Media mischief or institutional blindness?

I see that the Vatican's spokesman/friend/supporter on BBC R4 this morning again turned to the defence that there an anti-Cathiolic stance is very much in vogue and that many of the issues facing catholicism stem from this 'ant-semitic' styled abhorrence and undermining.

I got lost by his maths but he seemed at one stage to say that there was only 958 paedophile priests and then suddenly it was only 1:4,000 which then transmuted into the more acceptable, "One in the whole corpus of priests would of course be too many!"

I heard a broadcast in which one of those phoning in claimed the 'faithful Catholics' would not be swayed by media reports or incidents of abuse in their communities - they would be loyal regardless of what people tell them because Catholics don't sway from their allegiance to the Pope and the church just because of what's going on.

This is something to applaud and be concerned at in equal measure. Loyalty is excellent, blind loyalty less so and I think the damage some seeking to help might be worse than the initial concerns.

This is a crisis and it seems that only some of those involved are helping better the situation.

What lessons does this have for the CofE I wonder, for I'm sure that they (and other denominations too) are not exempt?

Specks and motes, judging and being judged, rejoicing in the situations facing others - all seem to be applicable here.

Speak first, apologise later

Once again Rowan has spoken out and then, very much like Benedict, apologised later.

Now he's apologising for saying something that many obviously think and feel and to be honest, stitch-up by clever editing by the BBC apart, I don't think he was actually being that controversial or damaging for the Catholics. He's certainly not done any more damage to the RC church than he has to many Anglicans, who are well used to having him and the result of his intelligence cause them to appear in such a light that other faiths (Islam being an example ) regard them as failing, fallen and apostate.

I hope that the words of Cardinal Sean Brady, uttered in Armagh today are true for the whole of the catholic church (and beyond) when he says that, "There is now no hiding place for abusers in the church." Of course the sadness is that there was and many carried out the abuse because those in authority practised 'turning a blind eye' and ignoring what was before them for a very long time.

I personally see nothing in what Rowan said that needs to be apologised for. I know his words will wound some, but they are neither malicious nor wrong and therefore merely need to be acknowledged and to be honest, some just seem to like being wounded and see the RC church as being persecuted. Get a life, persecution is what is happening to Christians in in Iraq at the moment - best wake up and smell the incense.

Mind you, I notice (reading around) that some Catholics are billing this as an attempt to win over some of the high church types who might be thinking of Tiber swimming excursions. Not so, because the words will do nothing for them and neither will they appease those who are troubled by the homosexuality issues so kindly brought to the fore by our American cousins. Sorry people, can't write Rowan's words off. You can't go round them, you can't go under them, you can't go over them - so you'd best suck it in and go through them and take stock and strive to make Sean Brady's words true.

No church, denomination or grouping is above honesty and integrity, Christ demands it and congregations and church members have the right to expect it. So best get it sorted and seek to restore the place of the church in Ireland and the rest of the world and whilst the RC's sort their situation perhaps Rowan might care to make some sort of comment over homosexuality too - there's enough to be done closer to home.

Happy Easter to one and all

PAX