Just to clarify and make it abundantly clear, for the record (and I’ve been saying most if not all of this from the beginning of this mess):
People are choosing sides. My view is to wait till all the information we can obtain is in, and make a reasoned judgment. I think we’re far from that and are only in the beginning stages. The two sides of this need to talk to each other. But that rarely ever happens anymore.
Holy Mother Church will survive this, as she always has. I’m very sad and angered, and disgusted and dismayed that people will leave the Church because of this tragedy, but I’m not worried or fearful or anxious at all about the Church in the long term. God is in control. I think it’s a time of purging. That is necessary in every generation (just as it was in the time of Moses).
Meanwhile, I continue to do my apologetics work, as I always have (though I have contributed quite a bit to these debates, too).
I believe it is best for the sake of the Church that the Pope Francis should speak and clarify at length. I hope he does soon. And I’ve said over and over that he should resign if it is proven that he knew about abuse and covered for it. I’ve also said that anyone who abused or covered for abuse should be defrocked, excommunicated, and exposed as a wolf in sheep’s clothing. They should also be tried as criminals if there is sufficient reason to suspect crimes, and if found guilty, sent to jail.
In order to determine those things, intensive and comprehensive, legal-type investigation needs to take place: if not by the bishops and the pope himself, then by serious and objective and as-impartial-as-possible investigative journalists (i.e., the relatively few of those that can be found).
These should be confined to the Catholic media. The secular media has never understood the Catholic Church and is way over its head (generally speaking) in such matters (and that’s putting it mildly). The last thing we need is their inherent heavily secular (and increasingly far-left and anti-Catholic) bias confusing things. We have enough biases on all sides within the Church as it is.
We should basically ignore the secular media reporting (with a few exceptions here and there: that can always be found), as well as the radical Catholic reactionary venues that lost credibility long ago (prominent among them: Lifesite News, The Remnant, Rorate Caeli, and One Peter Five). Other venues and writers (on both “sides”) exhibit an inordinate bias as well. Those on the far left of the Church spectrum (e.g., radical homosexual activists) cannot be trusted for fairness in reporting anymore than the fanatical reactionaries can. These are serious credibility issues.
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In any event, I have compiled two “Round-Ups” (one / two) where I included equal numbers of “pro-Francis” and “pro-Vigano” articles. My site is one of the few places where you can consult articles from opposing positions. And that’s because I always firmly believe in hearing and pondering both sides of any given serious debate.
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I’ve also provided biblical reasons for why this crisis is no reason at all to leave the Catholic Church: that it is nothing new at all, when one becomes acquainted with Church history. And I have examined a particular case of someone leaving the Church over this, showing, I think, that the reasons (like the similar reasons of Rod Dreher) were woefully inadequate.
All my articles about this and about other Catholic scandals and the matter of “sin and sinners in the Church” can be found on my web page devoted to those topics.
I will continue to observe what is going on, and offer non-hysterical, non-fanatical, as objective and calm as possible analysis. I’m as furious and outraged as anyone else is about this (do not mistake my “coolness” and serious attempts at being as impartial and fair-minded as possible for evidence of a lack of those feelings). But it helps no one to rant and rave. Righteous indignation, where justified, is controlled and rational, not out-of-control and hysterical.
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I will continue to call things as I see them. I have expressed what I call “ultra-zero-tolerance” for any sexual abuse, and I want to see anyone who has engaged in that or who covers for it out of the Church, or at the very least out of any Church offices or positions of influence or contact with potential further victims. See my “Jeremiad” against that, written on 18 August: a week before the Vigano charges surfaced.
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Photo credit: “Lady Justice” [Max Pixel / Creative Commons Zero – CC0 license]
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