..."Now that system is part of a problem so serious that it is undermining not only the moral authority of the Catholic hierarchy all the way to the pope but the Catholic proclamation of the gospel itself.
That proclamation is finally the only mission of the church; the priesthood, as well as the institutions that form its members, must empower that mission, not cripple it. The residential seminary system is hardly part of the deposit of faith, and there are other ways to prepare clergy. Priestly training should create pastors to shepherd God’s people, not a clerical system that fails the weakest of those in its care."
This article by Bryan Cones provides a much needed critique of the seminary system as a part of the problem in the current sexual abuse crisis. It fosters loyalty in the all-male clerical club and is out of touch with real life in the real world, and of course, women are completely left out of this picture. Not only does the Roman Catholic Church need to gut the present clerical system that protects its own at the expense of its flock, but treat women as Jesus did, equal members and partners in ministry. Bridget Mary Meehan
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