Is a purification now underway in the Church? It is a question that hangs in the air after the extraordinary papal visit.Much to everyone's surprise, the horrific scandal surrounding homosexual abuse of youth by priests was brought front and center to the stage by a courageous pontiff who clearly saw what that scandal threatened.
He didn't mention much about the war in Iraq. He didn't take on genetics and cloning the way one might have expected (given their potential for future harm). There was an indelible allusion to restoring nature (when the Pope used the profound expression that we must "rediscover the authentic image of Creation"). There was also a message about immigrants and minorities and abortion, about unity.
But for the most part, it was not a policy trip, it was a pastoral one -- and that meant taking care of the blackest mark on Catholicism since its institution in America.
The scandal remains hard to believe: at least 5,000 men consecrated to God and granted the authority of presenting Christ in the Eucharist had used that position to take sexual advantage of young people -- mainly boys. That's not current priests, but since the 1950s.
But it's still deeply shocking and that so many hundreds of priests could have abused so many thousands of youngsters (one number says 19,000, more than a thousand in the Boston archdiocese alone) struck to the very heart of the Church's legitimacy. Truly, the smoke of Satan entered the Church precisely when Pope Paul VI said.
It is now time -- clearly -- to get rid of every last abuser, and to cleanse the priesthood also of homosexuality in general. Those with a disordered bent need love and ministry but -- pending deliverance -- should not be wearing a collar.
There is the potential for the scandal to fade if bishops now follow through and if the Vatican takes further strong steps. If a bishop or even a cardinal is included, so be it. We won't judge. We'll let the Vatican.
Clearly, Benedict would like this. And his message is that he would rather have fewer good priests than a greater number who are compromised. On April 15th the Holy Father said: "Only healthy people, only people with a profound personal life in Christ and who also have a profound sacramental life can be admitted to the priesthood. It is more important to have good priests than to have many priests."
How right he is: a cleansed priesthood, a devout priesthood, and a holy priesthood will bring the Church -- and vocations -- roaring back. Let the purification go full bore. It was probably the priest shortage that caused many bishops to shield abusers. There is also the old adage that what the Church fears most is scandal.
There was no one phrase and no one gesture that stood out on the Pope's trip. Instead, it was the theme of a devastating scandal and need to purge it -- completely.
It was repeated. And repeated again. Once more also.
For decades, faithful Catholics have endured an extremely unbalanced clergy: loyal, dedicated priests on one hand, barely Catholic ones on the other -- and not just homosexual. It is time for the barely Catholic ones to turn completely Catholic -- Catholic in the definition of Rome -- or leave. Often, those of a disordered sexuality are also hostile to devout Catholicism -- equating it with rejection of their mindset.
There are a good number of remarkable priests. We meet them all the time. How they survived is itself miraculous -- a profile in courage.
A purified Church, however small, is what must now be sought -- and what Pope Benedict so clearly and bravely indicated. The Pope indicated that this is preferable to more priests than ones who are bad.
It is time to move beyond lip service. It is time to move beyond this awful scandal. It is time to shine for the world.
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