participants about ways to understand and talk about the crisis in the Church. In a talk titled "Catechetical Tools: How to talk to Parents and Students," Father deLadurantaye focused on putting the widely publicized issue of sexual abuse in the Church into perspective. He said, "It is important to keep in mind that the vast majority of priests, religious and lay people in the Church are happy in their ministry."

"This must be known and acknowledged without minimizing the problem," he added. In addition, Father deLadurantaye reminded participants that the Catholic Church does not have a monopoly on sin, and that the "taproot" of the problem is fundamentally the mystery of evil. Father deLadurantaye suggested that prayer, particularly for healing and reconciliation, is first and foremost in combating the problem of evil, being prudent in our actions, knowing the truths of Catholic teaching, seeking personal holiness, and knowing the steps the Church is taking to resolve the crisis are essential tools for talking to others about the crisis in the Church.

The half-day conference closed with a question and answer period. Participants expressed gratitude for the opportunity to voice their concerns. Maureen Brody, a catechist from St. Raymond Parish, said, "This was helpful. As catechists we are sowing the seeds for vocations, and it is disturbing that kids who do feel the call to seminaries find when they get there that it’s not about what we taught them, so we lose them." 

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