Laurie Goodstein, The NYTimes’s national religion correspondent who plans to interview Benedict says that the padre will probably comment on many issues pertinent to Catholic Americans, including our nation's many "sexual abuse cases involving priests." Involving? Let's get real for a minute here. It's not like in some cases the young boys raped the priests, or the priests happened upon the crime, or any other scenario in which they weren't the criminals, but I digress..
But, Goodstein writes,
"The pope’s primary purpose is to tend to his flock. The Roman Catholic Church in the United States is in flux. Demographic changes, along with a shortage of priests and financial pressures, have led dioceses to close urban schools and parishes and open ones in suburbs and exurbs."
In fact, one American follower asks Goodstein to relay this question: "With so many American families discouraging their sons from entering the priesthood, what is the Church prepared to do to not only retain dwindling numbers, but also to provide His flock with willing, learned and blessed shepards?"
Catholics, can we talk? Do you ever take offense to the sheep metaphor? (Dictionary.com defines sheep as "a meek, unimaginative, or easily led person.") Good lord.
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I'm as lapse-y as Catholics get, but I feel 8 years of St. Bernadette's gives me the authority to speak on the subject.
ReplyDeleteQuite frankly, if you throw "lazy" in there, it sounds a lot like my last performance review at work. Spot on, Popey!