Archbishop of Boston Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley has said the next pope must deal with Bishops who allowed abusive priests to remain in ministry.
The Boston Globe reports that the Cardinal claimed in Rome that the next Catholic Church leader must adopt measures to deal with bishops whose ‘malfeasanc’ permitted child sex abusers to stay on as priests.
He said in a Rome interview that the successor to Pope Benedict XVI will need to continue Benedict’s campaign to get bishops across the world to adopt policies for dealing with accused abusers.
As dozens of cardinals gathered at the Vatican, Cardinal O’Malley said that should include procedures for disciplining bishops who protect abusive priests.
The report says that US bishops adopted a zero-tolerance policy on clergy sexual abuse a decade ago, requiring removal from ministry of any priest credibly accused of abusing a minor.
The paper claims that some church leaders have not followed it, with the bishop of Kansas City convicted last fall of failing to report child abuse by a priest. The church has yet to sanction him.
Cardinal O’Malley said: “There needs to be a path for disciplining bishops. Right now, it’s not terribly clear, but it’s something the next pope will have to deal with.
“Without a protocol in place, it falls to the Vatican to decide what to do with each errant bishop on a case-by-case basis. My point is always that if you don’t have policies, you’ll be improvising, and when you improvise, you make a lot of mistakes.”
O’Malley is among the US cardinals gathered before the conclave to elect the new Pope.
He said: “Being part of the papal process is surrealistic but also moving.
“Growing up a Catholic and knowing a little bit about these traditions and the way the Holy Father is selected in the church- it’s a far cry from seeing it up close and being part of it.”
Asked in the Globe interview what he was looking for in a potential candidate, O’Malley said: “The next pope must relate well to the universal church.
“The Catholic Church is growing quickly in Africa, and more than 40 percent of the world’s Catholics live in Latin America.
“Pope Benedict’s successor also needs the spiritual and intellectual capacity to deal with the church’s many challenges. Governance of the Vatican is also an issue.
“We want the Holy Father to have a good team of people around him in a way that will support his ministry and allow him to focus on his teaching office, which we see as so important.”
The Globe also reports that one reporter at the news conference said she had a question from her daughter: Would O’Malley continue to wear his ‘cappuccino robe’ if elected pope?
The report said that O’Malley, a Capuchin friar whose order’s name derives from the brown hooded habits its members wear, blushed and chuckled with his audience.
He replied: “I have worn this uniform for over 40 years, and I presume I will wear it until I die, because I don’t expect to be elected pope. So I don’t expect to have a change of wardrobe.”
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.McNamara31 | Mar 08, 2013, 08:13 AM EST
falconflash You still have your head in the sand. Its not on the individual (priest) level, its on the corporate (Vatican) level. The crimes orchestrated worldwide by moving abusing priests was done with full knowledge and intention of the Vatican.They chose to save face over the destruction of young life. Why can't you get that.I'm sure you would if it was your child.They have proved they cannot be trusted (heirachy) and must work to regain the trust of the faithful.Cardinals like Law of Boston were rewarded by Rome for their handling (obstructing)of abuse cases. Why would that be done? It was done because he was doing the Vatican's business as directed.The facts speak for themselves, and if Christ came back today he go down to the Vatican with a big broom a sweep them all out to the curb.
falconflash | Mar 08, 2013, 12:20 AM EST
In America, if you are a corrupt cop, lousy teacher, or child molester priest you pay for your transgressions as an individual. Americans realize that after you get rid of the bad cop, teacher, or priest you then maintain your support for all the other thousands of cops, teachers and priests who are doing a fabulous job. You never ever take down the whole system, you improve it. The Church in America is strong, vibrant, growing. Sorry if that disturbs you.
STEVENSTAR | Mar 07, 2013, 05:48 PM EST
& I WANT AMERICANS TO STOP HARBOURING AND HIDING THE PRIESTS FROM OVER HERE IN IREALD WHO FLED TO AMERICA IN TIMES OF SEXUAL ACCUSATIONS.. THEY SHOULD BE SEND BACK TO IRELAND AND INVESTIGATED PROPERLY BESIDES HIDING AWAY OVER THERE.. BISHOP CASEY INCLUDED !!! WHEN IN TROUBLE THEY ALL SEEM TO FLEE TO AMERICA .. FUNNY THAT !!
pilib04 | Mar 07, 2013, 04:10 PM EST
EphraimKibbey, down through the ages, the Hierarchy of our Church has always taught "do as I say, not as I do."
