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Long Island NY Faith Convention IV Highlights
Long
Island NY Faith Convention IV was held on April 14, 2007.
The following highlights were submitted by Joe Bongiorno,
Steering Committee Northwest Nassau Parish Voice, April
21, 2007.
David Gibson on “The
Rule of Benedict:
What the Future Holds for Catholics and this Pope.”
-
Congratulated VOTF for having survived
the five-year threshold for a new organization;
that is
a sign we are here to stay! He senses universality
among VOTF members as he meets them in his wide-ranging
travels. VOTF has definitely changed the dialog
in the Church regarding accountability. We have
a voice
that has impact. Some Bishops think they can
ignore us, but they cannot.
-
Noted that the white smoke tradition for
announcing the election of a new Pope is only about
100 years
old, but the Church makes it seem as though it has
been around from the very beginning. Canonization
of Popes is not traditional – prior to modern
times one would have to go back 400 years to find
a canonized
Pope.
-
Raised concern about who is running the
Church when a Pope becomes physically and/or mentally
disabled,
especially with the life prolonging abilities of
modern medicine. Thinks that it is good for the
Church to
have new Popes periodically. Has confidence in the
Holy Spirit’s hand in the process, but historically
does not see the Spirit’s hand in every case.
-
Stated that many people still wonder who
Joseph Ratzinger was and who Pope Benedict is.
The Pope likes
to separate himself from the decisions he makes saying
they are not personal. He was formed as a Bavarian
German and remains one. The Pope is a cultural Catholic – no
conversion experience. He cannot accept the past
errors of the Church with respect to anti-Semitism
and the
response to the Holocaust. Benedict is focused on
the beauty in the Church. He is enshrined in ecclesiology.
Benedict is old-fashioned and conservative – activism
and reform are out of bounds. He does not have his
finger on the pulse of the laity. The Church is less
politicized under Benedict than it was under John
Paul II.
Camille D’Arienzo, R.S.M. on
“ Preaching: A Ministry in Distress.”
-
Indicated that the proposal by the VOTF
Priest Support Working Group to study the priesthood
and its
impact on the laity called out to her. She saw
it as a way to promote an important conversation
among Catholics.
Her hope is relentless.
-
Noted that the majority of practicing Catholics’ needs
are met at weekend Mass, so it is very important
that they hear good homilies. Some priests and
deacons are
not gifted in this way. There is also the problem
of the priest shortage and the number of priests
whose
first language is not English. So un-ordained, qualified,
enthusiastic preachers should be considered as an
alternative. She enjoys her one-minute Catholic
commentaries on
1010 WINS each week, but would prefer the pulpit
and is available. She pointed out that a preacher
in the
Vatican household has said that humanity is in need
of a woman’s heart.
-
Wished that there was some mechanism in
place to critique homilies. Homilies should connect
to social
issues – unjust wars, immigration, the homeless,
etc.
- Mentioned that the Brooklyn diocese is allowing “reflections” at
Mass by un-ordained preachers after communion. She
feels, however, at that point there is a dis-connect
from the readings and gospel so that the presentation
is not as effective.
Anne Barrett Doyle of BishopAccountability.Org
- Announced that a report entitled “Parishes,
Schools, and Facilities in the Rockville Centre Diocese
Where Priests and Brothers Accused of Sex Crimes Have
Worked” has been listed on their website. It
shows that over 67% of parishes in the diocese had
at least one accused priest working there at some time
since 1950. One parish (St. James in Seaford) had seven
accused priests. In another parish (St. Dominic’s
in Oyster Bay), 3 accused priests logged 41 non-overlapping
years in the rectory. In total, nearly 1,000 person-years
were logged by accused priests. Visit www.bishopaccountability.org.
Richard Sipe on “Learning from Our History;
Celibacy and How to Protect Against Abusers.”
-
Urged VOTF to keep focused on its goals,
remember its place in history, intervene effectively,
and speak
truth to power. VOTF should remain a movement and
not become an organization – Jesus started
a movement…
-
Said that he was a consultant to
the Boston Globe prior to publication of their
first story
on the sex abuse crisis and that they expected
ten or
so similar cases might unravel. By the time they
had completed their investigation, more than 150
priest-abuse
cases had been identified and 1,200 stories had
been written.
-
•Concluded from interviews with 1500 priests
or their sexual partners between 1960 and 1985 that
nearly 50% of priests were sexually active: 6% of
priests were sexually involved with minors, 20 – 25%
were involved with adult women, and 15% with adult
men. Celibacy is a vocation that has to be taught,
nourished, and understood. Not enough is being done
in the seminaries in this regard. Instead the Pope
and Bishops are focused on preserving the myth of
celibacy.
- Claimed that the Church
is wrong about sex. The Bible is not the authority
on sexuality
and science.
As Copernicus and Galileo had to teach the Church
that the earth moves, the laity has to teach the
Church
about sexuality. Each of us has the capacity to
determine what is right and what is wrong. But sex
is the original
addiction and has to be handled responsibly. Separation
of science from philosophy and religion was a milestone
in the advancement of mankind. It is a matter of
reason verses blind loyalty.
- Pointed out that a top job of a Bishop
is to protect the Church from sexual and financial
scandal.
Bankruptcies have been filed to keep records secret
and to avoid having to testify under oath. Millions
of dollars have been spent by Dioceses on this stonewalling.
The Church can exert enormous power on those who
accuse them. Visit http://www.richardsipe.com/.
Liturgy of the Word: The assembled participated in
a closing prayer, which used Resurrection verses
for silent reflection. We too are witnesses of the Resurrection
of Jesus, bringing his light to the world by our
deeds and proclaiming, “My Lord and My God.” All
joined in singing “Christ Be Our Light”,
which brought Faith Convention IV to a close, and
sent us forth renewed!
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