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Archbishop Dolan to address massive exodus from Catholic Church

DARA KELLY,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Wednesday, November 24, 2010, 5:37 AM

Updated Wednesday, November 24, 2010, 5:47 AM

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Archbishop Timothy Dolan

Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York told the press this week he believes the major challenge facing U.S. bishops now is halting the massive exodus of Roman Catholics from the church.

Archbishop Dolan, a conservative Catholic who was elected president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops last week, told the press that bishops would not stop speaking out on hot button issues like abortion, same-sex marriage and immigration.

But Dolan said it was also time for the Church here to recognize that one-third of Americans born and baptized Catholic have now left the church.

"The bishops are saying we need to make sure our house is in order as a church. We need to recover our vigor," Archbishop Dolan told the press. "Then we can be of better service to the world and to our culture."

Dolan was loudly criticized last week by two Church abuse victims’ advocacy groups who said he had failed to post lists of priests removed from their ministry for accusations of abuse that were credible.

Dolan replied that his newspaper, Catholic New York, had identified the priests in question as they were removed, and that he believed that was sufficient.

James Carroll, a columnist for the Boston Globe and Scholar-in-Residence at Suffolk University, has lamented Dolan's selection to head the U.S. bishops.

"The election that made Dolan the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops was unusual because the favorite for the job, Gerald Kicanas of Tucson, was cast aside—an unprecedented insult to a sitting vice president," Carroll wrote this week.

"But Kicanas was regarded as a "social justice" Catholic, one whose moral concern extended to more than abortion and gay marriage. Timothy Dolan's job is to put the best face on the reactionary hierarchy's slow motion act of self-destruction. The surest sign of this crisis is Dolan's jovial conviction that there is no crisis."

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seagreen | Nov 27, 2010, 09:45 AM EST

The church needs to become relevant. Priests should be allowed to marry. They will then encounter and deal with the problems of life that so many others deal with, but at the same time eliminate a ton of other crap that is the root of much of its problems. The church has to come clean about who and what it is. At this point i'm tongue in cheek about it all! I'm sure this sounds basic and gutteral, but perhaps it is time that the faithful are given a reason to maintain its loyalty

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Carroll09 | Nov 26, 2010, 03:19 PM EST

Charlesm - you claim that Jesus' life was one of inclusion for all. Really? What about John 6, to name one example? The promise of the Eucharist - the only record in Scripture of followers leaving Him for doctrinal reasons. The Good Shepherd didn't call them back, did He? They left Him and "no longer walked in His ways". Christ was never inclusive if it was at the expense of the truth; indeed, He came to bear witness to the truth. Some, as Christ Himself knew, would find the truth too hard to accept, and would not follow Him - the same is true for the Church today: it is following and proclaiming Christ, but many looking in expect the Church to include them for the sake of being inclusive, but not for the sake of Christian truth.

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2BorNot2B | Nov 26, 2010, 12:44 PM EST

Porkia777 cannot get past her concern for 'missing money paid for ceremonies' in the CC --- to which she obviously has not herself contributed, nor is a part of. Memo to Porkia: Why don't you worry about those things you can fix, like keeping track of your minimal bank balance so your checks don't bounce; or with the unicorns and warlocks who show up at your children's playground? Might be more fruitful than uselessly spending time sticking your pointy nose into affairs that are clearly beyond your depth.

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buzzer7 | Nov 26, 2010, 11:53 AM EST

Oh, puleeze! Where are these folks think they are going? I came back to the church after 40 years on the outside! What are these "escapee's" going to join, Islam? Hey, how about becoming a Pagan! That sounds like fun! Well, they could always become committed TV watchers, or Bad Movie Buffs! Those are all valid social and religious movements, geared to sooth your inner soul, right? Most of the people in America have no idea what is coming! Militant Islam, Chinese National Socialism, and/or Soros-style "One Worldism" does not have any plans for individual freedom! They will not have to vex over what to believe in! What they will believe in will be whatever some government jams down their unwilling throats! Wake up, and smell the threats, America, and put your faith in God and our Constitution!

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charlesm | Nov 26, 2010, 10:03 AM EST

The first two paragraphs of the report and the medieval costume sported by Dolan explain clearly the "crisis" The anachonistic Roman Catholic Church is woefully out of touch with the 21st century. Does the hierarchy realize (accept?) that the world's population has moved far beyond that of the 16th century and Catholicism's Council of Trent? These self-appointed leaders of the church seem desperate to retain what they see as their teaching role ands the final arbiters of human behavior. It's sad to see how far they have wandered away from the life and message of Jesus whom they claim is their guide. His was a life of inclusion of all, justice and compassion and never judgment which the legalistic church, not unlike the Pharisees and organized religion of Jesus' time, flaunt so frequently and ruthlessly.

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Portia777 | Nov 26, 2010, 09:23 AM EST

Ahhhh, he is missing the money which members of the cult gave for these various "ceremonies". My 4 year old worked it out, why not the rest?

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eileenkny | Nov 25, 2010, 10:50 AM EST

Many have left our parish, and some have left the Church. Here where I live, this is mainly because of our pastor who, in his homilies at funerals,Communions, childrens' Masses, used to talk about partial birth abortion. He has since learned the error of his ways but too late for many of the parishioners. Or he's refused to baptize babies if the parents weren't married; laying the sins of the parents on the innocent children. I can name many more and this is only one parish. Multiply this by the whole Archdiocese!