McNamara31 | Mar 07, 2013, 04:08 PM EST
EphraimKibbey You've said it far better than I.
EphraimKibbey | Mar 07, 2013, 01:55 PM EST
falconflash - REAL Catholics and Christians of other denominations are saying that the RCC heirarchy need to reevaluate what they have been preaching (but often not following) and reconcile their teaching and their actions with the teachings of Christ. To call one's self a Christian means that you ACTUALLY try to follow His lessons! The RCC heirarchy (not the laity) have strayed away from Christ and its the thinking, believing REAL Catholics and Christians all over the world who are asking that the RCC heirarchy return to His fold by both teaching His lessons and following His rules. They have seen that it is the priests, bishops and cardinals who have become CINO's (Catholics in name only) by their hypocracy.
McNamara31 | Mar 07, 2013, 11:51 AM EST
falconflash You must be completely clueless to what has occurred and orchestrated, worldwide since 2002. Try to educate yourself on the very available facts and you won't be posting such empty comments as branding people "Church Haters" because they refuse to support a leadership that concealed criminal activity, and spent 2 billion dollars (of our contributions) covering it up. This is not the church Christ left on earth; this is the perversion of men trying to protect image over vulnerable children. Start by pulling up Enda Kenny's and Diarmuid Martin's comments about abuse, then go on to read the Boston 2002-2003 Grand Jury reports about how the church obstructed justice then come back and talk to me.Then read about the 200 deaf children abused by one single priest and the Vatican refused to act.It never ceases to amaze me just how far some people will bury there head in the ground so the truth can not enter it.Many parents, like myself, have not left the faith, but will not stand by while peoples faith was manipulated to conceal corruption and abuse.
falconflash | Mar 07, 2013, 09:19 AM EST
Dismantled by order of McNarmara31? Like Penn State the offending parties are removed, we learn how to handle this type of problem in the future, but we let the past go. I don't know about you, Mc, but many Church-haters (communists, masons, gay militants, abortionists, Loyalists) thought they could change the Vatican into the Democratic party. LOL...the Church will come back stronger-- and hopefully more conservative.
McNamara31 | Mar 07, 2013, 08:48 AM EST
"The report says that US bishops adopted a zero-tolerance policy on clergy sexual abuse a decade ago" Did they do this on their own; because it was the right thing both spiritually and legally? Absolutely not. The bishops enacted these measures, because the Boston Globe "rightly" wouldn't let up on their criminal activity in Boston.And, as for dealing with the bishops that's like dealing with the troops who were only following Vatican directives. Now that the Pope is gone the entire Vatican infrastructure that enabled worldwide abuse to be covered up has to be dismantled; but the chance of that is beyond weak.
falconflash | Mar 07, 2013, 12:21 AM EST
Let the lawful civil authorities handle cases if, and only if, a crime was committed. Bishops can't be in the business of turning rat on people, it is the police and district attorneys job to investigate, arrest and charge a person with a crime. If and only if a Bishop has strong evidence of a crime, and not just allegations, then he should approach the police if the offending priest doesn't turn himself in....
EphraimKibbey | Mar 06, 2013, 10:44 PM EST
joan1954 - there are many good MARRIED people who work 24/7 jobs. My father was an ObGyn. He always said that babies don't care what time it is or what you have planned! As a child, I got used to hearing the phone ring in the wee hours of the morning and a bit later hearing him go out the door. I taught school with my phone number in the book for 35 years and answered homework questions whenever a child called. Chosing to live any life of service to the community shouldn't mean that you have to give up the joy and support of a spouse and family. It did not mean that to early Christians and the only reason that it is now the case with RCC priests was that during the middle ages, Rome feared loss of property to the heirs of priests and so declared that they must be celibate. Rome's greed dictated this policy which then filled the priesthood with pedophiles and other criminals who took their vows for show and but ignored them in private.
Cyn | Mar 06, 2013, 07:52 PM EST
Ratzinger did nothing to stop it. He was appointed by John Paul II to do so, but in fact he did not. He should be the first prosecuted.
pilib04 | Mar 06, 2013, 12:59 PM EST
Dr. Rosemary Eileen McHugh, Go raibh mile maith agat! Your comments regarding our Church are right on the mark.
pilib04 | Mar 06, 2013, 12:57 PM EST
Cardinal O'Malley, the odds are great that the new Pope could be one of those "bishops." What then? We know those "bishops" are participating in the Conclave! They have had no problem becoming cardinals under the Pope Emeritus. The real issue is will the new Pope be "CLEAN?"
