First, I recall there was an email address to contact you on general topics, but I have not found it so hopefully this is an appropriate way to engage. I do love this podcast and in my rather overcrowded library of podcasts, it's the one I most thoroughly enjoy and find helpful. I have forwarded to several friends as well.
I am a convert as of 2005 so mid-range in my tenure. Many asked me how could I convert in what was the height of the Sex Abuse Scandal and I said because I realized what happened and it doesn't mean that the Church is not valid. I spent decades showing horses and there is a large percentage of gays involved in this world. What I saw with the sex abuse scandal was exactly what I saw in the show horse business. There is a predation factor among gay males and while you would hope a priest would not succumb to temptation it was obvious they did. I found it fascinating how you described it was a desire to preserve the "bricks and mortar" that prevented more from being done to address this disgraceful activity. But also, the priests were fooled by two other elements, one that our Church is one of forgiveness. A priest who strays asks for forgiveness and it is given. Second many priests and Bishops relied on "professionals" who claimed sexual predators could be cured. They can't. Now maybe these priests and Bishops simply HOPED that Fr would be cured but I read multiple reports stating that they were given the go ahead by so called professionals. There was, however, no excuse for the subsequent Summer of Shame since by then they knew a "cure" was not possible.
But that isn't the real subject on this podcast. You are absolutely right that the majority of Catholics are NOT siding with the Bishops on the government grant issue. I'm a (retired) CPA and I saw many years ago that the USCCB and CC and CCHD were becoming tools of the state with all of the grant money. Foolish and naive Catholics sent money to CC and CCHD thinking they were helping do good works. Their donations were proverbial drops in the bucket.
I hope CC, USCCB and CCHD (the worst of the bunch) have a housecleaning and a soul searching about their actual mission. I was shocked and sickened having given to CC and CCHD for years to be invited to a fundraiser by a friend whose sister was a bigwig in our local CC. I thought this was to fund the local needs of local people who needed food, shelter or treatment for addiction. What I experienced at this fundraiser was sickening. There were no priests to be seen. The then head of CC (a Deacon apparently) gave a short prayer and turned it over to the woman in charge of the fundraiser. She was a Buddhist and there were several Buddhist monks in the audience to whom she gave a shout out. She then spewed venom about "Trump's Muslim Ban" which meant the SEVENTY ATTORNEYS on staff in the local CC would have to be laid off as there was far less work for them to do. Attorneys? Since when are attorneys a charitable cause? I was so angry and disgusted. I never gave another dime to CC after reading their financial statements and realizing they were just another NGO getting government grants and doing government bidding.
Fast forward to about 2019 when a dear friend and tireless pro life volunteer decided Portland needed a Catholic maternity home. This used to be THE cause for Catholics and for Catholic Charities. But all of the former maternity homes had been absorbed by local governments. Even those still called "Catholic" were not following Catholic teaching. My friend started at a grassroots level and was getting a lot of enthusiastic support. She went to the local CC office to see how they could help this worthy cause. They literally blew her off, handing her some brochures about low income healthcare and housing. CC seems totally uninterested in preventing abortion in a state that is ghoulish in its desire to kill babies, the old and the sick (Oregon had abortion before Roe and was the first state to allow euthanasia). I told my friend there is no grant money for babies and moms, so CC doesn't even try to help.
I remember dear Pope Benedict XVI's Deus Caritas Est where he warned that the Church was not just another NGO counting success only in accounting terms....we spend $XXXXX on this or that cause.
I hope the Bishops realize when you make a deal with the devil you are always the junior partner. They are going to lose all those grants and I suggest the majority of Catholics are saying GOOD! They are supposed to focus on salvation of souls and not on the bottom line.
Sincerely
Lisa (Anderson) Davis
PS My former Archbishop Alexander Sample is one of the BEST. Check out the success in vocations in the Portland Archdiocese!
Well, the scandal is always on the horizon, isn't it?-- even if it isn't the main topic? We won't get over it completely until our bishops regain their credibility. And that won't happen until they acknowledge that, as I explain in the Faithful Departed, the original scandal-- the grave sins of some priests-- was not nearly as damaging as the subsequent scandal-- the willingness of bishops to cover up the crime.
Thanks for your comment! It's fine to leave it here!
I'll add to Phil's reply that I don't think the bishops thought sending a priest for counseling would cure him. I think they were beholden to the lavender system in varying ways and that was just a way to sideline someone.
I thought that there was a sincere effort to “cure” an errant priest. The roots of the rot were deep.
Thank you and to Phil for responding. I truly love your podcast and often listen twice. I particularly appreciated your analysis of the fatal flaw of feminism. I was raised and drank the feminist Kool-Aid. I had no understanding of the evil it created and perpetuates.
First, I recall there was an email address to contact you on general topics, but I have not found it so hopefully this is an appropriate way to engage. I do love this podcast and in my rather overcrowded library of podcasts, it's the one I most thoroughly enjoy and find helpful. I have forwarded to several friends as well.
