Scandal in the U.S.catholic church; ancient tradition or life-style?

by Ted Cordova

The United States has been lately the Center of yet another scandal in the already crumbling traditions in millenary Catholic Churchthe most mportant Christian denomination,among others- almost 40, that coexist in the multirracial, pluricultural,free worshipping North American society.

It happens to be an issue of global disorder, because the Church of Rome is global and even “universal, as its theologians have sustained since centuries.

However today, in the most powerful empire that ever existed. a so called “prince" of the Roman catholic church, has been be brought to a Court of justice, to respond at very serious charges according to the law of the land, and not under any kind of sancta sanctorum protection,

Boston Cardinal Bernard Law answered lawyers' questions in a rare deposition of a high-ranking church leader Wednesday. May 6th. and insisted he relied on the advice of doctors and subordinates when he approved the transfer of a priest accused of molesting children.

The deposition was ordered in a lawsuit filed by 86 people who say Law and the Boston Archdiocese failed to protect youngsters from the Rev. John Geoghan, who has been accused of sexually abusing more than 130 children over three decades.

Last week, the archdiocese backed out of a settlement worth of up to $30 million with Geoghan's alleged victims. With no settlement in hand, a judge ordered the deposition immediately, expressing concern that Law could soon be summoned to Rome, beyond the reach of the terrenal Court, according to American press reports.

Law, who has withstood repeated calls to resign, arrived at the Courthouse amid heavy security for the first of several days of testimony. However , the Boston Judge Constance Sweeney, blocked for 30 days the transcripts of Cardinal Law’depositionto the questions about the church child sex scandal.

The deposition was closed to the public but was videotaped and could be used in a trial if Law is not available. An 88-page transcript of the morning session was released by the plaintiffs' side.

Over the past few months, the nation's Roman Catholic Church has been rocked by a scandal that began in Boston when it was disclosed that officials knew about the allegations against Geoghan but did little more than move him from parish to parish.

The uproar has led to the dismissal or resignation of more than 120 priests across the country and prompted Pope John Paul II to summon America's cardinals to the Vatican to discuss the crisis.

Law's deposition is a legal rarity for someone of such high church standing. In 1995, Cardinal Roger Mahoney of Los Angeles gave a deposition in a case brought by two brothers who claimed they were molested by a priest.

Law's deposition began with the cardinal's attorney, Wilson Rogers Jr., making a standing objection to the questioning, saying, ``The inquiry into the inner workings of the Church was inappropriate.''

William Gordon, a plaintiffs' attorney, questioned Law about why he approved Geoghan's transfer in 1984 even though he had received letters and other evidence of abuse by Geoghan.

Catholic church is not only global, it is also”universal”, as its teologists presumed during the ages. Yet it is still unclear if those scandalous problems stem from the current American way of life, or from the inexorable rustynnes of almost two thousand years of mostly secretive History

A long string – a black rosarium – of many cases of sexual child abuse among the flock, mainly “pedophilia” term erroneously coined by the American media, that repeated, repeated and repetead, has stigmatized the entire catholic priesthood and almost demonized the image of the common Catholic priests.

There is in the U.S. a historic tendency for easy catholic bashing.

Thisnation started as a heaven for religious dissidents. The pilgrims fleeing from religious intolerance and persecution in Epostmedioeval Europe.The Catholic Inquistion was not the least of those times; English jealousy of the power of the Roman catholic church was also inherited.

Besides, the new northamerican republic independent of the British crown and with ideals of liberty and equality stemming from the French Revolution was born with ideas of liberty in many aspects of life, including the liberty to choose ways of worshipping God.

Roman catholic Church has been seen as an alien far away power, often linked to the richest classes and for this reason distant from the common Christian who found more acquainted with one of the many protestant denominations.

However, among protestant clergy, the cases of sexual scandals are also very frequent. When it happens, it is less scandalous because there is not a vow of celibacy among protestant clergy.neverthelestoris of protestant preachers foundguiltyof monetary crimes or misdemeanors involved in brothels ora kind of lascivelifestyle are very frequent.

Most cases deal with infidelity. Frequently Bible quoting or in God’s name dropping preachers that get involved with whores, or gay people.

Description of Elmer Gantry, a classic novel by Sinclair Lewis, epitomizes the corrupt protestan northamerican preacher.

In the current U.S. catholic scandalmis it only a consequence of the American life style?

Does it belong to the old sins and pecadillos of the self indulgent catholic church?

At any rate, it means a showdown-eye to eye, face to face- between old Catholic church and post modern rampant liberal American style of life? Successful catholic Irish-amrican- writer Frank McCourt (Angela's Ashes) has a one-line advice for Rome:”Abolish celibacy and get back to basics”.

Good, by sometimes it takes to several Popes of Rome and some centuries until the Church understands, digests and finally takes reformist action on a one-liner.

BIP