Occupy the Vatican?

My initial reaction to the story that the Vatican is cracking down on 45,000 American nuns for "doctrinal deviance" was similar to how I’ve reacted to past actions (or inactions, in the case of child-molesting priests) by the out-of-touch, dictatorial Catholic hierarchy:

It is time for Catholics to take over their church.

In 1517, Martin Luther pushed for change that led to The Reformation. But the antiquated structure of the Church was never demolished.

A 21st Century “New Reformation” could take on that task.

Could the aging nuns of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious provide the leadership? Could they be the catalyst to, at long, long last, dissolve the Papacy, the College of Cardinals and the whole sexist underpinnings of Church governance?

As was the case nearly 500 years ago, the Vatican, through its hypocrisy, isolation and rigidity, has finally brought a Reformation on itself.

This time, Catholic parishioners, nuns and socially progressive clergy, rather than splitting off, should take over in a massive world-wide, non-violent protest.

“Occupy the Vatican” anyone?

Irony alert: The Vatican plays an “anti-semitism” card

The irony of it all. The Roman Catholic hierarchy in Rome is comparing its critics and the press to anti-semites.

On Good Friday no less.

Until relatively recently in the Church’s long history, the Vatican, feeding the fires of anti-semitism, directed Catholic congregations to pray for “faithless Jews” on Good Fridays.

Now a self-righteous Rome is twisting history by contriving and attributing “anti-Catholic” motives to the Church’s internal and external critics and to the press.

Lest we forget, this Church crisis began with revelations that thousands of children have been routinely violated and victimized by priests. No one denies that it happened, although the Church hierarchy patently tried to hide it.

Here we have an institution whose history is stained by its own anti-semitism. Jesus taught love — love of everyone including one's enemies.

The Church — and much of Christendom — taught hatred by portraying Jews as “Christ killers.”

Today, in desperation, Rome has the gall to equate criticism to the very outrage the Vatican itself has perpetrated for centuries.

The Vatican’s deception, evasion and self-delusion only make the Papal See, with its isolated, arrogant, sexist and secret culture, all the more culpable.

Catholics and non-Catholics alike know full well the great, abiding good the Church has performed in the world. I’ve personally worked side-by-side with a Catholic order in a remote school in East Africa. I’ve taught at a Catholic university and stood with priests and Catholic students and faculty in opposition to war and injustice.

Now I wonder whether my friends and other Catholic reformers can overcome the hypocrisy in Rome and the withering, despicable Vatican attacks. Can courageous clergy and laity alike do great, abiding good for the Church itself?

That’s the epic story to be played out. We should not be distracted from it by Papal deceit contrived to jam the truth and the need for deep-seated reform.

A desperate Vatican attacks the messengers

Playing out in the international media today is a PR variation on the old story about killing the messenger of bad news.

In this case the media messengers are being lambasted in an effort to undercut and diffuse the continuing exposé of rampant pedophilia among Roman Catholic clergy and the Church's efforts to hide it.

A complicit, defensive Vatican is trying to redirect news coverage so that the focus is not on these horrific crimes and cover-ups. Instead, the Vatican's wants the story to be about a “Godless,” “secular” media, whose evil motive is to bring down the Roman Catholic Church.

Never mind that thousands of children have been victimized by priests. Never mind that their heinous acts have been covered up, forgiven (ah, the power of confession) only to be committed again. Never mind that the Church hierarchy, including the Pope himself, has been party to this outrage.

Now the Church leadership continues its implicit denial by creating a fabricated story about media motives.

The press should not be cowed. Its spotlight (and the world's) should remain fixed on the Roman Catholic Church and its insulated, arrogant, patently fallible, medieval, sexist, hypocritical hierarchy. (Did I miss anything?)

The story should progress to outraged Catholic laity and reformist priests and nuns who condemn this outrage and are determined to take over their church.

No, this story isn’t about secular media, as evil messengers of bad news; it’s about decency, equality and justice.

It’s about an archaic institution in dire need of sweeping, radical reform.