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US Catholic Church mulls Benedict XVI's succession US Catholic Church mulls Benedict XVI's succession
(7 months later)
What America will need most from the next pope, following Benedict XVI's resignation, are good bishops. The North American Catholic Church is suffering through painful contractions: mass attendance is in decline, especially among the young, and it is no longer a given that a person raised Catholic will continue to practice the faith as an adult.What America will need most from the next pope, following Benedict XVI's resignation, are good bishops. The North American Catholic Church is suffering through painful contractions: mass attendance is in decline, especially among the young, and it is no longer a given that a person raised Catholic will continue to practice the faith as an adult.
Priests and sisters are ageing, with far fewer candidates to take their places. The scandal of sex abuse and cover-up lingers painfully – a decade after the first major shockwaves emanated from Boston in 2002. And bishops continue to damage their credibility with ill-considered political and culture war battles.Priests and sisters are ageing, with far fewer candidates to take their places. The scandal of sex abuse and cover-up lingers painfully – a decade after the first major shockwaves emanated from Boston in 2002. And bishops continue to damage their credibility with ill-considered political and culture war battles.
The Church's once invincible structures of authority and community are badly in need of repair and renovation.The Church's once invincible structures of authority and community are badly in need of repair and renovation.
The pope has priorities outside the United States (as difficult as that is for Americans to keep in mind). But it is he, with the help of Vatican advisers, who determines who will lead the American church. For too long, potential bishops were vetted mainly in terms of orthodoxy on a few key issues: how firm is he in opposing birth control, homosexuality, the ordination of women? John Paul II appointed strong company men – with Joseph Ratzinger, the future Benedict XVI, as his chief orthodoxy watchdog – who turned out to be ill-equipped to confront the scandal of sexual abuse among their clergy.The pope has priorities outside the United States (as difficult as that is for Americans to keep in mind). But it is he, with the help of Vatican advisers, who determines who will lead the American church. For too long, potential bishops were vetted mainly in terms of orthodoxy on a few key issues: how firm is he in opposing birth control, homosexuality, the ordination of women? John Paul II appointed strong company men – with Joseph Ratzinger, the future Benedict XVI, as his chief orthodoxy watchdog – who turned out to be ill-equipped to confront the scandal of sexual abuse among their clergy.
By and large, as a steady drip of revelations continues to demonstrate, they acted to protect the institution at the expense of their people. Now, the institution itself is badly damaged by the revelation of their failures.By and large, as a steady drip of revelations continues to demonstrate, they acted to protect the institution at the expense of their people. Now, the institution itself is badly damaged by the revelation of their failures.
Rome's response to the initial revelations of sexual abuse and cover-up compounded the problem: John Paul II moved to protect his bishops and downplayed the gravity of the accusations. Benedict had a slightly better grasp on the real nature and scope of the scandal: it was he, for example, who punished – if lightly – the notorious Legion of Christ founder Marcial Maciel Degollado, who had been credibly accused of a number of transgressions (sexual, financial, personal) but had been defended by John Paul.Rome's response to the initial revelations of sexual abuse and cover-up compounded the problem: John Paul II moved to protect his bishops and downplayed the gravity of the accusations. Benedict had a slightly better grasp on the real nature and scope of the scandal: it was he, for example, who punished – if lightly – the notorious Legion of Christ founder Marcial Maciel Degollado, who had been credibly accused of a number of transgressions (sexual, financial, personal) but had been defended by John Paul.
Still, while Benedict has recognized the need for repentance – meeting with abuse victims in Boston and elsewhere – he has not cleaned house at the Vatican. Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Maciel's chief protector, is currently dean of the College of Cardinals. Cardinal Bernard Law, who resigned in disgrace over his handling of sex-abuse cases in Boston, sat until his 80th birthday in 2011, when retirement was mandated, on the Vatican board that recommends new bishops to the pope.Still, while Benedict has recognized the need for repentance – meeting with abuse victims in Boston and elsewhere – he has not cleaned house at the Vatican. Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Maciel's chief protector, is currently dean of the College of Cardinals. Cardinal Bernard Law, who resigned in disgrace over his handling of sex-abuse cases in Boston, sat until his 80th birthday in 2011, when retirement was mandated, on the Vatican board that recommends new bishops to the pope.
