Where I Largely Second Lawler

[March 24]’s front-page story in the New York Times suggests that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), under the direction of then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, failed to act against a Wisconsin priest who was accused of molesting scores of boys at a school for the deaf.

Is the story damaging? Yes. Should the Vatican have acted faster? Yes. Should the accused priest have been laicized? In all probability, Yes again.

Lawler’s story is here.  He goes on to list several points that I would encourage you to read.

There isn’t much for me to add other than that the Milwaukee District Attorney shared the same lack of enthusiasm in investigating child abuse among priests.  Yes, everything has more to do with Archbishop Weakland than with most anyone else.  About the only thing positive that can be said about Archbishop Weakland was that he thought holding hands during the Our Father was a ridiculous gesture.

I think I’ve been pretty consistent.  The abuse and manipulation of children is and was wrong.  The desire for earthly justice is certainly laudable but metaphysically impossible to achieve.  Those attacking Pope Benedict argue that laicizing a terminally ill man was necessary for justice 15 years ago in a now 45-year-old case.  Such an attitude belies a trust in God’s judgment.  To quote Archie Bunker in regards to handgun violence, “Would you have preferred them to be thrown off of buildings?”  The priest is dead.  No more would a show trial have soothed them than a ritualistic stomping on his grave do so now.  His victims have grown old with the fact that he was never really punished for his crimes.  We do no good pretending otherwise or pretending that we have some opiate we can give them.

And I’m sorry to say that the only conclusion I can draw now from people calling for his resignation is that they want Pope Benedict gone, and they will marshal any argument no matter how poor in order to do so.  It is rank tribalism.  The NY Times has shed many tears for Weakland.  Many of their ilk are still upset he was pushed out the door in Milwaukee.  I’m not sure they could have picked a better case to make their hypocrisy clearer.