I am a convert as of 2005 so mid-range in my tenure. Many asked me how could I convert in what was the height of the Sex Abuse Scandal and I said because I realized what happened and it doesn't mean that the Church is not valid. I spent decades showing horses and there is a large percentage of gays involved in this world. What I saw with the sex abuse scandal was exactly what I saw in the show horse business. There is a predation factor among gay males and while you would hope a priest would not succumb to temptation it was obvious they did. I found it fascinating how you described it was a desire to preserve the "bricks and mortar" that prevented more from being done to address this disgraceful activity. But also, the priests were fooled by two other elements, one that our Church is one of forgiveness. A priest who strays asks for forgiveness and it is given. Second many priests and Bishops relied on "professionals" who claimed sexual predators could be cured. They can't. Now maybe these priests and Bishops simply HOPED that Fr would be cured but I read multiple reports stating that they were given the go ahead by so called professionals. There was, however, no excuse for the subsequent Summer of Shame since by then they knew a "cure" was not possible.
But that isn't the real subject on this podcast. You are absolutely right that the majority of Catholics are NOT siding with the Bishops on the government grant issue. I'm a (retired) CPA and I saw many years ago that the USCCB and CC and CCHD were becoming tools of the state with all of the grant money. Foolish and naive Catholics sent money to CC and CCHD thinking they were helping do good works. Their donations were proverbial drops in the bucket.
I hope CC, USCCB and CCHD (the worst of the bunch) have a housecleaning and a soul searching about their actual mission. I was shocked and sickened having given to CC and CCHD for years to be invited to a fundraiser by a friend whose sister was a bigwig in our local CC. I thought this was to fund the local needs of local people who needed food, shelter or treatment for addiction. What I experienced at this fundraiser was sickening. There were no priests to be seen. The then head of CC (a Deacon apparently) gave a short prayer and turned it over to the woman in charge of the fundraiser. She was a Buddhist and there were several Buddhist monks in the audience to whom she gave a shout out. She then spewed venom about "Trump's Muslim Ban" which meant the SEVENTY ATTORNEYS on staff in the local CC would have to be laid off as there was far less work for them to do. Attorneys? Since when are attorneys a charitable cause? I was so angry and disgusted. I never gave another dime to CC after reading their financial statements and realizing they were just another NGO getting government grants and doing government bidding.
Fast forward to about 2019 when a dear friend and tireless pro life volunteer decided Portland needed a Catholic maternity home. This used to be THE cause for Catholics and for Catholic Charities. But all of the former maternity homes had been absorbed by local governments. Even those still called "Catholic" were not following Catholic teaching. My friend started at a grassroots level and was getting a lot of enthusiastic support. She went to the local CC office to see how they could help this worthy cause. They literally blew her off, handing her some brochures about low income healthcare and housing. CC seems totally uninterested in preventing abortion in a state that is ghoulish in its desire to kill babies, the old and the sick (Oregon had abortion before Roe and was the first state to allow euthanasia). I told my friend there is no grant money for babies and moms, so CC doesn't even try to help.
I remember dear Pope Benedict XVI's Deus Caritas Est where he warned that the Church was not just another NGO counting success only in accounting terms....we spend $XXXXX on this or that cause.
I hope the Bishops realize when you make a deal with the devil you are always the junior partner. They are going to lose all those grants and I suggest the majority of Catholics are saying GOOD! They are supposed to focus on salvation of souls and not on the bottom line.
Sincerely
Lisa (Anderson) Davis
PS My former Archbishop Alexander Sample is one of the BEST. Check out the success in vocations in the Portland Archdiocese!
Well, the scandal is always on the horizon, isn't it?-- even if it isn't the main topic? We won't get over it completely until our bishops regain their credibility. And that won't happen until they acknowledge that, as I explain in the Faithful Departed, the original scandal-- the grave sins of some priests-- was not nearly as damaging as the subsequent scandal-- the willingness of bishops to cover up the crime.
And the willingness of some bishops to cover the activities of other Bishops. Theodore McCarrick comes to mind. The worst kept secret ever.
Thanks for your comment! It's fine to leave it here!
I'll add to Phil's reply that I don't think the bishops thought sending a priest for counseling would cure him. I think they were beholden to the lavender system in varying ways and that was just a way to sideline someone.
Besides Phil's book, an excellent essay to read is Fr. Mankowski's "Tames in Clerical Life" https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/paul-mankowski-sj-tames-in-clerical-life/
I thought that there was a sincere effort to “cure” an errant priest. The roots of the rot were deep.
Thank you and to Phil for responding. I truly love your podcast and often listen twice. I particularly appreciated your analysis of the fatal flaw of feminism. I was raised and drank the feminist Kool-Aid. I had no understanding of the evil it created and perpetuates.