Dr Rosemary Eileen McHugh
September 25th, 2012 at 5:48 amI have tremendous respect for the courage of the members of the Association of Catholic Priests in Ireland. At this time in the history of our church, you are fostering dialogue, which is critically needed in our church.
I do not know how the Association of Catholic Priests is doing in the States. If they are looking to you as their model, I will be hopeful that something good will come of all of this for the church.
However, if the American ACP prefers to reflect the views of the American hierarchy, who just seem to want to please the Pope at any cost, rather than face the real needs of the church, then I do not have much hope for the American ACP.
In regard to the clergy sexual abuse scandal, Archbishop Martin is doing a fine job in Dublin in making the abusers accountable. In contrast, the American hierarchy are still denying that sexual abuse by priests is happening, when they can get away with their lies. The American bishops even re-victimize the victims in court through their lawyers. The American bishops are definitely not acting as Good Shepherds, in my view, and neither is the Pope acting as a Good Shepherd.
If the priests, bishops, cardinals and the Pope would reflect on and do what they believe Jesus would do in similar circumstances, I believe that there would be more success at ending the abuse of innocent children. In my experience, as a Catholic physician, the hierarchy in the US are just looking to the Pope as their model, and not Jesus.
I believe that the Pope and Curia want to suppress all dialogue, and want us all to act as obedient children, so that they can maintain their power. Unless there is dialogue, there cannot be healthy change.
Thankyou for supplying ways of being able to dialogue about the critical issues in our church.
Sincerely, Dr Rosemary Eileen McHugh, Chicago, IL.
What Archbishop Martin thinks of the ACP. Association of Catholic Priests
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