In March of this year the archdiocese of Philadelphia in the US temporarily suspended 21 priests because of alleged accusations of abuse. Cardinal Rigali reacted in this manner to the report of a jury at court. After an explanation by the archdiocese Rigali charged a retired states attorney with the examination of suspicious cases. Due to her recommendation 21 active priests were “administrative leave”.
Due to the “positive reactions” and the “praise” in the media for Cardinal Rigali many of his brother bishops followed his example , especially in Germany, and scored highly in the media. There is no question, that the “zero-tolerance-policy” towards priests who violated the most innocent is a mandate by the Church, by Bl. Pope John Paul II and his successor, Benedict XVI., eventually a mandate from God. There should be not the smallest doubt that guilty priests will be held accountable and that they will never again harm anyone. Please note that I wrote “guilty priests”. For so long as there is no proof of guilt our legal system practices what is both ethically and morally correct: “innocent until proven guilty”.
Not only in the US but in the whole world is the contrary principle widely applied: “guilty, until proven innocent”, especially in the German-speaking countries. Priests do not seem to be presumed innocent. The accusations against the director of the papal mission works in Austria (Missio), Monsignor Dr. Leo Maasburg, prove my point. This highly merited and deeply faithful priest was charged with sexual assaulta few weeks ago. Within hours the media was all over the story and passed a guilty verdict. After Fr. Maasburg was discharged, and all accusations were disproved both by the Church and civil authorities, hardly anyone reported that fact.
I have no doubt that some of the 21 suspended priests of the archdiocese of Philadelphia were accused falsely and are innocent. Perhaps the question of presumption of innocence can be a good opportunity to say something fundamental regarding the priestly service.
Guilty until proven innocent
How do we faithful practice this principle of the presumption of innocence? Dear Faithful, how do you treat your priest?
“Well, not always fair or with understanding”, many of you may reply. “But may we not expect from our priests a higher standard? After all it is they who should lead us to God. And what if he really became guilty of whatever offense? The Church demands a “zero-tolerance-policy.”
This is certainly correct and justified. Is it not better to “remove” an innocent priest than allow a guilty one to continue doing bad. But let us remember one thing. We are talking about the fate and wellbeing of a human person, an individual, a priest who is being convicted by public opinion before even an indictment is articulated. Since there is a de facto “guilty until proven innocent” approach for priests, every priest is guilty of something in this current ecclesiastical and medial climate. Some priests are removed because of the smallest and most absurd suspicions. Many times word goes against word and no solution can be found.
Absurd accusations and unfounded suspensions
In such manner priests are simply and quite literally “discarded” by their dioceses and their own bishops; priests who have offered their lives to God, who found their ways to the altar with excitement and sometimes under great sacrifices. Nobody is concerned about him, nobody looks after him, one would like to get rid of the worry about him. How about the duty of a bishop or the superiors to be like a father to this priest? In many cases priests are simply informed of their suspension in writing without any indication of the reasons. And if there are reasons they are often absurd and pathetic like in the following examples:
One of the 21 suspended priests in Philadelphia was reported to the diocese by the mother of a 14 year old girl. The mother found the priest’s mobile phone number on her daughter’s phone. The priest’s explanation for this is being confirmed by 30 other youth. At the beginning of a field trip to an adventure park the priest asked all 30 youth to punch his mobile phone number into their mobile phones. If someone got lost or needed help he could reach the priest at any time. The priest acted in a responsible and far-sighted manner. Despite this explanation which was confirmed by all who participated in this field trip, and although the mother withdrew her complaint the priest remains suspended.
Another example: A priest played soccer with his altar boys. When the priest landed a goal the boys of his team hugged him and jumped all over him just like you would see on TV and just like super stars with a million dollar salary like Messi or Ronaldo would do. One mother complained about this joint happiness to the bishop and the priest was suspended immediately.
In the German-speaking countries many priests administer the Sacrament of Reconciliation only in the sanctuary of the churches - if they administer it at all. The priest is seated on the one side of the altar, and the child on the other. There is loud song and prayer in church to ensure the Seal of Confession. The priest will only hear a child’s confession if mother and father are present in the pews and witness their child’s confession.
True pastoral care becomes impossible
Many priests will not let anyone into their rectory. Not women, not men, children, nor fellow priests. Sacristies of priests who do not wish to be innocently charged because they may have helped a boy to tie the altar boy knot, have turned their sacristies into forbidden zones, or prefer to celebrate Mass without altar boys, or they demand that two trusted people of the parish council are present. Many priests who cherish the Sacrament of Confession don’t offer it anymore. It is simply too “risky”. What if I am misunderstood? What if someone complains to the bishop? I will be suspended and don’t even know why. The bishop does not even want to know my version of the story.
Let us consider the consequences: true pastoral care becomes impossible. Seerving the flock becomes impossible for the priest. Pastoral conversation or spiritual direction can only be conducted in public – and that doesn’t work very well, because if a priest is seen in public with a women… (On the other side the media promotes the marriage of priests”). Most priests have stopped to offer Catechesis or preparation for First Communion or Confirmation - unless at least two adults are present as witnesses (if there is only one witness, it would be the word of one against the word of the other). I don’t need to mention the implications for vocations. In many dioceses there is an exodus of seminarians. When will this madness stop?
