Church History Chapter 11 - The Enlightenment

Marian Consecration Day 24 (November 28th)

The Root of the "Bishops and Priests Having Sex with Young Adults" Scandal

"Since the primary motive of the evil is disguise, one of the places evil people are most likely to be found is within the church.  What better way to conceal one's evil from oneself, as well as from others, than to be a deacon or some other highly visible form of Christian within our culture?  In India, I would suppose that the evil would demonstrate a similar tendency to be "good" Hindus or "good" Moslems.  I do not mean that the evil are anything other than a small minority among the religious or that the religious motives of most people are in any way spurious.  I mean only that evil people tend to gravitate toward piety for the disguise and concealment it can offer them"

- Martin Buber in "Good and Evil" -

Footnoted in M. Scott Peck's "People of the Lie"

We've all been hearing so much about "clericalism" as the root of the "Bishops/Priests/Cardinals having sex with young adults" scandal.

That notion has been challenged in many places.  I've argued from the moment I heard the "clericalism" defense that it is a convenient thing to blame because we can't even define clericalism.  We've been preaching to seminarians for 50 years "BE LESS CLERICAL" and all we've seen is the sexual crimes by clerics MULTIPLY.  So maybe we need a new strategy besides telling priests and seminarians to be less "clerical"?


In reading all of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report and any other accounts I can get my hands on, one thing has become clear to me - the clerics who are sexually assaulting people are the ones that BLEND IN.

The criminals are the ones that get the parents/families to TRUST THEM


Whatever clericalism is, its opposite is being able to blend in with families and be "one with the people"...BUT THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT ALMOST EVERY SEXUALLY ASSAULTING CLERIC DID...THEY BLENDED IN


No one was saying "Let's let our son Johnny go on a camping trip with "Father arrogant" and "Father entitled""


If we are going to lay this scandal at the feet of "clericalism" (which we can't even DEFINE) then the evil wins because it continues to remain hidden



Here's an idea - let's study the actual criminal clerics.  What were the patterns?  Some quick things we might learn scientifically:

1) What percentage of them were praying a daily holy hour?
2) What percentage of them prayed a daily rosary?
3) What percentage of them fasted once a week?
4) What percentage of them prayed their breviary faithfully?
5) What percentage of them took their annual 5 day retreat?
6) What percentage of them were striving for going to confession once a month?


You could ask them these questions in about 30 seconds.  I'm sure there are other questions we could ask them as well.


I GUARANTEE you the percentages for all 6 of those questions above is VERY low.  There may be other data as well. 



But I am completely dismayed that we don't seem to be taking any kind of a psychological nor a scientific approach to this crisis in the priesthood, but are instead blaming some term that can't even be defined.


We are fighting an enemy that WANTS to remain hidden, even hidden from those who are guilty - to root it out is going to involve enforcing external policies that help root it out and make it easier to spot, both by the clerics themselves and by those who supervise them.  As Jesus said: "Some demons can only be exorcised through prayer and fasting"

Preparation for Total Consecration podcast: Day 23 (November 27th)

Preparation for Total Consecration Day 20 (November 24th)

Conform or Implode

Church History Class Chapter 10 - Wars of Religion

Preparation for Total Consecration podcast: Day 18 (November 22nd)

Prayers included at the link below if you'd like to follow along

Preparation for total consecration day 16 and day 17

Day 16:




Day 17:

A recent talk I gave on "Catholic Identity in Catholic High Schools"

Preparation for total consecration podcast: Day 15

Preparation for total consecration podcast days 12, 13, and 14

Day 12:



Day 13:



Day 14:

Catholic Identity in Schools and You

Preparation for Total Consecration podcast: day 11 (November 15th)

Matt Walsh Drops a Much-Needed Hammer

Preparation for Total Consecration: Day 9 (November 13th)

Sarah Kroger

This may not come as a surprise to you if you've read this blog through the years, but I'm not a big "praise and worship" guy.


One artist that I do really enjoy listening to while driving around Western Indiana is an artist I first encountered at a Focus SEEK Conference a few years ago.


Young adult Catholic artists need our patronage and support.


Run over to iTunes and pick up her music - it will be a great $20.  My "Sarah Kroger Playlist" on my iPhone is definitely my favorite one.


Here are some samples:

She has a new single that just came out:





This is a great song as well:





And this is a great duet with Audrey Assad.  Listen to the whole things.  When it changes about half way through.  Wow!

Marian Consecration Day 8 (November 12th)

Preparation for Total Consecration Day 7 (November 11th)

Clerical Narcissism....and some things we can do about it