My Attempt to Help Priests in Crisis is Thirteen Years Late
Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
In the winter of 1995, I was speaking with a very saintly priest about a story that made the front page of The Washington Post that morning. News broke out that four priests were arrested for abusing their young victims. One of them officiated at my friend’s wedding the year prior.
Back then before the media barrage of similar stories, I was capable of being stunned. This faithful priest then went on to tell me that the biggest scandal in the priesthood is its suicide rate. He didn’t elaborate.
Suicide rate? This did not compute. No doubt, I was clearly influenced by the clericalism then prevalent among the laity of our “we have it good here” diocese. Sure, I’ve heard of priests having a crisis of faith — hey what Hollywood movie or novel hasn’t depicted a priest undergoing a crisis of faith. I figured these guys just needed to step up their devotions, pick up their breviaries more often, and foster a devotion to our Lady — then their suicide rate would go down. So I tucked away the information.
Fast forward 13 years. Now I’m married having just moved to Sydney Australia seven months ago. Previously, the media coverage of anything Catholic came across to me as the usual ongoing pathetic drivel — until recently. The local media’s coverage of the Holy Father’s visit for World Youth Day 08 was nothing short of demonic.
The incessant demonic shrieks of so-called victims advocacy groups paraded around by The Sydney Morning Herald abated just in time for me to learn of the trend of public desecrations of the Blessed Sacrament by Prof. P.Z. Myers and others back home.
One could read headlines clamoring for a papal apology alongside headlines denouncing a papal apology for not having any merit. Words are not enough, the so-called advocacy groups spew.
It’s no wonder a few bishops (I do mean a FEW. Many bishops care deeply for their priests) in North America were spooked into embracing a zero-tolerance policy. Now they had an out. They could deliver something — anything — to appease the mobs. At no other time could “uneasy lies the head that wears the crown” ring more true.
Now under these new conditions, an accusation of misconduct made against a priest = fact until proven otherwise over a period of years. Oh, and no need to bother with due process or basic civil rights for the accused priest. The accused may have hours to vacate the rectory/presbytery. ”Invitations” of voluntary laicizations are offered. There is of course canonical due process for the accused priest. It may not be mentioned to the accused, however, at the diocesan level in many cases.
You can read the accounts and comments submitted by these priests and others under the What It’s Like tab.
Avery Cardinal Dulles, SJ has been very critical of the Dallas Charter drafted by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops because it leaves the accused priest vulnerable without due process. Those removed from ministry without due process are referred to as “chartered” priests in their ranks. The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference anticipated this potential harm and decreed in December 2000:
“All persons are presumed innocent unless and until guilt is either admitted or determined by due process. If church personnel accused of abuse are asked to step aside from the office they hold while the matter is pending, it is to be clearly understood that they are on leave and that no admissions or guilt are implied by this fact. Unless and until guilt has been admitted or proved, those accused should not be referred to as offenders or in any way treated as offenders.”
Didn’t like that Father insisted on the Church’s magisterial teaching during his homily last Sunday? Did that really piss you off? Feeling a repressed memory coming on? Don’t worry. Report it anonymously. Your report will be held in the strictest confidence. Your name will never be revealed.
So now the webmaster of a Catholic clergy sexual offender database collects the names of accused priests and throws them in with the convicted offenders. The names of the accused priests were released by the diocese and subsequently publicized all over the syndicated media worldwide. Now the accused priest has to explain to his Mom why he’s on some international pervert list. Or worse, his mom has to explain why her son is on some international pervert list.
I remember when the Virginia State Police published the names of CONVICTED sexual predators on an online database, and the ACLU went ballistic.
Some accused priests get to keep their stipend, but many do not during this ordeal. The accused priest cannot get a job of course. Work references from his bishop?
I learned of this crisis in the priesthood very recently. Scratch that . . . 13 years ago. Priests and seminarians cannot speak about it publicly for obvious reasons. So members of the laity rose to the occasion to provide emergency assistance to these priests thrown into personal crisis.
Opus Bono Sacerdotii was founded by Joe Maher and other Catholic business men in Detroit in response to this current crisis. They have formed a network of professionals to help priests. These professionals include therapists, canon lawyers, civil and criminal attorneys, financial consultants, career trainers, among others. Oftentimes the priest is despondent contemplating suicide. OBS arranges for a suicide watch in these cases.
Donations allow OBS to pay for these services and emergency funding at no cost to the priest. Guilt or innocence never enters into it. Any priest in trouble gets help.
Please spend time reading these accounts of suffering priests.
Just wanted to say that I read your blog quite frequently and I’m always amazed at some of the stuff people post here. But keep up the good work, it’s always interesting.
See ya,