Letter to Benedict XVI -2011

JOHN HAUCK

40 Fuller Terrace, Albany, New York 12205

518.869.0458

jackhauck@yahoo.com

June 11, 2011

His Holiness Benedict XVI

Apostolic Palace

00120 Vatican City State, EUROPE

Dear Pope Benedict,

Out of love and concern for the Church, understood as all of the baptized faithful, I am writing this letter to share some of my thoughts.

Consider the following: Judas betrayed Jesus, Peter denied Him three times, and all of the other apostles disappeared into hiding when He was about to be crucified – and it was only the women who stood by Him all the way.

And consider that the Vatican’s stand on ordaining women as priests is a disciplinary issue and not an infallible doctrine of the faith. When the Vatican identifies this issue as something that should never be discussed, they guarantee that it will be debated and discussed for years and years to come.

A more reasonable theoretical discussion could center on the following: Should the Church continue to ordain males to the priesthood? Think for a moment also of how well the male hierarchy has handled the mission of the Church.

An unimaginable number of priests sexually abused thousands of children all over the world – and this was done with the knowledge of Pope John Paul II who did nothing. The response of the bishops was to cover-up what was going on. All of them became accessories to the crime.

Under pressure from the media, guidelines were developed in Dallas on how to handle pedophile priests - but not a mention of the involved bishops who still are not held accountable and for whom there are no consequences. Just the opposite! John Paul is now in the process of being canonized. Cardinal Law received an important position in the Vatican. Cardinal Justin Regali who was in charge of the recent fiasco in Philadephia was appointed as your special envoy.

Cardinal George last year said, “Now that the scandal is over, it’s time for the bishops to reassert their authority.” He misspoke but the bishops should have authority. That is their role and responsibility in the Church. What they currently lack is respect and credibility.

An outstanding priest, Fr. Roy Bourgeois, is being drummed out of Maryknoll because he believes that the Church is sexist, which it is, and that women should be considered for ordination. Bishop Morris in Australia was fired and forced to resign because he believes these issues should be discussed.

Despite lip service from the Church, gay people are treated like unwanted beggars outside the gate. Cardinal Wuerl reasserts Apostolic Succession for the bishops to have the final word in matters of dogma, and this as it should be – but it does not mean that the bishops cannot be challenged by Catholic theologians and the faithful on their decisions and on how they make them. “The world being sinful as well as graced, society as indeed the Church itself is in need of criticism and transformation,” a quote from Elizabeth Johnson. Archbishop Sheehan from New Mexico wants to deny the Eucharist to people based on their marriage situation. The sacraments are for the people! Sacramentum propter hominem.

There is a significant exodus of Catholics from the Church and while the Catholic faithful in the parishes are aware of and worried about this, the bishops haven’t even considered this issue as a possible agenda item for their meeting.

Pope John Paul II said a few years ago, “The laity are useful only in so far as they support the bishops.” First of all, the word “laity” is as divisive and insulting as his remark. It should be the “faithful.” And secondly the faithful are the Church, with different roles perhaps, but the same mission and responsibilities as the ordained. The clerical culture of privilege and control is one of the factors that has created a troubling division between the ordained faithful and the non-ordained faithful. How often have you heard that a priest who got himself into trouble was “reduced” to the lay state? That one word speaks volumes.

The “sensus fidelium” is still operative and needs to be given more recognition and respect. Part of the problem seems that the unordained faithful, for the most part, have been too complacent, too comfortable with what’s going on in their Church. It’s time for them to band together to storm the diocesan offices and the Vatican to make themselves heard and to demand that changes take place.

A quote from Elizabeth Johnson again: “First and last, the Church is the sacramental presence of the promise of God to the world, a community that despite its sinfulness signals to the whole world that God’s self-gift is continuously offered to all.” That statement applies to all the Church, ordained and non-ordained faithful, but I’m not sure that this is the signal the Church is giving to the world. If it is, I’m not sure the world is getting the message. We all have to get together on this.

I think back to my ordination in 1960 when I was sent to the missions in South America. Kennedy was president and Pope John XXIII was “at the end of the line and at the top of the heap.” He opened Vatican II and the whole Church was alive and vibrant and exciting. A classmate of mine wrote and said, “What a Church we were ordained for!!!!” And then he added, “And what a Church we’ll be buried from.” We went from the springtime of faith to a “wintry season” as described by Karl Rahner.

I do believe that there are many good bishops. My quarrel is that the not-so-good bishops are the ones who speak out and thus present a negative image of the Church to the world. This is not to say the Church doesn’t need reform. It does. Big time! The good bishops do not speak out because of fear of reprisal from the Vatican – or cowardice or careerism - or out of frustration and a feeling of hopelessness – or whatever. All of the good Bishops need to speak their truth loudly, clearly and frequently! Bishop Morris is a good example of that. Also Fr Roy Bourgeois and Archbishop Martin in Ireland.

John XXIII wrote in Princeps Pastorum that:

“Anyone who deems himself a Christian must know that he is bound by conscience to the basic, imperative duty of bearing witness to the truth in which he believes and to the grace that has transformed his soul.”

It would be good if Pope John XXIII could reappear on the scene. Well, actually, what we really need is at least two or three dozen John XXIII’s. I came across an old Irish song called “Only the Rivers Run Free.” I thought of how the bishops and the popes are not held accountable for their mistakes, poor choices or whatever. And how the faithful are, in a sense, held in a form of bondage as to what they can think and discuss and do…. all under the threat of excommunication or denial of the sacraments. I changed a word or two in the song.

John XXIII

John, where are you now when we need you?

What burns where the flame used to be?

Are you gone like the snow of last winter

And only the Bishops run free!

The flame of the Holy Spirit descends upon us as Church. We all need to be more open to that Spirit. And it is up to the hierarchy to lead the way that was initiated by Pope John XXIII and expressed by Thomas Merton.

“For my part I consider myself neither a conservative not an extreme progressive. I would like to think that I am what Pope John was – a progressive with a deep respect and love for tradition –

In other words a progressive who wants to preserve a very clear and marked continuity with the past and not make silly and idealistic compromises with the present – yet to be completely open to the modern world while retaining the clearly defined, traditionally Catholic position.”

Sincerely yours in our Catholic faith,

John Hauck