Catholic Standard Goes Into Damage Control Mode

Just a little reminder.  Many years ago, the Standard had a "letters to the editor" section; a fair number of mine were printed.  However, as soon as ex-cardinal McCarrick announced his intentions to hold Canon 915 in disregard, that section disappeared from the paper and remains gone today.  Inside contacts indicate that the Standard was flooded with letters decrying McCarrick's nose-thumbing at the Blessed Sacrament and received orders from "on high" not to publish one of them.  That silence was a key motivation behind my start of the website and this blog.

Therefore it is no surprise that the Standard is in full "damage control" mode in the wake of the PA report.  As you read the Standard piece, notice a few things:

• Pennsylvania released the report today.  The Standard article is dated today.  So are we to believe that the Standard staff had time to study the report, write the article and upload it to their site on the same day that the report was released?  Or was this sorry excuse of a rebuttal crafted ahead of the report's release?
• I fail to detect any specific examples of inaccuracies regarding Wuerl that are allegedly in the report.  We see just a bunch of blather about "standards" etc.

In this same Standard issue is a letter that the Cardinal sent to his priests - again, the same smoke and mirrors.

Such speed!  Such alacrity!  The Standard is most prompt with its damage control, even if it's rather inept.  However, they cannot be faulted, for no one can defend the indefensible and still claim to have an ounce of intelligence and integrity.

I wonder if the Standard will bring back its "letters to the editor" feature.  Just kidding!

Two Important Developments

The long-awaited PA Grand Jury Report has been released.  The pdf is here.  Please download it to your machines, in case there are attempts to take it offline.  Please note that the section on the Diocese of Pittsburgh, with then-Bishop Donald Wuerl at the helm, starts on page 210 of the file.  I just now had opportunity to download it and will study it later.  Others who have already read it state that the record of Cardinal Wuerl's cover-up crimes is incontrovertible, and lends weight to calls for his resignation.  Perhaps prosecution is in order.  Aiding and abetting is its own crime, and as far as Catholic morality goes, Wuerl most certainly did cooperate with many mortal sins.

When news of this whole mess broke, I immediately started to think of protests at the bishops' November meeting in Baltimore.  Apparently I was not alone.  Six well-known pro-life/Catholic organizations have formed a coalition for the purpose of organizing a presence at the USCCB's semi-annual gabfest.  Their website is thebishopsknew.com.   Please consider supporting this effort with your presence (details are still to be determined).

Also, please consider the cessation of donations to dioceses that are:

• named in this report
• headed by prelates named in this report who have aided and abetted these predators
• the present homes to any of these predator clergy
• led by prelates who are trying to affect a dismissive attitude towards this mess

We will let the corrupt clergy (and other cowardly clergy) get away with any more cover-up.  The silence stops now.