Cardinal apologizes … kinda

It’s become an old standard to issue a formal “if” apology. You know … “Well, if I did something wrong, I’m sorry.” Having, ahem, used this old standby myself more than once over the years, its main flaw is that it is primarily a form of appeasement, not a real admission or acceptance of wrongdoing. It may be sincere, it may be simply pragmatic. But better, if you’re going to go that route, to be up-front about it. “I know you’re torqued by something I did. I don’t agree that it was wrong, or understand why you think it was, but I certainly did not intend or even expect that you’d be angry about it, and I’m sorry that you are. Let’s talk.”

Heh. Easier said than done. But I digress.

Egan, the former bishop of Bridgeport, Connecticut, and currently head of the New York Archdiocese, said that over the past 15 years, “I consistently sought and acted upon the best independent advice available to me from medical experts and behavioral scientists.
“It is clear that today we have a much better understanding of this problem. If in hindsight we also discover that mistakes may have been made as regards prompt removal of priests and assistance to victims, I am deeply sorry.”

Yeah, that’ll appease the folks out there. “We’re not saying we made mistakes. But if mistakes were made, we’re sorry.”

Actually, though, it’s the first sentence that’s the most telling. Even if true (I’m not sure what experts the Cardinal says were telling him to leave accused abusers in positions of contact with children and youths), who is missing from that equation of folks that were consulted.

I mean, who would you expect a high-ranking church member to consult over what to do about this?

I really have to wonder why “prayer” and “God” are not part of the calculus that’s now being mentioned as the inspiration for diocesan policy in these matters. Not that it can or should be the only basis used (God is all to often reluctant to provide a written set of recommendations, complete with executive summary and footnotes). But you’d sort of think that getting back to the moral basis for Church actions, it would have been, oh, I don’t know, helpful?

In the letter, Egan added “I will do everything in my power to ensure, as much as is humanly possible, that such abuse by clergy will never happen again. You should expect nothing less of me, and the leaders of our church,” Egan said.

Yeah, but, more than that, the folks in his parishes should expect nothing less than diligent, forthright, and open actions when these matters come up, and in their disposition.

I mean, really. You don’t want to get into a position where a single accusation, unfounded, can ruin someone’s career and vocation. But where folks are understandably upset is where there was enough evidence to warrent hush money and relocation and therapy … and nothing further was done.

That is the “abuse by clergy” that must “never happen again.”