Problem Not Sexual Abuse, but Clericalism: Salesian Chief

Matters India ^ | 10/28/19

[marshmallow]

Siliguri, 26 October, 2019 — The Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco addressing a group of Salesians gathered at Siliguri in North Bengal said, “the greatest problem the Church faces today is not the scandal of sexual abuse of minors by its clergy, but the scourge of clericalism and power seeking by clerics.”

Rector Major, visitor from Rome, on his second visit to Kolkata province addressed the gathering in Italian. while Kolkata Provincial Father Nirmol Gomes translated into English.

The Salesian gathering consisted of Salesian Novices and professed confreres who numbered some 100 people.

“Clericalism is a disordered attitude of the clergy (priests and religious included),” the Rector Major explained saying, “it is an attitude of an excessive assumption of their moral superiority.”

When “Clerics feel they are superior, [and when] they are far from the people, clericalism shows up,” he warned.

Clericalism can be “fostered by priests themselves or by lay persons”— laypeople can fall into clericalism, by thinking that their contributions to the life of the Church are only second-rate, or that in all things, surely “Father knows best,” or that priestly virtue exhausts Christian virtue.”

Salesians of Don Bosco congregation consists of both priests (over 90 plus per cent) and lay brothers.

Rector Major explained further stating how clericalism is played out, “I am priest, have all the power, authority, the parish/institution is mine, lay people and women religious must obey me.”

“Sometimes some priests also take advantage of their position,” the superior general lamented.

The second major problem in the church, the visitor said, was “those who seek to accumulate power and do not make use of their position to serve, but to aggrandize their ambition (position).”

[Cicero]

Well, it’s certainly evident that THIS father doesn’t know best.

[Mrs. Don-o]

It' clearly not an either-or situation: these are mutually enabling, linked feedback behaviors.

Clericalism --> sexual abuse because a corrupt cleric thinks he can do no wrong and ought to always get what he wants.

Sexual abuse --> clericalism because the perps have to set up an opaque system to protect each other and cover for wrongdoing.

The fact that he sets it up as an either-or makes me think he's just deflecting.

I noticed, too, that the Salesians in the Amazon --- some of them anyway ---are saying they're not evangelizing or baptizing indigenous people, just listening, accompanying and appreciating.

When did they become non-Christian? Was there a turning point? The damnable history would be grim but interesting reading.

[mumblypeg]

Perhaps what he’s trying to say is, clericalism is the underlying cause of many problems, sexual abuse being one.

At least that’s what it seems to me.

[mumblypeg]

My sons attended a day-only boys school run by the Salesian order. The academic curriculum was outstanding, the religious teaching was beyond reproach. The students including my sons entered & won statewide science, language, math fairs as well as athletics, and they attended mass every morning before classes commenced.

The boys had field trips and dances with the Catholic girls’ school, with priests, nuns, and parents as chaperones.
The priests lived on campus and had a strict rule, no boys allowed in the priests’ residence, ever— to protect both the boys and the priests from any accusation or hint of impropriety.
That was twenty years ago and all of those Salesians are still working in schools and parishes, with no hint of scandal on any of them.
Thus my respect and love for the Salesian Brothers of St John Bosco will remain highest always.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Mum, glad to hear your good report on the Salesians. Very encouraging to hear they haven't rolled down the slope.

There must be some baddies who get quoted, though, --- possibly very few? I hope? ----who have succumbed to the now-ascendant fashion that "We don't baptize indigenous people. We learn from their beautiful relationship with the nature spirits." I regret being so hasty in my judgment, and I offer here a very *good* interview with a mission priest, Fr. Martin LaSarte, who, I think, show a wise and true and especially Christ centered Salesian missionary focus.

Thanks for correcting my bad lack of balance!!

[Fedora]

The rector major, Angel Fernandez Artime: In 2009 he was elected as Provincial for the Argentina South with headquarters in Buenos Aires. After his designation for a new position as Provincial in Sevilla, Spain, he was elected by the General Council as the new Rector Major.[4] Fernandez worked with Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, who later became Pope Francis.[5] As the new superior of his Order, he presided at the opening of the world celebrations of the 200th birthday of Saint John Bosco on January 24, 2014 in Turin.[6] :

[Clemenza]

A priest is a man with a certificate. Nothing more.