"Dogs that do not bark." "Paid servants who run away before the wolf."
With January 22, the 34th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, coming up, now would be a great time for Cardinal Roger Mahony to send a powerful Respect Life open letter of admonition to each of the many pro-abortion Catholic politicians who flourish in our Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C., who says there is "no reason" for him to say anything about Nancy Pelosi, is another bishop who needs to write his politicians.
I will wait a moment for your peals of laughter to subside -- or your tears. That is because neither the Cardinal nor the Archbishop is likely, to say the least, to write such a letter.
But they should, because of the babies whose lives are at stake. They should also do it just to live up to what they and the rest of our U.S. Bishops say they should do, in their 1998 document Living the Gospel of Life: A Challenge to American Catholics (click on this post's title):
"29....Nonetheless, some Catholic officials may exclude themselves from the truth by refusing to open their minds to the Church's witness. In all cases, bishops have the duty and pastoral responsibility to continue to challenge those officials on the issue in question and persistently call them to a change of heart. [emphasis added] As bishops we reflect particularly on the words of the Office of Readings:
"Let us be neither dogs that do not bark nor silent onlookers nor paid servants who run away before the wolf. Instead, let us be careful shepherds watching over Christ's flock. [emphasis added] Let us preach the whole of God's plan to the powerful and the humble, to rich and to poor, to men of every rank and age, as far as God gives us the strength, in season and out of season, as St. Gregory writes in his book of Pastoral Instruction. -- 10 Boniface, Ep. 78: MGH, Epistolae, 3, 352, 354; from Liturgy of the Hours According to the Roman Rite (New York: Catholic Book Publishing Co. 1975)."
"Dogs that do not bark." "Silent onlookers." "Paid servants who run away before the wolf." Note that Ole Q, here, did not write those words. Our bishops themselves quoted them.
May you and I and our bishops take those words to heart and do our duty to speak out in defense of the babies. In season and out of season -- in other words, now and always.
Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C., who says there is "no reason" for him to say anything about Nancy Pelosi, is another bishop who needs to write his politicians.
I will wait a moment for your peals of laughter to subside -- or your tears. That is because neither the Cardinal nor the Archbishop is likely, to say the least, to write such a letter.
But they should, because of the babies whose lives are at stake. They should also do it just to live up to what they and the rest of our U.S. Bishops say they should do, in their 1998 document Living the Gospel of Life: A Challenge to American Catholics (click on this post's title):
"29....Nonetheless, some Catholic officials may exclude themselves from the truth by refusing to open their minds to the Church's witness. In all cases, bishops have the duty and pastoral responsibility to continue to challenge those officials on the issue in question and persistently call them to a change of heart. [emphasis added] As bishops we reflect particularly on the words of the Office of Readings:
"Let us be neither dogs that do not bark nor silent onlookers nor paid servants who run away before the wolf. Instead, let us be careful shepherds watching over Christ's flock. [emphasis added] Let us preach the whole of God's plan to the powerful and the humble, to rich and to poor, to men of every rank and age, as far as God gives us the strength, in season and out of season, as St. Gregory writes in his book of Pastoral Instruction. -- 10 Boniface, Ep. 78: MGH, Epistolae, 3, 352, 354; from Liturgy of the Hours According to the Roman Rite (New York: Catholic Book Publishing Co. 1975)."
"Dogs that do not bark." "Silent onlookers." "Paid servants who run away before the wolf." Note that Ole Q, here, did not write those words. Our bishops themselves quoted them.
May you and I and our bishops take those words to heart and do our duty to speak out in defense of the babies. In season and out of season -- in other words, now and always.
posted by Quintero at 11:28 AM
7 Comments:
As long as you're dreaming up fantasies about "Catholic" bureaucrats actually speaking out in favor of church doctrine, why not imagine that Roger has a boss who could call him into line when he chose to? This imaginary figure, let's call him (just for argument's sake) Il papa, would have the ability to direct the faith of billions of the world's faithful. And he would dedicate his life to defending the faith, if for no other reason, than to give proper guidance to the masses.
Why do you suppose that Benedict let's rogue shepherds like Roger do whatever the hell they want to? Is it possible that we're wrong and the overwhelmingly liberal hierarchy of the "church" is right?
I'm tired of the lack of action from Rome. If silence gives assent, then Rome has spoken long ago.
So much for "Happy Are Those Who Are Called to His Supper" as a means of eliminating scandal.It is obviously not worth the paper upon which it is written, except, perhaps, to make American bishops look good in Rome.
Dear Anonymous 10:23 p.m.,
Good comment, and well said. Many L.A. Catholics have wished and worked for many years to have the Popes call Cardinal Mahony into line or take further steps.
A real housecleaning could mean replacing how many cardinals and bishops? That would be pretty much unprecedented in the history of the Church.
The problem is difficult and deep.
One way to call the hierarchy into line might be to dump one ordinary as a warning to the others and then have the new bishop weed out his entire archdiocese or diocese.
The "fantasies" in this blogspot are more than that, of course. They might encourage and rally our friends clergy and lay, and might even give them an idea or two about what is possible.
Maybe such "fantasies" might "light brushfires in men's minds" and souls, God willing.
Seen that way, the "fantasies" could be blueprints for action in a future and better situation.
Dear Anonymous 9:26 a.m.,
Good point about "Happy..." True and worthwhile documents need actual teeth, sincere intent and strong, willing enforcers.
JOSEPH D'HIPPOLITO SAYS...
Both anonymous comments lay the blame where it ultimately should lie: with Rome. Only Rome can correct or discipline wayward bishops it appoints. If Rome fails or refuses to do so, then Rome not only is no better than those bishops; it is decidedly worse, since it should know better and doesn't.
Quintero, you had a canon law specialist occasionally make comments on your blog. Can he initiate a class-action suit against Cdl. Mahony and take it to Rome?
Dear Joseph,
Thanks for writing.
Maybe you could see what advice Mr. Charles Wilson of the St. Joseph Foundation would have about a class action lawsuit.
By the way, sorry this link is not clickable here, but it is a good reference page about Canon Law:
http://www.catholic-pages.com/dir/canon_law.asp
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