Outed
By Phil Lawler ( bio - articles - email ) | Jun 18, 2012
The Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) is very unhappy with Cardinal Dolan’s report on the Pontifical Irish College.
In a report to the Vatican after his apostolic visitation of the Irish seminaries, Cardinal Dolan reportedly said that some faculty members should be replaced. (The cardinal’s report was confidential, but—like many confidential documents submitted to the Vatican in recent months—has been leaked to the press.) In a minor masterpiece of illogic, the ACP faults Cardinal Dolan for criticizing faculty members, and then faults him for not including the hard evidence to back up his criticisms.
The cardinal was charged with writing an honest report, and presumably he did so. Apparently he was critical; sometimes honest reports are. Would it have been better, for the reputations of those involved, if the cardinal’s report had given all the dirty details, and they had appeared in the Irish Times?) Here’s the complaint:
If the accusations were not substantiated, why not just say so? Is this just incompetence or perhaps homophobia?
Homophobia? Homophobia? Until now we had only heard that Cardinal Dolan had detected an undercurrent of theological dissent at the Pontifical Irish College. Thanks to the ACP—which blasted the cardinal for exposing the faults of others—we now have another important detail.
Phil Lawler has been a Catholic journalist for more than 30 years. He has edited several Catholic magazines and written eight books. Founder of Catholic World News, he is the news director and lead analyst at CatholicCulture.org. See full bio.
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Posted by: mgreen32234 -
Jun. 19, 2012 5:08 PM ET USA
The Lord is using Dolan to overturn the tables and chase out those who would destroy his holy priesthood. Dolan is really at his best when he is shepherding priests. Two weeks ago he was scheduled to say a few words at a diocesan event but only popped in briefly to apologize that two of "his priests were dying" and that he wanted to rush to see them. He is taking good care of them.