The American church desperately needs some confirmation that the hierarchy "gets it": no more blaming the media for being out to get the church; no more suggesting that the abuse was a matter of too many gay men in the seminaries; no more promoting and protecting compromised leaders. A new pope could stand for accountability.The American church desperately needs some confirmation that the hierarchy "gets it": no more blaming the media for being out to get the church; no more suggesting that the abuse was a matter of too many gay men in the seminaries; no more promoting and protecting compromised leaders. A new pope could stand for accountability.
He could remove those hierarchs most implicated in the sex abuse scandal. And he could develop new criteria for bishops, calling for men whose gifts and inclinations are more pastoral than political. The kind of bishops needed in the 21st-century church, especially in the rapidly changing church in America, will be dedicated to repairing divisions, not deepening them.He could remove those hierarchs most implicated in the sex abuse scandal. And he could develop new criteria for bishops, calling for men whose gifts and inclinations are more pastoral than political. The kind of bishops needed in the 21st-century church, especially in the rapidly changing church in America, will be dedicated to repairing divisions, not deepening them.
At a time when the United States bishops' conference can appear to be an arm of the Republican party, the American Catholic Church could use a few leaders who are wary of the culture wars and afraid of being co-opted to serve any political agenda. A Catholic bishop cannot help but be countercultural, but a good leader can do so without seeming self-pitying or reactionary.At a time when the United States bishops' conference can appear to be an arm of the Republican party, the American Catholic Church could use a few leaders who are wary of the culture wars and afraid of being co-opted to serve any political agenda. A Catholic bishop cannot help but be countercultural, but a good leader can do so without seeming self-pitying or reactionary.
A more collegial approach to leadership would help: bishops could be better leaders if they weren't so afraid of being reprimanded for letting up on the culture-war campaigns now and then. On the other hand, they ought to be a lot more worried about repercussions in Rome if they are found to have mishandled cases of sex abuse.A more collegial approach to leadership would help: bishops could be better leaders if they weren't so afraid of being reprimanded for letting up on the culture-war campaigns now and then. On the other hand, they ought to be a lot more worried about repercussions in Rome if they are found to have mishandled cases of sex abuse.
A pope dedicated to the culture wars (and to appointing bishops of the same stripe) would be cheered by a small but vocal group of US Catholic conservatives, while further alienating the majority of American Catholics, most of whom are skeptical or outright dismissive of church teachings on birth control, gay marriage, and the all-male priesthood. There is very little chance that the next pope will deviate from current teaching or practice on these issues – he'll most likely come from the current crop of cardinals, after all. But a papacy more open to discussion and debate would be encouraging to American progressives and healthy for the Church in general.A pope dedicated to the culture wars (and to appointing bishops of the same stripe) would be cheered by a small but vocal group of US Catholic conservatives, while further alienating the majority of American Catholics, most of whom are skeptical or outright dismissive of church teachings on birth control, gay marriage, and the all-male priesthood. There is very little chance that the next pope will deviate from current teaching or practice on these issues – he'll most likely come from the current crop of cardinals, after all. But a papacy more open to discussion and debate would be encouraging to American progressives and healthy for the Church in general.
Of course, the pope can't conjure bishops out of thin air; he'll have to work with the material available, men who were formed in their vocations under previous popes. It may take more than one papacy to change the profile of the hierarchy – and many Americans would like to see it change in more dramatic ways, to include women, for example, or married men. Still, the ideal pope will find a way to tend to his main responsibility, the unity of the Church, while demonstrating to the world that the Church is concerned with much more than its own power and authority.Of course, the pope can't conjure bishops out of thin air; he'll have to work with the material available, men who were formed in their vocations under previous popes. It may take more than one papacy to change the profile of the hierarchy – and many Americans would like to see it change in more dramatic ways, to include women, for example, or married men. Still, the ideal pope will find a way to tend to his main responsibility, the unity of the Church, while demonstrating to the world that the Church is concerned with much more than its own power and authority.
A pope who can do that, and who can appoint a few new bishops with similar gifts, would be an enormous blessing to the Catholic Church in America.A pope who can do that, and who can appoint a few new bishops with similar gifts, would be an enormous blessing to the Catholic Church in America.
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