The Scandal of the Cross; the Cross of the Scandal

“For He revealed His glory in the presence of chosen witnesses and filled with the greatest splendor that bodily form which He shares with all humanity, that the scandal of the Cross might be removed from the hearts of His disciples and that He might show how in the Body of the whole Church is to be fulfilled what so wonderfully shone forth first in its Head” (Preface, Feast of the Transfiguration).

“Rabbi, it is good that we are here!”

Hey, Catholics in 2018: You think so? Will a sight-and-sound-spectacular relieve the devastation of those affected by sexual abuse, especially at the hands of our own clergy who either committed it or allowed it to persist?

Then again, upon that mountain of the transfiguration and the hill of the cross, Jesus saw all this coming. No scandal has caught Him off guard. Somehow He has seen fit to respect human freedom to do such curseworthy things. It understandably remains the greater scandal that we allowed all this to happen, that leaders quietly continued the behavior by their further sinful actions against, and sinful failures to act for, abuse victims.

The feast of the Transfiguration showed up as if to signal the release of the grand jury report (presumed to be any day now). A day, like any other, that the Lord has made (Ps 118), though sinful human beings have lent these particulars of the grave misuse of power and sexuality.

Priests, bishops, and deacons initiated and/or enabled inappropriate relationships mostly with young males, yet also with men and women of majority age. These realities, recorded over several decades, came to the fore in 2002, but since then newer incidents have occurred, and other older incidents have been reported.

In their 2002 Dallas meeting, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops created "The Charter for the Protection of Young People." The recent news of abuse by former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick reveals the lack of oversight of the actions of bishops and the dangers of directing all accountability in these matters to bishops alone.

Under the hashtag #metoo, social media have been collecting countless stories of sexual abuse victims. While the movement began outside the Church, the Church unfortunately has added plenty of her* own stories.

The Collect for the Transfiguration proclaims that the Lord's splendid bodily form removed the scandal of the Cross from disciples' hearts. No doubt, a matter of faith, since the misuse of sexuality and power profoundly disfigures the person's innate bodily and spiritual dignity as a child of God--at least for many of the victims' own eyes.

Abuse often fosters abuse, of others or self, sexual and otherwise. One instance is abhorrent enough, but cycles and networks of it further obscure the "[fulfillment of] what so wonderfully shone first" in the Incarnate Son.

Christ's Body on earth, the Church, also bears the wounds of victims--yes, the ones that received abuse from her own leaders, but also the wounds of all victims and of their perpetrators.

The scandal of the Cross, the Cross of the scandal, is included among the poverty which Jesus once declared "you will always have with you" (Mt 26:11). That Catholic clergy and others entrusted with pastoral care have inflicted Christ's precious members with their own unchecked drives is an obstacle to faith in the Church and her Redeemer. And yet, we believe that Our Crucified and Risen Lord experienced victims' suffering upon the same Cross on which He bore the sins that caused the suffering.

I don't know if we will ever corporately "do better." That is part of my own crisis of faith in this regard. The corporate is only as good as the individual, so individually we can only do as better as the next choice before us, by refraining from all instances of exploitation and by focusing ourselves on holiness and virtue; and this too is beyond my limited power alone.

*In most of my discourse I have followed traditional use of feminine pronouns for the Church, reflecting the image of the Church as the spotless Bride of Christ. All members of the Church relate to Jesus as recipients and active respondents to His Total Gift of Self. Abuse can hinder the "spousal" receiving and giving of love in the hearts of victims, but God (may He be praised) can accomplish more than we know in anyone.

The Litany of Sinners

Our local daily ran the story of the concealment of child sexual abuse at the direction of several  members of Penn State's leadership.  Former FBI director Louis J. Freeh was tapped to lead an investigation into reports that dated back to 1998.  Freeh concluded that the university president, vice president, athletic director, and head football coach "failed to take any steps for 14 years to protect the children" that had been victimized by a popular and influential assistant football coach.

Sound familiar?

