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No, it isn't. Perhaps the methodology is debatable--but not the overall indifference of the Church to the problem of widespread homosexuality and corruption among the clergy. That is NOT debatable.

Consider this: a few days ago a story surfaced that a priest was staying at Cardinal George's residence whenever he visited Chicago. The priest is a liturgist and was working on a project of interest to the Cardinal. Fine--except that this priest had once been a schoolteacher who pleaded guilty to the sexual abuse of a minor. Think of it a minute. This priest--while still a layman--had abused a kid sexually and publicly admitted this act--and yet was allowed to become a candidate for the priesthood and eventually get ordained--and this at a time when hordes of orthodox, straight, pious young men were complaining of being rejected by seminary gatekeepers.How come? And how come the Cardinal, knowing his background, still honors him at a time like this, by inviting him to stay at his personal residence? What's going on here, do you think?

If you happen to think this is happenstance, consider this as well: recently the Cardinal invited the disgraced bishop, Daniel Ryan of Springfield, IL, to co-consecrate at the elevation rite of a new bishop. Bishop Ryan, you will remember, resigned in disgrace after a group of laymen proved he had been sleeping with teenage boys for years and had been sexually harrassing and sleeping with priest-subordinates. Yet Ryan was paraded by the Cardinal as a religious leader in good standing at this prestigious religious ceremony.

Do you deny this has the smell of corruption?

Do you deny this has the smell of corruption?

No. But I do give people the benefit of the doubt - Cardinal George said he didn't know about the priest's past - should he have? Ya. I'll have to re-read his statement on this. All in all, every day I see the wiseness of a George Weigel who says that we are all called to a life of piety and conversion... if each one of us took our faith and lived it, there would be no such stories. And in that same vein, I am reminded every single day of the Pharisees. Listen to what they say, but do not imitate their ways. Put your faith in no man.

I don't know about the other story, but I will look into it sometime today and comment back about it.

Can we not (I'm begging you) have this escalate into a "Rome is corrupt" "the pope is complicit" conversation?