“What, Exactly, Do They Teach in Catholic Seminaries?” - Catholic Women Priests Part 6 by Diana Milesko

            There’s a saying that, “Power corrupts; and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”  When the Catholic Church becomes insulated and unaccountable to anyone it’s clerics can commit terrible wicked acts with impunity. A recent example of such corruption follows, along with the writer’s simple, yet deeply insightful, question.

      “A German Catholic priest admitted 280 counts of child sexual abuse. He said it never occurred to him that he was doing harm. He was molesting 9 year old boys. He had pornographic pictures of them on his computer. But he did not think what he was doing was wrong. What exactly do they teach in Catholic seminaries? How can anyone grow up in society and be unaware that raping children is wrong?”

            For Catholic clergy to be so oblivious to moral behavior is not just a sexual felony, which is bad enough. It not only contradicts every moral precept our Loving God and Jesus set down, which is worse. But for Catholic clergy to think such behavior is not villainously depraved reflects an institution that has no sense at all of what it is supposed to be doing. Sexual felonies committed by Catholic Church clergy--and worse, the apparent ignorance of morality that attends them--are a manifestation of deep decay.

            To prevent collapse of the Catholic Church, clergy on all levels must be taught that everything everyone does counts; they must be taught specifically and unambiguously that abuse of children and women is intolerable. Priests and bishops are in a position of monumental trust; it is critical for them to show, in every way, that all people are worthy of respect--especially children and the marginalized. The Catholic clergy must uphold the values Jesus taught and set an example for others.

            “By daily acts that often surprised his contemporaries, Jesus made God’s love for every human person clear. He made a special effort in the case of the poor, the vulnerable, the sick, the young and those publicly regarded as sinners. He showed they were invited into the communion of God’s love. For this reason the Church also, in all of its actions, [must] make clear the dignity and value of every human person, especially those most vulnerable.” [Integrity in the Service of the Church. 2011. Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.]

            It is essential that clergy be reminded again and again that every person has value; that they are loved unconditionally by God and must be respected; that raping children is wrong!

            En route to Mexico on March 22, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI spoke of the drug trade: “It is the responsibility of the Church to educate consciences, to teach moral responsibility and to unmask evil idolatry....”

            Women priests can add what the Pope omitted: We must not only TEACH moral responsibility, but PRACTICE it as well. The Pope further observed, “Marxist ideology no longer responds to reality. We have to find new models.” The Pope is right about communism. Now replace, ‘Marxist Ideology’ with ‘Church Hierarchy’ and paraphrase the Pope’s words, “The Church Hierarchy no longer responds to reality. We have to find new models.” 

            April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. This is a good month for the Church to reflect on the terrible abuses it’s clergy has committed against children.  It is a good month to begin to find new models, to create special programs that find and stop such sociopaths. 

            It is a good month to put aside all the fatuous posturing and excommunicating and balking about women priests--women ARE priests--and welcome the outreached hand they offer to help solve the problems in the Church today.  It is time for the Church, with both women and men clergy, to get on with the important business of honoring and practicing decency and justice within its ranks and throughout the world.