Posted on 11/15/2018 9:01:52 AM PST by ebb tide
f the scorching address by Francesco Cesareo, calling for negligent bishops to resign voluntarily, produced the most encouraging moment in the USCCB meeting, the low point might have come when Cardinal Joseph Tobin spoke, and made it abundantly clear that some prelates still dont get it.
After delivering a report on the investigations into Uncle Ted McCarrick in his Newark archdiocese (its complicated), Cardinal Tobin wondered aloud why people dont trust their bishops. What was there before? he asked rhetorically. What was our credibility built on, that it could be so swept away?
Let me attempt to answer that question. The credibility of Catholic bishops was built on the presumption that they would be honest with their people, and courageous in defense of the truth. It was swept away by twenty years of non-stop revelations that the bishops were not being honest, and not defending the truth. And the remaining shreds of credibility were washed down the drain when, rather than coming clean, prelates asked the public to accept implausible explanations of questionable conductsuch as, just to pick one example, claiming that a Nighty-night, baby Twitter message was intended for a sibling.
By the way, Cardinal Tobin also attempted to defuse the simmering anger of fellow bishops about the Vaticans refusal to authorize an apostolic visitation to probe the McCarrick scandal. He reported that the Vatican is currently conducting its own investigation that mess, with the help of an American lawyer. Thats more than Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, the president of the US bishops conference, apparently knew about the Vaticans involvement. Cardinal DiNardo had told the assembly that he did not know the status of the Vaticans investigation.
Does it strike you as odd that the elected leader of the episcopal conference was not briefed on the Vaticans investigation, but Cardinal Tobinwho, according to Archbishop Vigano, is one of the prelates whose promotion was backed by McCarrickwas? It shouldnt. Earlier in the USCCB meeting, Cardinal DiNardo had indicated that he was blind-sided by the Vaticans last-minute instruction to table the most important items on the agenda. But Chicagos Cardinal Blase Cupich was ready and anxious speak about the Vaticans intervention and the reasons behind it; evidently he had advance notice. Andstop me if youve heard this beforeCardinal Cupich is, according to Archbishop Vigano, one of the prelates whose promotion was backed by McCarrick.
And you still wonder why the bishops have lost credibility?
Ping
Your "credibility" "built on" a mistaken belief that your free will was better protected from temptation, than is afforded the laity.
It was swept away by DECADES of infiltration of the clergy by evil imposters, followed by the weakness of the faithful and the failure to do what is right.
matthew
Tobin is a known sodomite. Bergoglio knows it and could care less.
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