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Carroll09 | Nov 25, 2010, 06:40 AM EST

Advocate, can you tell I.C. readers the precise reason why the Holy See stopped the use of "Yahweh" in liturgical settings? Secondly, the Church does not claim that celibacy is a God-given tradition. It has never denied that the teaching on the matter could change; as a matter of fact there are several Eastern Rites in full communion with Rome which have different regulations on celibacy to the Roman Rite. However, you are completely wrong if you believe that there is no biblical basis for celibacy. If you rely solely on Scripture, there is no evidence that any of the Apostles apart from Peter was married (and Peter himself told Christ that they had left everything to follow Christ). The Church Fathers (e.g. St Jerome, St Epiphanius) - the direct successors of the Apostles - taught that it was proper for clerics to observe continence after ordination. Though it is a tradition that could change, there is no shortage whatsoever of evidence that celibacy was widely practiced by clerics since the earliest days of the Church.

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Advocate | Nov 24, 2010, 06:32 PM EST

Read Rev. 17 about the RCC. The RCC even banished using the Name of God, Yahweh; YHWH; recently. Your Bible tells us My Name shall be revealed in those days, and they banish it's use! WOW! Re: Celibacy --- Man-made doctrine, not found in your Bible, just the man-made traditions goes against the very nature of men & women as Yahweh/God made us! It's our nature to seek marriage, children, Etc., etc., and for said doctrine to forbid same is only asking for trouble! This entire 'man-made' policy needs to be completely abolished, not merely changed!!!

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Carroll09 | Nov 24, 2010, 05:52 PM EST

"Archbishop Dolan, a conservative Catholic..." - should read "Archbishop Dolan, a Catholic...". What do you mean, Mr Kelly, by describing him as "conservative"- I doubt you mean it as a compliment. Is it that he's faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church? Catholics should be jumping for joy that they have as president of the bishops' conference a bishop who values, respects, and is unashamed of, the teachings of the Church which have come directly from the Apostles. In an age when so many moan about the irrelevance of the Church in society, we ought to be thankful for such a bishop who is not prepared to sugar-coat the Church's position on different issues - one can see, therefore, why James Carroll laments the Archbishop's appointment. Carroll's talk of "an unprecedented insult to a sitting vice president" is rubbish - the bishops voted, they were free to vote for whomever they wished. Unprecedented the outcome might have been; an insult it was not - if anyone is insulted it is those who, like Mr Carroll, dislike the fact that the bishops' conference elected a bishop who will be a strong voice for American Catholicism.

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MikeCampbell | Nov 24, 2010, 04:27 PM EST

I remember my American history and the catholic churches were burnt down during the Know Nothing Era. Then today we have the general public lining up against us again. The church has always had to deal with an anti-Catholic people. The Irish from years gone by knew what Penal Days were and few of the Irish Americans know of it today. I am not surprised with people leaving as they had little faith to begin with, and they will wander around to find a religion that lets them do what they want to do i.e. same sex marriage, abort their babies, not have to go to church on Sundays. I pray for them and for our church. Does anyone know who “To Hell or to Connaght." was told to?

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DennisQ | Nov 24, 2010, 03:42 PM EST

Archbishop Dolan looks magnificent in his red robes. It's hard to imagine him any other way. From time to time he wears a suit with a Roman collar but he doesn't mingle with the poor. This archbishop knows who he represents, and it's not the ordinary people.

At the same time the Catholic Church is losing membership, Islam is gaining by leaps and bounds. The difference is that Islam reaches ordinary people in a way Catholicism does not. It gives structure and meaning to their lives, despite persecution against believers.

St. Margaret Mary's parish in Staten Island was prepared to sell its no longer used convent to members of the Muslim faith. Local bigots claimed that the mosque would be used as a base for terrorists, and the sale was cancelled. The Archdiocese refused even to send a representative to a meeting between Catholics opposed to the sale and Muslims seeking to buy the property . . . which is still unused. Archbishop Dolan might have intervened at any point during the controversy to uphold tolerance or defend liberty. He didn't do either. However, you have to admit he looks good in red.

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CitizenWhy | Nov 24, 2010, 03:26 PM EST

When a pompous monsignor berates a child for calling him Father instead of Monsignor you have a good picture of the arrogant, right wing priests that have taken over the Catholic Church.

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CitizenWhy | Nov 24, 2010, 03:24 PM EST

among otgher ex-catholics is Sarah Palin. On the the hand the head of Fox News and Newt Ginfrinch have converted to Catholicism. Whatever, the US Catholic church is now a junior partner to the far right wing of the Republican party.

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PhlutiePhan | Nov 24, 2010, 01:22 PM EST

Kicanas was linked to Bernardin of Chicago. Shouldn't this scare you or what? If you quote Malachi Brendan Martin, the fault of the exodus is along the lines of "we have met the enemy and it is us". Vatican II self destructed the Church and destroyed the liturgy in the name of world socialism and political correctness. According to Malachi, the "devil made us do it". So from here in St. Louis from whence AB Timothy came, the "ball is in your court".

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