Interesting morning in church today.

[rug]

Instead of a homily they wheeled out a 52 inch flat screen TV to play an infomercial for the diocesan annual appeal. At least Billy Mays didn't narrate it.

At the end of the Mass, after the announcements but before the dismissal, the priest stood up and asked all the children to step out of the sanctuary and wait in the narthex. In all my years I've never heard a priest send children outside the church because what was being said inside the church was not suitable for their ears.

He then proceeded to read a letter from the Chancery about a priest in the neighboring parish who was arrested Monday on 19 felony counts of possession of child pornography. He then dismissed the congregation, "The Mass is ended, go in peace to love and serve the Lord" while the organist played "Ode to Joy".

How we have survived so long I'll never know.

[hedgehog]

1. What did the letter say?

[rug]

2. Here's the text.

http://www.dioceseofscranton.org/News/DiocesanStatementOnFr.TimchakOctober22,2009.asp

Overall, it was a strange morning.

[hedgehog]

3. It appears the diocese called the police and reported a possible crime

as soon as officials were aware of a problem. that's good.

I'm a little mystified that " Father Timchak sought medical treatment and the Diocese of Scranton directed him to a facility where appropriate care was given with the knowledge and approval of the Pennsylvania State Police".

It may be that the police figured that that was as good a place as any to park Father Timchak until the investigation was complete. It's not clear why it took five or six months to determine that a crime had occurred. I'm also a little dubious about the notion that Catholic priests involved with crimes against children are not responsible foe their actions.

[whathehell]

4. I hope you don't mind my butting in....

I'm an "ex" catholic, I guess you would say, I was raised Catholic and was twelve years in Catholic School...This was in the fifties and Sixties. I still "feel" like a catholic in certain ways..I have a childhood friend who became a nun and I hear from her from time to time..It is my "background"..so I hope you don't mind if I join you here once in a while

I was quite religious as a child -- even "scrupulous" as one priest told me...and this was LOOOONG before anyone heard of any child sex abuse.

I'm not a "bitter" ex-catholic, and at this point see myself as sort of an agnostic..More of a "hoper" than a "believer"...I often wish I WAS a believer.

Having said that, I feel this sex abuse thing is horrendous, and, from what I've seen, I don't think the church has done nearly enough "mea culpa-ing"...I say this because, as a kid I was VERY religious and had any priest abused me, I don't know if could have survived psychologically..I trusted priests as much as I trusted my parents and I feel terribly for those who were taken advantage of.
Now, I'm sure I'm not the first to say it, but on reading the OP, I thought.."Is this very unusual"?..because from what I read, I would think it's happening every other week!

I'm from PA, btw,..Philadelphia...I have a cousin in the Reading area.

[rug]

5. Please post all you want.

I found it to be unusual because a) The Church talked about it openly and promptly and b) as hedgehog points out, they notified the authorities promptly. Overall, though, I just found the whole morning incongruous given the diocesan appeal in the middle.

[whathehell]

6. Thanks, Rug

The Diocesan appeal?...You mean they asked for Money in the same morning they reported a priest charged with abuse?...If I'm reading that right?..That's the true meaning of "gall"!

[hedgehog]

7. I agree that the fact the diocese notified the authorities at once

is something I have never heard of before. Up until now, the default reaction was to ignore the situation, hide the situation or horse around trying to fix the situation internally or some combination of those steps.

Bishop Martino of Scranton was making himself a reputation as a real hard ass, going after Catholic politicians for various departures from orthodoxy. He was recently "retired" rather abruptly. I'd love to know how all this fits together.

[whathehell]

8. This sounds super cynical, but do you think that the very fast notification

had something to do with the "Appeal" for money?

Frankly, I'm not sure they either need or deserve money from people..Hell, they've got bishops and archbishops living in multi-million dollar places...Think how much the Vatican must be worth.

[Brigid]

9. Yikes!

That is bizarre, to put it mildly. And an appeal for money rather than a homily? And an announcement about the arrest of a priest in another parish? Maybe the dioscean newspaper might have been a more appropriate forum for both of these? The Chancery showed pretty poor judgment if you ask me.

[rug]

10. It looks like it will be worse tomorrow, Brigid.

(CNSNews.com) – The U.S. Catholic bishops have told the pastors of all the Catholic churches in America to insert a flyer in their church bulletin and read a statement at every Mass, informing their congregations that the health care bills now before Congress allow abortion-funding and must be opposed unless amended to specifically prohibit such funding.

. . . .

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), headed by Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, sent the three-part directive to parishes on Oct. 29, the same day the House of Representatives unveiled its 1,990-page health care bill.

The directive has a bulletin insert, a color flyer, and a statement that priests are to read from the pulpit at every Mass either this weekend or in coming weeks as the House votes on its bill and the Senate moves to pass a final version of health care reform legislation.

. . . .

Priests are instructed to read a statement on the issue at every Mass on the weekend that the bulletin insert is distributed, and to follow-up with a statement one week later at all the Masses. The color flyer is headlined, “Health Care Reform Is About Saving Lives, Not Destroying Them,” and shows a pregnant woman and a doctor. The flyer also urges Catholics to contact Congress and provides contact information.

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/56421

If they interrupt the Mass again tomorrow with this crap, I'm out of there the second they open their mouths.

[Brigid]

11. Thank you for the forewarning.

I may be leaving early too, in that case. It is no wonder that the Church is having so much trouble with Mass attendance. :(

[47of74]

12. Nice

They keep it up and this time next year I won't be a Catholic.

[rug]

13. No letter today, fortunately.

Good Gospel on the Beatitudes, good homily on the communion of saints.

The politics won't force me out, mainly because it has nothing to with the Church. Agendas can always be dealt with one way or another.

[47of74]

14. Hope my parents don't want the Archdiocesan paper this week

I was so angry over the cackling self congratulation being done about how the Bishops forced the government to listen to them about health care and got that God-awful Stupak amendment in there that I just tore the paper to shreds.