For Release: 11/14/05
Contact: Rea Howarth 301-699-0042
cell: 301-538-4420 cso@quixote.org

Statement by Rea Howarth, Co-Director, Coordinator of Catholics Speak Out

Leadership does not consist of the ability to recite church teachings and bow toward Rome.

• Not one US bishop has suggested publicly that bishops who shuffled sex offenders and exposed countless children to danger should resign. They are silent.
• Nor has the US Conference of Catholic Bishops adopted model legislation to require clergy to report suspected abuse. They are silent.
• They have not embraced compromise on reform statutes of limitation. Instead they fight reforms tooth and nail.
• Not a single bishop has urged reform of the priesthood. Instead they submit to Vatican efforts to root out gay seminarians. And they are silent.

The priest shortage and the culture of secrecy and conspiracy that pervades the church from top to bottom are entwined in the problem of sexual abuse. Not a single US bishop has named this as part of the problem. Instead, they point their fingers at gay men. Apparently, it is more important to make sure seminarians are pious and agree with the ban on contraception, divorce and remarriage. It seems they could care less about seminarians’ capacity for intellectual and spiritual growth.

If women and married men could be ordained, the bishops would have a far larger, far more distinguished and mentally healthy set of candidates for ordination—and they know it.

The bishops’ failure to address reality is shocking.

We Catholics, even us liberals, still support our parishes and our priests.¹ Nearly two-thirds of all Catholics go to church at least once a month. But we disagree with our bishops on important issues:

• 63 percent of us say our bishops are out of touch with reality.
• 89 percent agree that parishioners should have a say in how money is spent; 84 percent think the laity should have a say in how diocesan funds are spent.
• 81 percent support ordaining women as deacons.
• 62 percent support women priests.

We Catholics love our church, but sadly, we think too many bishops lack the capacity for dialogue and honest leadership.