The Cardinal McCarrick Situation
The Cardinal McCarrick situation is a painful story. Anyone in touch with media headlines today cannot escape the still unfolding of the story about disgraced former Cardinal McCarrick, aka “Uncle Ted”.
Among many other things for me, it evokes memories of 2002 and guilt by association. One day, passing through the Atlanta airport, I was confronted with a smirking “Are you one of them?”
But that is nothing compared to the wounds it rips open in those who have been victims of abuse or not listened to when they tried to speak up. Over the years I have walked with victims whose lives were destroyed by events they came to realize were still buried deep within them. I know for some it was too much to cope with. They ended their lives.
At his request, I walked with a Bishop as he tried to listen to the pain of his people in public hearings. I have also walked with abusers. Some never grasped the enormity of what they did. Others struggle to this day with the awareness of what they did.
Today there are fresh and more pointed questions. Who knew, when… why did they not act…?
Grasping for perspective
I have been grasping for perspective. I thought of Watergate and the lessons we thought we learned. I thought of some of the scandalous men who succeeded the first Pope, Peter. Then something struck me that I had never before thought of.
Judas… the reaction of the Apostles!
It hit me. He was one of Jesus’ inner circle. Of course, I have thought of Judas before. He betrayed Jesus… But I never thought of how he also betrayed those who had come to believe in Jesus.
Then the questions flooded in!
- Had the other eleven seen signs?
- Had they questioned his role as money keeper?
- Did they second-guess themselves when they realized they had missed the signals or not spoken out?
- And, perhaps a more difficult question… What did Jesus know and when?
Here we are two thousand years later asking similar questions.
The scriptures don’t address those questions. We will probably never know the answers to those questions.
What We Do Know
We know that each of us will have our own reactions. Reactions that will range from paralysis to fiery action. I knew I had to write.
As I followed the many things being written, I came across a piece in the Catholic Register that lists a range of practical things that can be done.
What we also know is that after a period of paralysis and bewilderment the apostles picked themselves up and did what Jesus asked them to do. They continued his mission to “bring good news to all“… “wash one another’s feet.”
We are today still called to do the same. We must each do it in our unique way in light of our history and abilities.
Whatever we do let it be in the spirit of “Do this in memory of me.”
I am totally disgusted with the ongoing deceit of the Old Boy Network and the exclusivity of the Men’s Club. Is it any wonder we give up?
That day,as you walked through the airport,you were carrying the cross as somebody insulted you,Father Freund. Wearing our clericals ,we become targets ranging from respect to disdain accompanied by adulation someplace on the continuum of reactions to our clergy status. You are brave like our Savior Jesus Christ enroute to Calvary. In addition,Saint Vincent,if God allows him to view earth from heaven,smiles joyfully as you walk the journey with the abusers as well as the abusers. God Bless You Richly,John!
Ed
Simcha Fisher writes “Jesus knew…” https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2018/08/01/jesus-knew-about-cardinal-mccarrick
It shall NOT rock the faith in me. It hurts to read it, to know of the once timed respect for someone such as the former cardinal, but all we can do is pray a good deal and then address it PRO-actively. To that end, it appears as if that will be the essence of the November meeting of the USA bishops…if we can take it for the next number of months. To think that as someone who attended Catholic schools all thru one’s life and did not have to deal with such, well, the Lord was watching out! For sure, He is always there!
In the face of this crisis, I find your comment very helpful.
Your comment sends me back to Father Bob Maloney’s, “The Genealogy of Jesus: Shadows and lights in his past” (https://www.americamagazine.org/issue/638/faith-focus/genealogy-jesus). The article reads in part:
“By including these notable women in Jesus genealogy, Matthew is teaching us that it is the Spirit of God that guides human history. God uses the unexpected to bring an unfolding plan to fulfillment. History is not a linear series of events leading to predictable outcomes. It involves sin and conversion, success and failure, heroes and villains. But God is at work in it, making crooked ways straight and rough ways smooth. And ultimately, Gods love prevails, a truth revealed in the person and life of Jesus.”
And precisely to your point, Bob further says:
“Matthews genealogy shows us that trust in providence is one of the keystones of spirituality. This is a central theme in Matthews Gospel, introduced right from the beginning of the infancy narratives. Jesus is named Emmanuel, that is, God is with us (Mt 1:23). Matthew is assuring us that God governs history and that nothing eludes Gods power, that there is a guiding plan, beyond our comprehension, which gives meaning to life events.”
Thanks for making that connection.
This one is truly extremely difficult for many. When the abuse scandal in USA first broke March 2002, it hit my parish. Then every other night either myself or close friend had known (and previously respected) one or another. Then there were the allegations that were unsubstantiated. For a decade and a half it was a top priority in the church to sort out the “perps”, and rightly so. We work at trying to heal the broken. What I can’t grasp is how one of the leaders working in the healing could go undetected for so long. From 2000-2004, even the Georgetown President and McCarrick himself joked about being an honorary faculty member as he often joined the Sunday night 10:15pm student mass on campus . My own child along with many others had spoken to him at fellowship on the campus thereafter. He was working as a healer after the trauma of 2001 while having been one to have caused so much harm. He joined us at the dedication of our new church at SJU. How could this person have not gotten discovered sooner? I just don’t get it!!! Thus, he was around young people with easy access (although not underage, still vulnerable youth. My heart breaks as does many! This makes me feel all the efforts made to keep our youth safe was all “window dressing” — as if the fox was watching the hen house! Sorry, but this has opened the doors to much heartache. Sister Maura articulated this so well.