anybody home...?

By ( articles ) | May 31, 2004

Hard words from the Manchester Union-Leader aimed at Bishop John McCormack and his auxiliary, Bishop Francis Christian:

Honesty plainly is not the policy of the Diocese of Manchester. That’s because it is not the policy of John McCormack and Francis Christian. Even now the leadership of this diocese continues to damage the reputation of the church by offering the public more lies and deception. ...

If Christian is so sure that the public has the wrong perception of his and McCormack's roles in the sex abuse scandal, there is an easy solution. Scrap the agreement with the state and welcome the state's prosecution of criminals. We're sure the truth would come out in a trial.

Thirty months ago such language aimed at sitting bishops by an editorial in general-market newspaper would have been unthinkable -- even by today's standards it's pretty blunt. Thirty months ago, had such a direct challenge been issued in a public forum, it would be unimaginable that the diocese wouldn't respond swiftly with a point by point rebuttal. Today, however, a tactical silence is ... imaginable.