What happened last week was one of the sorriest days in the history of the local Catholic church-not as personally damaging as some of the scandals that have drained the church nationwide, but certainly demoralizing to local Catholics.
For the sake of perspective it should be mentioned that there have been some glorious moments in local church history:
* There were the early Ursuline nuns who provided education to girls long before females were commonly sent to school.
*There were the clerics who risked their lives providing for Yellow Fever victims, including the beatified Fr. Francis Seelos.
*There was Mother Cabrini (America’s first canonized saint) working diligently to establish schools.
*There were the many nuns, priests and brothers whose vocations made high-quality, low-cost parochial education possible.
*There were the Catholic charities providing for needs throughout the city.
*There was the effort to comfort immigrants, including the Vietnamese, who sought shelter in this country.
*There was Archbishop Philip Hannan successfully appealing to Pope John Paul II to visit New Orleans.
* And there was John Paul using a speech at Xavier University to urge multicultural celebration within the church.
But then there was last week. The church initiated raids on parishioners of two churches. Those churches could have been saved had the bishop, and his advisors not be so obstinate. Now the question is what to do in response. There are few choices, but here are some considerations.
1. Hope for a new bishop with a different attitude. Archbishop Alfred Hughes is beyond the retirement age, but it is unlikely that a new bishop will make any difference. This isn’t like in democratic politics where power might shift from one party to another. Unless the Pope gives the new bishop a directive to clean up the mess in New Orleans (and we suspect the Pope has other things to worry about), don’t expect change.
2. Appeals to the Vatican. If you think New Orleans has been poorly represented in Congress lately, imagine what little stroke we have in Rome. New Orleans has had no authority there since Lindy Boggs was the ambassador, and she is living in Washington now. Plus, the hierarchy will always back one of its own.
3. Give Up. That, of course, is what the Archdiocese wants, but to do so would betray the spirit of the laity who have fought for and reformed Catholicism through the centuries. There will be a fatigue factors. The protesters have to get on with their lives and the Archbishop wins by doing nothing, but the message needs to be kept alive.
4. Pray. Praying, we assume, has been tried already. Nevertheless, it is never too late for, well, a Hail Mary play. If there are to be no miracles at least pray that what happened in New Orleans will make other archdioceses more responsible in dealing with similar problems.
5. Remember the Epiphany. Incredibly, the Archdiocese’s raid took place on the day of 12th Night, the Feast of the Epiphany. In New Orleans that day has been celebrated as the first day of the Carnival season, but now it can always have an extra meaning-the day of celebrating the passion of parishioners- true rocks of the church. The Feast of the Epiphany, which by tradition recognizes the arrival of the Magi, is supposed to represent insight and awareness. While the clerics who asked for the raid can hardly be confused for wise men those who witnessed the spectacle can be reminded that the church is ultimately about its people.
At the Archdiocese’s office, the mantra, we suspect is "this too shall pass." But it won’t. Not as long as the faithful remember 12th Night.
Let us know what you think. Any comments about this article? Write to errol@renpubllc.com. For the subject line use BISHOP. All responses are subject to being published, as edited, in this newsletter. Please include your name and location.
ERROL LABORDE’S BOOK, KREWE: THE EARLY NEW ORLEANS CARNIVAL – COMUS TO ZULU
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