A Louisiana Catholic Looks at Spring 2002 in the Catholic Church

I keep reading that the Catholic Church is in "crisis." Maybe in some dioceses, but things seem pretty quiet here. Holy Week went on as usual, confirmations are being made - it seems like a normal spring for the church to me.

I do have a bigger smile on my face, though. I am known for speaking my mind and sometimes I complain when priests and other church leaders seem to fall short of biblical standards for personal conduct. Last December in confession I told my priest that I harbor anger against some local church leaders who have behaved in ways that set a bad example for my teenage daughter. "I am so mad," I said. "They make my job as a parent so much harder. I try to teach her right from wrong and then people at church do wrong and suffer no consequences. That just undoes all my parenting. I am a very angry person."

Usually after confession, I feel free of whatever it was that I discussed with the priest. This time, the anger stayed with me. But the news of the last few weeks, and the fact the church leaders are being called to answer for their behavior and the behavior of others under their jurisdiction, have brought me some relief. Priests, bishops, deacons, music leaders, youth leaders are being called to repent of their sins. Some have resigned. Some more should resign. And all with reasonable minds should now with all their hearts understand that they are responsible for their actions and should take their responsibilities very seriously. Persons with sexual problems should leave their posts.

Even priests and other church leaders with no problems of a sexual nature often need more training. Examples of areas in which some priests are deficient are: money management, personal counseling and church administration. Some priests themselves need counseling because of unresolved issues from their own childhoods that result in immature behavior and make them unsuitable for parish leadership. Maybe in the past, Catholics were just happy to have a priest to say Mass. But those days are gone. As the public in general becomes more educated and sophisticated, we do not accept that a priest is "OK" just because he can say a Mass. Priests must have skills commensurate with the culture in which they serve.

I am not angry anymore. I feel relieved. Other adults have made the call for the servants of the church to clean up their act. Some of the personal revelations of abuse are sickening and shocking. And the cover-up is equally revolting. I am a convert to Catholicism and over the past few years, I have been told to "be quiet." There seems to be an unwritten policy of "not hanging out the church's dirty laundry." I have been puzzled. WHY DON'T WE JUST WASH THE DIRTY LAUNDRY? It seems as if now the church is being taken to the cleaners, and I just smile. Dirty laundry is supposed to washed, not kept in a secret pile to mildew and rot.

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