When Pope Francis first ascended to the papacy in 2013, he was a fresh face for a church that was losing influence in a changing world. As the first South American pope, he tried to bring the church into the 21st century by railing against climate change and global poverty while opening up the church to the LGBTQ+ community. For a while, it seemed like the Catholic Church had been able to move past its darker past and enter a new era, that is until the new pope was accused of covering up sexual misconduct.
Two weeks ago, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, the former Vatican ambassador to Washington, accused the Pope of elevating ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick to a position of prominence despite knowledge of previous sexual misconduct. The pope has not returned with a comment, but whether the accusations prove true, the incident has many Catholics asking how many more times will they have to hear stories like this, and what can be done.
Some, like Reverend Irene Monroe, won’t stand for it anymore. On Boston Public Radio this morning, she said the duty fell on Catholics to be honest with themselves and the public, and demand change in the church.
“Pope Francis was going to Ireland because he was asking for forgiveness,” Monroe told Boston Public Radio this morning. “How do you forgive a church that hasn’t done anything in terms of re-educating its seminarians, weeding out those priests, changing canon law and for [Pope Francis’] own lapse of moral judgment and moral culpability.”
Others like Reverend Emmett Price, who joined Monroe on the show this morning, share her anger, but see hope in the high level of scrutiny abuse cases are getting from law enforcement agencies.
“The Catholic Church is not going to tell on itself. It’s not going to put its hands up and say you got us, but [attorney generals in New York and Pennsylvania] can.” Price told Boston Public Radio.
Law enforcement intervention doesn’t solve the whole issue, however, as many are still conflicted on how to form a relationship with an institution that has been plagued with scandals regarding sexual abuse for decades.
“How do you continue to go to church when there are factions of the church who aren’t supportive of your decisions? How do you keep your faith?” Price said.
It’s a question that’s coursing through the Catholic community right now, and both offered their own insight in how to balance their faith with the actions of some inside the church.
“Our faith is in God, not an ecclesiastical body,” Price said.
Meanwhile, Monroe kept it simple. “I call [bad behavior] out.”