A plea for more common sense
Is all of this a complete exaggeration? Surely, it is not that bad - I recently heard. And yet, these are facts.
Maybe these words can be understood as some sort of a “plea for more common sense”. Where are the bishops who instead of standing up for their own priests so long as their guilt is not proven did rather worry about upsetting the media? Guido Horst in his blog calls them “sneaker bishops”. One Papal Nuntio called the bishops of his country of ministry “too timid and careful, without any conviction in their statements”. Mr. Horst is talking about a “generation of bishops who sneak through the isles on 2 inch thick shoes. They know they cannot please everyone and therefore creep along the walls hoping to never having to confront anyone or be confronted by anyone. Or they are quite pleased to pass on the problems to the Bishop’s Conference or the Vatican. - The exception proves the rule.”
A “Call to disobedience”?
Is it not incredibly bizarre that priests are instantly suspended because of the absurd suspicion of a suspicion with regards to an even more absurd issue (while many diocesan big wigs pad themselves medially on the back)? And at the same time more than 300 Austrian priests start a priest-initiative calling for public disobedience. The seven talking points on their homepage are all in open contradiction to the teaching of the Catholic Church and to the Gospel. Why are those priests still working in their parishes? Why are they not put on leave of absence?
No one of them was “forced” into priesthood. Everyone promised obedience to his bishop and his successors. If anyone of them would be an employee at McDonalds he would have been fired immediately…
Are we not applying a double standard here? Naturally, one cannot compare apples and oranges. But why are the bishops suggesting a dialogue with these dissidents while the only dialogue with faithful and obedient priests who are put “administrative leave” consists of the message that the bishop “cannot” speak with him due to “time constraints”.
How much we need bishops and faithful with a good dose of common sense. We had them in Austria, 20 yeers ago. And it’s the same group of priests making trouble in the Austrian Church since 20 years. All of them ordained in the 70s, all of them with a completely wrong interpretation of “Vatican II”. Now they have a carismatic leader, they are organized... And they have the media on their side. In Austria the media are completely opposed to the Catholic Church. There is one big broadcasting station influencing everything. In the 80s with Pope John Paul II. we got a lot of good bishops, but the media destroyed one after the other. One campaign agaist the Church or a bishop after the other. False statements from payed off witnesses. Made up stories or interviews.
Today our bishops are totally afraid of the media. Fleeing Shepherds. So many times times this group from the parish priest have provoked the bishops in being disobedient, but the bishops never reacted, till today they doesn’t stand up against them but they want to have a “constructive dialogue” because they respect the “conscience” of these priests. Card. Schönborn (Vienna) is very popular in the United States and he has a lot of his friends in the States. We have to pray for him for not being so afraid and intimidated by the Austrian Media. I wish he would speak in Austria the way he does when he’s visiting the US. As a priest I am sorry to have to speak up against the bishops of my country, but everything happening in the Austrian Church – and especially the influence of the priests from the parish-priest-initiatve- is eventually the fault of our bishops. The bishops never had the courage to speak up and now no one is taking them serious. They never had the courage to found or promote Catholic TV Stations or Catholic Internet Sites or promote the faith through the new social networks.
Obedience and prayer
What can a priest do, if he is unjust accused. The answer to these very worrisome circumstances of many priests can be found in two words: obedience and prayer. And out of this grows trust in the loving and merciful Divine Providence.
I want to remind all priests who are innocently accused or suffer from general suspicions of the example of St. Padre Pio. He was accused of all sorts of possible and impossible things. He was exposed to suspicions, and yet he humbly and obediently accepted all ecclesiastical disciplinary measures and prohibitions - no matter how unfair and unjustified they may have been. He accepted the priestly life as a life of sacrifice and did not resist it. He let himself be guided like a lamb to the slaughter. And it was this disposition that brought him closer to Our Lord.
Would not Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ be immensely comforted if many and innocently accused priests offered up their “suffering obedience” for the disobedience of so many other priests, and would He not be immensely comforted if these innocent priests made reparations for those priests who are openly disobedient and lead others to disobedience? Fr. Dwight Longenecker wrote recently in his blog: “... the Padre Pio example is the one to follow, and every priest who in these terrible times is just waiting for the phone call saying he has been accused, should plan that route. One is the way of the cross --which we have all been promised. The other is the way of the world.” Let us daily resolve to walk that path of the cross. Then no injustice will surprise us.
This thoughts can be a call to the faithful to pray more for their priests. Or some of you may wish to thank God in prayer for the gift of the priesthood and for good and holy priests. Others may feel encouraged to cheer on their priests, say a word of encouragement now and then.
We should all accept as guideline the words and example of Our Lord Jesus Christ: “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned, forgive and you will be forgiven”. (Lk 6:37)
Is it not simply just to ask ourselves the next time we read about accusations against a priest whether his guilt has been proven? Do I not owe it to God and the accused to assume his innocence until he has been proven guilty? When the masses scream “crucify him!” I shouldn’t go along, but go into prayer. That requires courage! And grace.
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