And the subsequent series of questions: How could such a widely respected institution place the reputation of its football program and its coaches above the welfare of children?  How could leaders sleep at night, knowing that other victims lay ahead?  How could people--even the victims and parents themselves--allow this to continue for so long?  How could this (or any) institution consider itself impervious to scrutiny, criticism, and reform?

Disturbingly familiar.

There is no solace to be found in protesting, "See?  The Catholic Church isn't the only institution that has failed in this regard!  How many years have people been ignoring what goes on in untold numbers of families, schools, orphanages, and religious bodies?"  I suspect that even the most vehement watchdogs and opponents would concede these points without considerable arm-twisting.

Penn State University has begun to experience what the Catholic Church has been walking through for at least two decades.  Whenever it should happen to any institution, it's about time.  Apparently exposure must happen for repentance and reform to become standard operating procedure.

The Church all around the world is beginning to address these realities squarely.  Thanks to Mr. Freeh's recommendations, PSU will do likewise.  Whether on a corporate or personal level, primary attention must be paid to those who hurt, and not just to shut them up or quell our own guilt.  See, it's not about "us" and "how 'they' feel and what 'they' think about us."  When reputation becomes more important than character, there's trouble.

The protection of children involves education, vigilance, and most of all, sound formation in virtue.  No matter how much we think we know, we often need to be reminded how to be human beings made in the image of a wise and loving God.

There is no room for self-pity in the Church or in any network of persons where abuse has occurred.  There is copious room for compassion, contrition, and gratitude: compassion for victims; contrition for all sins of commission and omission; gratitude for our children and for the formative role that we still have and hold with profound reverence.

Some years ago our parish must have conducted a prayer service for victims of child sexual abuse.  I discovered a "Litany for Healing" in one of the drawers in the vesting case.  It is included below (with some modifications).

Lord, have mercy.  Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.  Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.  Lord, have mercy.

Protect all children, Lord, with your enduring love.
Grant us the grace, Lord, to guard and nourish the innocent.
Preserve our nation, Lord, to be chaste and pure in love.

For children wounded and tearful, save, heal, and protect them, O Lord!
For children confused or alone, save, heal, and protect them, O Lord!
For children afraid or abandoned, save, heal, and protect them, O Lord!
For children beaten, save, heal, and protect them, O Lord!
For children who sleep in fear, save, heal, and protect them, O Lord!
For children afraid to go home, save, heal, and protect them, O Lord!
For children afraid of their abusers, save, heal, and protect them, O Lord!
For children assaulted, save, heal, and protect them, O Lord!
For children whose innocence has been stolen, save, heal, and protect them, O Lord!
For those who cannot trust, save, heal, and protect them, O Lord!
For those who cannot love, save, heal, and protect them, O Lord!
For those whose hearts are filled with fear, save, heal, and protect them, O Lord!

For the Church, called to be the light of the world, banish all darkness from her children, O Lord!
For Bishops, called to be Good Shepherds, make them vigilant defenders of the weak, O Lord!
For Priests, conformed to the person of Christ, grant them purity and Christ-like love, O Lord!
For all ministers of the Church, called to live the Gospel, grant them a love of Christian virtues, O Lord!
For clergy and religious who have abused children, grant them repentance, O Lord!
For parents or relatives who have abused children, grant them repentance, O Lord!
For teachers or coaches who have abused children, grant them repentance, O Lord!
For all who have abused children, grant them repentance, O Lord!

To doctors and therapists, Lord, grant compassion and skill.
To houses of healing and renewal, Lord, grant concern and dedication.
To men and women of the media, Lord, grant a love for truth alone.
To lawyers and judges, Lord, grant wisdom and conviction.
To those imprisoned for abuse, Lord, grant repentance and healing.
To silent victims and witnesses of abuse, Lord, grant honesty and courage.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!
Saint Peter and Saint Paul, pray for us!
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, pray for us!
Saint Maria Goretti, pray for us!

Lord, have mercy.  Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.  Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.  Lord, have mercy.