Death Comes for the Archbishop?

In 1927 Catholic writer, Willa Cather, wrote a then famous novel entitled Death Comes for the Archbishop.

"It concerns the attempts of a Catholic bishop and a priest to establish a diocese in New Mexico Territory.

The novel was included on Time's 100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005 [1] and Modern Library's list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century [1], and was chosen by the Western Writers of America to be the 7th-best "Western Novel" of the 20th century. The primary character is a bishop, Jean Marie Latour, who travels with his friend and vicar Joseph Vaillant from Sandusky, Ohio to New Mexico to take charge of the newly established diocese of New Mexico, which has only just become a territory of the United States". (See the Wikipedia Article).

In my Senior year at the Pontifical College Josephinum, as part of a course on American Catholic Church history, I had to read this novel.  I enjoyed it very much, though, I lost my copy of it after I left the seminary for good (Mt. Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland) in October, 1982.

Thirty years later, I clearly remember one chapter.  In it the Archbishop sent a priest to live among and to evangelize a tribe of the Pueblo peoples who lived on top of a plateau.  Shortly after his arrival the man started to heavily imbibe, daily, in the local brew and also began sexual relationships with several of the young maidens and even a few of the adult women who had husbands and children of their own.

For two or three years, either out of some sort of respect for his office or, more likely, pity because, he did not have a woman of his own to meet his need,  the Pueblos put up with him.   However, as I remember, he finally crossed the line when he raped and sodomized a young virgin.

One particular evening, shortly after that happened, the priest was sitting at a table in the dwelling the Pueblos granted him, getting drunk as usual, when two strapping young men walked in;  pulled his chair out; picked him up; carried him to the edge of the plateau; threw him off it (resulting in a fall that killed him) and walked away showing about as much emotion as one would after having taken out the garbage.

I'm sure most who read this will agree that that priest got what he deserved - absolute justice without any mercy. Fast forward  to today.

I think with the revelations which have come with release of the documents in  Los Angeles which clearly show how high ranking Catholic officials, in particular Cardinal Mahoney, enabled the rape and sexual torture of the innocent and the vulnerable, we church-going Catholics have reached a point of decision: either to continue to put with this or do something about it. The question is what to do?

Shall the church-goers continue to avert their eyes in denial or to give a milchtoast response that grants license (based on some misplaced sense of what "forgiveness' is) or go for true accountability of our leaders, the Pope and the Bishops? And how is this to be done with both real justice and real mercy?

Right now the office of the Prosecutor in Los Angeles is reviewing these documents as they come out to try to determine if any charges can be filed against any of the living officials, past or present, of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for their part in shielding sexual predators  and covering up their behavior at the expense of children and vulnerable adults. Chief in his analysis of the matter will be  to determine whether Cardinal Mahoney can be charged or will the statute of of  limitations allow him, as it has allowed so many high ranked Church officials in the past, to escape the punishment they so richly deserve.

David Clohessy of the Survivors Network of those Abuse by Priests, (S.N.A.P.) answered questions ib this matter recently as quoted on this subject in a local blog in Los Angeles - see here: Will Cardinal Roger Mahony Face Charges  for Sex Abuse Cover Up? SNAP says Yes. for the article).

Basically he believes that the L.A. Prosecutor is a creative man, and just as charges were filed against the infamous gangster, Al Capone, for tax evasion (rather than for murder and conspiracy to commit murder - the crimes for which he deserved punishment) and was ultimately found guilty and imprisoned, so some sort of recent violation of the law by these Church officials will allow charges to be filed against them and for which they can be sent to prison too.

I wish I could be that confident. Given the history of the legal backroom maneuvering exercised by diocesan lawyers throughout the Nation I doubt it will happen. Still I do hope that something is figured out. Justice demands it. I fear dire consequences if not. Why?

Though both the survivors of rape and sexual torture by clergy in the Church and their advocates have shown tremendous restraint over the decades - and especially since this all came out 11 years ago, I don't know if Cardinal Mahoney escapes justice whether that might be too much for someone and the Nation, and especially the American Catholic Church, could be rocked when death comes for the Archbishop.

“Ego delustro sic non tu poteris nutu”. 

I disabuse so you can’t snooze.