PhlutiePhan | Mar 06, 2013, 11:24 AM EST
Cardinal Sean has done some strange things in Boston. He cleared out the chancery of priests and nuns and brought in at least 17 individuals with a salary of 150K. His director of human resources is not Catholic. He has plenty of pro abortion Catholics in key policy positions. He is a Capuchin classmate of "The Last of the Mohicans" Charles Chaput AB of Philly. They are polar opposites. Yes indeed, he did officiate at the funeral of Edward Kennedy.
Jerry Kelly | Mar 06, 2013, 11:19 AM EST
Caithfidh an chéad Phápa eile an Eaglais a ghlanadh amach nó breathnú ar a breis-laghdú. An é an duine ceart don phost Ó Máille? ////////// The next Pope has to clean out the Church or watch it continue to weaken. Is O'Malley the right person for the job?
DrMcHugh | Mar 06, 2013, 10:55 AM EST
"Archbishop of Boston Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley has said the next pope must deal with Bishops who allowed abusive priests to remain in ministry." Pope Benedict XVI and popes before him over the centuries have allowed abusive priests to remain in ministry. Clergy sexual abuse of innocent children has been part of the culture of the Roman Catholic Church for centuries. Even when the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr D. Martin, asked 5 bishops to resign, who had been complicit in the clergy sexual abuse scandals in Ireland, 2 of the bishops resigned under protest and Pope Benedict XVI reversed their resignations, because the bishops were only following the policies of the Pope. As a Catholic physician, I have met many who have been sexually abused by priests. Archbishop D. Martin has been the only member of the hierarchy, to my knowledge, who has done and is doing what Jesus would do, by listening to the victims and making the predator priests accountable. The Pope Emeritus did not do what Jesus would do for the 24yrs that he was the head of the office that dealt with clergy sexual abuse cases and since 2005 as Pope. Will Pope Emeritus, also known as Pope Benedict XVI, also known as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger be made accountable for his central role in the worldwide sexual abuse and soul-murder and suicides of victims around the world who gave up hope that their stories of being sexually abused by a priest or bishop would be believed? Time will tell. Sincerely, Dr Rosemary Eileen McHugh, Chicago, Illinois, USA
CharlieM | Mar 06, 2013, 10:40 AM EST
O'Malley is a good man, but he would hardly agree with most of the ignorant commentary below, stuff that would be guaranteed to put an end to all but the smallest remnant of the Church on earth. It's too bad there is no truth-in-labeling requirement for the brand name "Catholic." Any clown gets to pronounce him or herself Catholic regardless of what heresy or heresies he or she may endorse. From the looks of things, the "Catholics" who frequent this site have copped just about every harebrained heresy that ever came down the pike.
joan1954 | Mar 06, 2013, 10:37 AM EST
People how many of you realize that a priest is on call for the most part 24/7? Knowing that how many women would want to live with the fact that priest is "wedded" to the church first and her second? How many marriages end in divorce because the man or women is a workaholic? Same issue different usage. Allowing married clergy, which is allowed under the Anglican ordinariate is okay but don't think it would work well for us. Catholic's are not known to tithe, and that is not saying that some don't, and all that would have to change if a married clergy were allowed in order to add something to the "base" pay. Let's put it this way, we will see a married clergy before we would ever see women priests. Agreed that a total housekeeping needs to occur of the hierarchy who transfered pedophile priests around.
CharlieM | Mar 06, 2013, 10:35 AM EST
So Cushing was the last good bishop? Are you kidding? Does no one remember his intervention on behalf of Ted Kennedy when the latter's insouciance killed Mary Jo Kopechne? Does no one remember that the "I'm personally opposed to abortion but...." nonsense originated in Cushing's back yard with pols he counted among his pals? That he was a henchman for one of the most disgraceful "Catholic" families to ever plague the US?
CelticQueenUSA | Mar 06, 2013, 09:52 AM EST
A cleaning out of the entire system would be a good start as well as allowing priests to marry, women priests, and this is a dream because they are all politicians.
bcoc1124 | Mar 06, 2013, 09:43 AM EST
I've been waiting for a cardinal or a pope to say that the aiding and abetting bishops must be held accountable. Bravo, Cardinal Sean. And, Frosty 38 is right about Cardinal Cushing. What is his "sainthood" status?
solomon | Mar 06, 2013, 09:31 AM EST
Didn't Archbishop of Boston Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley officiate at the Funeral Mass for Senator Ted Kennedy?
Frosty38 | Mar 06, 2013, 09:00 AM EST
He is a good man for Boston. The last good one was Cardinal Cushing