Column
by
Archbishop John G. Vlazny
|
Archbishop's
Column by Archbishop John G. Vlazny |
We all need the courage, humility to
recognize our wrongs
4/7/00
The secular world seemed startled by the
news of Pope John Paul II’s
“request for forgiveness” liturgy in St.
Peter’s Basilica on the First
Sunday of Lent. The admission of wrongdoing
is never easy, especially when
it is your own. We have all learned rather
painfully that the call to
faith is no guarantee of virtue. It is
simply a call to conversion, from
evil to good, from sin to grace, from
selfishness to love, a process which
is for all of us both lifelong and ongoing.
Our Holy Father’s readiness to hang out
the dirty laundry of past
Christians is no signal that we can forget
to do our own wash at this time
in history. When the Pope issued his apostolic
letter on this Jubilee Year
2000, he pointed out the need for the
Church at the end of the second
millennium to “become more fully conscious
of the sinfulness of her
children, recalling all those times in
history when they departed from the
spirit of Christ and his Gospel.” The
admission of our guilt and a request
for pardon are long-standing and honorable
practices that lead to healing
and grace.
Last month the Vatican opened the cause
of sainthood for Dorothy Day. This
announcement was also greeted with surprise
by some people. After all,
before her conversion to Catholicism at
age 30, she had gone through a
divorce and had an abortion. But she firmly
believed that God’s wonderful
mercy can reach the human heart with love
and forgiveness, no matter how a
person may fail. She clearly saw faith
as a call to conversion and she
lived out her commitment to Jesus with
great generosity and love. She
devoted her entire life to the poor. She
served the immigrant population
in New York City. She worked tirelessly
for justice, even participating in
acts of civil disobedience and going to
jail for her principles. She
practiced and preached non-violence.
With the opening of Dorothy Day’s cause
for sainthood, she may now be
called “servant of God.” Dorothy Day serves
as a reminder to all of us
that no one is excluded from the mercy
of God. We need the courage and
humility to recognize our wrongs and be
faithful to the Gospel.
The memories of sin and the need for reconciliation
are close to home this
spring as here in the Archdiocese of Portland
we have been informed of
allegations of child abuse involving a
priest. Even though our present
information suggests that these are incidents
that may have a history of
some 30 or more years, they are disturbing
and shocking allegations which
trouble all of us greatly.
As I write, I remain quite uncertain about
the ways in which these matters
will unfold before us during the coming
months. But, as your archbishop, I
want you to know that I am truly sorry
for the tragedy and destructiveness
of any such regrettable offenses. Furthermore,
I promise to continue to
address and support effective and just
solutions with respect to sexual
misconduct in the life of the Church.
Child abuse by anyone is a moral and
legal wrong that I, as archbishop, will
not tolerate.
When confronted with similar allegations
in my service as a bishop in
Minnesota several years ago, I made some
important pledges to the clergy
and people there. I want to renew these
promises to the Catholic community
of western Oregon this Lent.
First of all, I promise not to misuse my
own position and power while
serving the people of God. I will be open
and sensitive in dealing with
concerns about sexual or physical misconduct.
Secondly, I will be supportive of persons
who make complaints about sexual
or physical misconduct. I promise to work
for an appropriate resolve.
Next, I will consider all allegations
of sexual or physical misconduct
involving minors and legally protected
adults with utmost seriousness. I
will use the appropriate means to investigate
every allegation presented
to me.
Finally, I shall work and pray for reconciliation
with all victims and
their families and do what I can to assist
their healing. I shall also
advocate for the appropriate treatment
for any offender, be that person
ordained, religious or lay.
Please pray with particular fervor now
for our priests. They are good,
generous, zealous and trustworthy servants
of the Church. But these
allegations understandably raise questions
which are hurtful and
demoralizing to them. The serious failings
of a brother will inevitably
diminish the good name of any family.
Please stay the course. Lift up my
brother priests. God will surely provide.
Pope John Paul II has been an inspiration
for all of us in so many ways.
But his humble “confession of sins and
asking for forgiveness” is a
special grace for me at this time in my
ministry of leading this local
church. Terrible sins at times impede
the Church’s saving work. As in the
gospel parable, the wheat and the weeds
continue to grow together. The
Church is always in need of purification.
The penitential nature of the Lenten season
invites all Christians to a
humble acknowledgement of personal sin
in union with our Holy Father.
I too frankly and sincerely ask pardon
for our sins with the sure hope
that God will renew the Church during
this year of jubilee so that it will
continue to bring His salvation to the
world.