The Rev. Richard P. McBrien, professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame, and the author of The Church: The Evolution of Catholicism wrote in 2010 for Newsweek that Pope Benedict’s conservative moral agenda may ‘stall or fail altogether.’

The pope’s ideas about the church include his belief that interpreters of Vatican II overly weakened the church’s teachings on salvation outside the church (that is, they relaxed the message that only Catholicism can lead to salvation), ecumenical relations with other Christian communities, abortion, homosexuality, and contraception, for example. There is already an air of widespread indifference, if not outright opposition, to some of Benedict’s positions, such as those related to human sexuality and reproduction. via Newsweek

Whatever your religion, the power and influence of the Vatican is so great, that understanding their objectives is critical for all citizens of America. The recent sit-in of the Catholic bishops in their attempt to takeover the politics of American health care shook up many people, including me.

Are American Catholics ‘Indifferent’?

American Catholics should not be ‘indifferent’ or look the other way much longer on these issues. Religious freedom has worked in America’s democracy, because one religion doesn’t control the country.

Clearly, the conservative elements of multiple religions represent a strong coalition in American politics. With even Dick Cheney nodding to gay marriage — not making him a softie for a moment — Catholicism may now be the most conservative force in America.

Catholics at Vatican, via catholicvoteaction.orgAs Americans living in a ‘free’ democracy, whether or not Catholic agree to turn the altar around again, so that the priest doesn’t face the congregation, is their business — although factually speaking the Catholic laity has no input in the matter.

Catholicism is not democratic in any aspect.

Catholicism is as elitist as Wall Street, now more than ever. It’s also as patriarchal as Wall Street, although Wall Street doesn’t attempt to salve the open wounds of having almost no women calling the shots in the financial world by calling the bull ‘her’.

Marrying the Church as ‘her’ is about the only feminine principle operating in the Vatican. The remainder is an Old Boys Club, and from what Rev. Richard P. McBrien writes, Pope Benedict and executive swat team are determined to reverse democratic reforms put in place by the second Vatican Council.

In my own case, reading here and there about the Catholic Church, I knew that there was no progressive air anymore, but I had no idea that Pope Benedict actually seeks to turn the altar around. Symbolically, that’s quite a metaphor about who’s in charge of the Catholic faith these days.

Religion and Women

My personal issue with the Vatican is similar to my relationship with ultra Orthodox Judaism and Southern Baptists. There is little good news for women in these extreme patriarchal religious authorities, and their insistence on being the only religion that God will save causes war everywhere in the world. I now hold religion as responsible for war as political institutions.

I personally resent the Vatican’s suggestion that ‘petty gossip’ is driving writers like me to question their actions and motives. Those are comments one expects in a repressive military regime or from the mouth of Richard Nixon.

The scandal of the conservative Catholic Church’s biggest supporter and recruiter of new priests — the Legionaries of Christ — is morally nauseating and another example of the Catholic hierarchy considering itself to be above the law.

Reading carefully, not only the NYTimes, but the wise words of a highly-regarded Catholic like Rev. Richard P. McBrien, it’s clear that the Vatican isn’t immune to criticism. Why else would they minimize fatual reporting and posting of documents around the sex abuse cases as ‘petty gossip’?

It’s not ‘petty gossip’ to question why it take the Vatican 15- 25 years to defrock a known sex offender. Clearly, the Vatican hasn’t been bound by the laws of citizen-elected governments. This is the problem, although they fail to understand our concerns.

Separation of Church and State

Modern, evolved populations don’t like ‘governments’ not elected by people.

Yesterday’s AP report on the two sex cases in Tucson show records of a Catholic bishop pleading with the Vatican to take action in what was an obvioius case of a massively-deviant, sexual-predator priest. Because he molested boys in confession, the Vatican took years longer to decide his fate, due to the fact that confession was involved.

As a corporate executive, I cannot comprehend a system that takes 15 years to defrock a sexual predator and then only under the pleading and prodding of an American bishop. Simply stated, the Vatican may be the most patriarchal institution on earth.

As an American wanting to live in a civilized, law-abiding society I ask American Catholics to understand that their ambivalence or ‘looking the other way’ about the reversal of reforms in the Catholic Church affects all Americans: Episcopalians, Lutherans, Methodists, Muslims, Jews, Unitarians and many more denominations.

Catholicism is trying to run American politics.

Erosion of American Women’s Gender Equality

If you support the Catholic bishops political agenda, that’s your right as an American citizen, although I wish you would be the activists in Nancy Pelosi’s office and not the bishops’ lobbyists, which spit in the face of America’s alleged separation of church and state.

Alternatively, if you are looking the other way on the political views of the Catholic bishops, then I argue that you owe it to American citizens, who are equally affected by the bishops’ mission to return America to a more conservative country. In your silence, you endorse all these actions.

Granted, I’m a product of the late 60s|70s political movements where only 10% of students actually protested the war in Vietnam, civil rights and women’s liberation. Moral obligation requires Catholics to stand up for their country, not only the Vatican. Where are the 10% of American Catholics willing to speak out on this issue?

So I want to know exactly what vision the majority of American Catholics have for America? I’m clear about Terry Randall’s group, who wants Nancy Pelosi excommunicated, envisions for America. What do the majority of Catholics want for our country.

Catholic women have a disproportionately high number of abortions. Why do you not stand up for abortion rights under current law? Is it true that you vote the way the Catholic bishops instruct you to vote?

In the World Economic Gender Equality Index, American women are consistently losing ground against other countries. I hold Conservativism and Catholicism in particular, for putting American women behind the curve. In countries like France, women are making huge progress forward — jumping over America — because they keep a separation of church and state.

Against a Catholic President

When John Fitzgerald Kennedy became president of America, he disproved fears that a president could govern for the America first and the Vatican second. Do we actually believe that this separation of church and state is possible in today’s world, if a Catholic was elected president of the US?

I say ‘no’, and I would work against the election of a Catholic president today, unlike my advocacy for Bobby Kennedy, as a young women in the 60s.

All but the most courageous Catholic leader will be working for the Vatican, a group of guys who truly believe that they exist above the laws of modern governments. This is not my vision for America. I ask American Catholics to reflect on just what kind of country they envision in the future, because the Vatican is on a mission. There’s no doubt about it.

People retain the rights we hold dear. Ambivalence never triumphed in fighting patriarchal views which are deeply rooted in tribal, closed instutions and not modern democracies. Anne

Note: It’s not easy to understand exactly the procedures involved in the interaction of Catholic bishops and civil authorities in sex abuse cases.

The official, Msgr. Charles Scicluna, a doctrinal congregation official from Malta who deals directly with cases of priests accused of abuse of minors explains:

“In some English-speaking countries, but also in France, if bishops become aware of crimes committed by their priests outside the sacramental seal of confession, they are obliged to report them to the judicial authorities. This is an onerous duty because the bishops are forced to make a gesture comparable to that of a father denouncing his own son. Nonetheless, our guidance in these cases is to respect the law,” he said. via Catholic News

In countries where there is no legal obligation to report sex abuse accusations, Msgr. Scicluna said, “we do not force bishops to denounce their own priests, but encourage them to contact the victims and invite them to denounce the priests by whom they have been abused.”

Googling repeatedly, I don’t know if the bishops are obliged to contact civil authorities within 24 hours of the reported case of abuse? Can they take three years to contact civil authorities? Is there a penalty for not contacting?

It’s not ‘petty gossip’ for citizens to want to understand exactly what procedures are in place here. I truly want to understand the exact policies in place for dealing with sexually abusive Catholic priests and nuns, too, although I believe that’s a much lesser problem.

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