JOE MULVANEY,
Sir, - I was shocked to read your report (April 29th) that Cardinal Law of Boston had forbidden the convening of a meeting of lay representatives from 300 parishes.
There appears to be a very strong case for Law's resignation. He has not taken the honourable course of action like Bishop Comiskey and has not been removed by Rome. Added to that arrogance, he has the gall to try and block the efforts of the people of God in Boston who are alarmed at the extent of the abuse and cover-up in their diocese.
It appears that the recent meeting in Rome with the American cardinals was all a charade and that, as yet, there is no real change of heart in Rome. Rome has enforced the cruel injustice of mandatory celibacy for far too long. It has led to much sex abuse and far too many secret heterosexual and homosexual lives among the clergy. The paedophiles knew too much and the unfortunate cover-up went on.
Bishop Comiskey knew that mandatory celibacy was a problem way back in 1985. In fairness to him, he tried to raise the matter for discussion. For his attempt to speak the truth, he was rapped by Cardinal Daly and silenced by Rome.
The abuse of children, women and nuns by a small percentage of priests is only a symptom of the deeper malaise of abuse of power by the Roman control group at the heart of our Catholic Church. This group continues to abuse the large majority of good Catholic people by its refusal to move away from outdated authoritarian structures towards modern power-sharing systems which respect the dignity and value of each person. This group continues to refuse justice, equality and ordination for women.
This Roman control group refused to listen in the mid-1960s to the majority Catholic view on birth control, with disastrous consequences. The same group has buried Vatican II and denied its normal flowering to a whole generation. The aggiornamento of John XXIII and the badly needed reform of ministry, structures, ritual and language has not been allowed to proceed, thereby denying Good News to the people today.
Unfortunately, our Catholic Church today is, in some ways, a dysfunctional family. There is no open, honest communication and dialogue leading to consensus and change. Ordinary Catholics could have told Cardinal Connell years ago that child abuse was a crime. Ordinary Catholics are able to tell him today that it is a crime to deny equality, justice and ordination to women. Unfortunately, Rome is not listening and the abuse will continue.
I think it is high time for the large majority of good priests, bishops and lay people in our Church to take a stand. It is time to bring down the "Berlin Wall". It is time to meet and speak the truth. The good priests are in a pivotal position of leadership if they listen to their consciences and to lay people, and set up parish councils and other structures for dialogue and power-sharing. - Yours, etc.,
JOE MULVANEY,
Sycamore Drive,
Dublin 16.