Part of me is rooting for the Vatican to go bankrupt. With their refusal to address abuse, most recently exemplified in the Principi affair, it seems like they/we deserve it. Especially when their answer to the financial crisis is to put McCarrick's old roommate on the case. Maybe the answer is just to burn the whole thing down and start over?
Part of me is rooting for the Vatican to go bankrupt. With their refusal to address abuse, most recently exemplified in the Principi affair, it seems like they/we deserve it. Especially when their answer to the financial crisis is to put McCarrick's old roommate on the case. Maybe the answer is just to burn the whole thing down and start over?
I cannot emphasize and underscore enough--speaking as a Catholic, as a historian, as someone who has been involved with the Vatican--how utterly, monstrously, inexcusably wrongheaded, dangerous, and harmful this (distressingly prevalent) attitude is, and in particular how utterly opposed to the interests of abuse victims and justice in the abuse crisis it is.
The ONLY way for the Catholic Church as an institution to deal with abuse equitably on a global scale is to have centralized governance and judicial processes and safeguarding mechanisms. For that you need the Curia; and not just the Curia, but (and again, I cannot emphasize this enough) a WELL-FUNDED CURIA.
A poorly funded Curia will be one (as we are, alas, increasingly seeing) where the DDF is overwhelmed with cases, where processes for dealing with abuse slow down, where integral safeguarding mechanisms are neglected, where oversight of the local Churches becomes impossible, where poorer Churches are unable to afford critical safeguarding infrastructure.
A bankrupt Curia would put all safeguarding efforts back decades; to the situation we had during the crisis where local bishops and bishops' conferences are able to do as they please with little oversight, and where cases last forever without resolution. It would be an absolute disaster for the Church, for abuse victims, and for justice.
This is not a new lesson; it is one that Church history has taught again and again. Meaningful Church reform (and I cannot emphasize this enough) REQUIRES WELL-FUNCTIONING, WELL-FUNDED INSTITUTIONS. This was true in the 4th century; it was true in the 16th century; it is true now. The collapse of institutions in some utterly perverse desire for justice will serve exactly the opposite end.
Frankly, now is the time for good Catholics to INCREASE their donations to the Curia, and in particular for the DDF and the Pontifical Commission for Minors (and their associated foundation). They are doing extraordinarily valuable work with insufficient funding and there is much, much more that could and should be done in the near future.
It would cost precisely zero dollars for the Pope Francis to fire Pena Parra, laicize Rupnik, etc... yet he hasn't done it. Giving him more money won't change that. And as far as needing a centralized Curia to take care of abuse cases all over the world, absolute nonsense. We need subsidiarity, not consolidation. One centralized institution can't handle an entire world's worth of cases no matter how well funded. The work load has to be spread out. In fact, I think the Vatican has hindered reform efforts more than helped and we would be in better shape if the USCCB and local dioceses didn't have to rely on them as much. I don't see how a sane person could look at the Vatican response to abuse and think we need more of that, that's where I should send my money.
Part of me is rooting for the Vatican to go bankrupt. With their refusal to address abuse, most recently exemplified in the Principi affair, it seems like they/we deserve it. Especially when their answer to the financial crisis is to put McCarrick's old roommate on the case. Maybe the answer is just to burn the whole thing down and start over?
The whole thing makes me too heartsick even to comment -- except to say thank-you to The Pillar for its coverage.
I cannot emphasize and underscore enough--speaking as a Catholic, as a historian, as someone who has been involved with the Vatican--how utterly, monstrously, inexcusably wrongheaded, dangerous, and harmful this (distressingly prevalent) attitude is, and in particular how utterly opposed to the interests of abuse victims and justice in the abuse crisis it is.
The ONLY way for the Catholic Church as an institution to deal with abuse equitably on a global scale is to have centralized governance and judicial processes and safeguarding mechanisms. For that you need the Curia; and not just the Curia, but (and again, I cannot emphasize this enough) a WELL-FUNDED CURIA.
A poorly funded Curia will be one (as we are, alas, increasingly seeing) where the DDF is overwhelmed with cases, where processes for dealing with abuse slow down, where integral safeguarding mechanisms are neglected, where oversight of the local Churches becomes impossible, where poorer Churches are unable to afford critical safeguarding infrastructure.
A bankrupt Curia would put all safeguarding efforts back decades; to the situation we had during the crisis where local bishops and bishops' conferences are able to do as they please with little oversight, and where cases last forever without resolution. It would be an absolute disaster for the Church, for abuse victims, and for justice.
This is not a new lesson; it is one that Church history has taught again and again. Meaningful Church reform (and I cannot emphasize this enough) REQUIRES WELL-FUNCTIONING, WELL-FUNDED INSTITUTIONS. This was true in the 4th century; it was true in the 16th century; it is true now. The collapse of institutions in some utterly perverse desire for justice will serve exactly the opposite end.
Frankly, now is the time for good Catholics to INCREASE their donations to the Curia, and in particular for the DDF and the Pontifical Commission for Minors (and their associated foundation). They are doing extraordinarily valuable work with insufficient funding and there is much, much more that could and should be done in the near future.
It would cost precisely zero dollars for the Pope Francis to fire Pena Parra, laicize Rupnik, etc... yet he hasn't done it. Giving him more money won't change that. And as far as needing a centralized Curia to take care of abuse cases all over the world, absolute nonsense. We need subsidiarity, not consolidation. One centralized institution can't handle an entire world's worth of cases no matter how well funded. The work load has to be spread out. In fact, I think the Vatican has hindered reform efforts more than helped and we would be in better shape if the USCCB and local dioceses didn't have to rely on them as much. I don't see how a sane person could look at the Vatican response to abuse and think we need more of that, that's where I should send my money.
Yes. "Give us money or we'll unleash the rapists" is a fundraising appeal even the Borgias might blanch at.