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Contents © 2002
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.
LETTERS
SEPTEMBER 2002
CHILDISH ACCUSATIONS
How sad to the read the article by Robert Kumpel, "They Didn't Think It Was Any Big Deal" (July/August Mission). It is bad enough when the secular press gives inaccurate information about the Church, but when a publication that calls itself "Catholic" sensationalizes on gossip, it's a tragedy.
I spent four years at St. John's Seminary and found an environment of men studying the Church's documents and adherence to orthodoxy. As in any seminary there were those who would protest on either end of the spectrum, even to extremes that would knock them out of the Catholic faith. Now it seems that those who have their own concept of what they "think" orthodoxy is will attack at any given opportunity, even if their information is inaccurate.
If you are going to take one priest's word for something, I hope you will take another's. I found that the environment at St. John's was one in which the integrity of each person was respected. I have been called by many a conservative priest. Some might even call me "rigid." There are others that might call me very liberal too. That's what it boils down to -- childish accusations.
I know of no "acceptance" of any homosexual behavior at St. John's. In fact, I know of no homosexual behavior. I was raised that unless you actually saw an act taking place, it's a cruel and uncharitable thing to make accusations. If one of your "witnesses" actually saw a homosexual act take place in that seminary, he should have had the integrity to deal with it according to the procedures given in the Gospel of Matthew, not report it years later for a sensationalist publication. And, if he saw so much as to actually form groups of different types of homosexuals, one wonders how much he actually witnessed. One also wonders how he enjoyed the privilege of being invited to witness such irregular intimacies.
I also disagree with your insinuation that there is something wrong with using psychologists to screen seminarians. They also use MDs to check for physical ailments. Why not use someone with a psychology degree to filter out those who have "control issues." After all, it is control issues and/or anger issues that are at the heart of any exploitation of a weaker being. The psychological exams had nothing to do with theological slant. There is something to be said for these exams since most of the recently reported crimes were committed by those who were ordained before these exams were given. One could wonder how many more cases there would have been had the Church not started to use this science.
Please reconsider your style of reporting so as to avoid the tactics that are used by the secular press.
The Rev. Amaro Saumell,
Pastor, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Church,
Crestline
Editor's note: That the Rev. Saumell claims that he knew of no homosexual behavior at St. John's in no way impugns the accuracy of our report. He may not have seen or known of any such behavior, but that doesn't mean it did not occur. The priests Robert Kumpel interviewed tell a different story. What then is the basis for Father Saumell's assertion of inaccuracy? A rather sensational attack on the character of these priests. For the record, Mr. Kumpel sought comment from St. John's to get the other side of the story and received no response.
Father Saumell states that the priests in our story did not follow Gospel procedures in dealing with homosexual seminarians. As the story states, they did not wait years to report the problems they saw to a "sensationalist publication," but brought them to the attention of seminary authorities. In such a situation, going directly to the "Church" rather than to the erring brother was proper, since the sins committed were not merely personal but touched the common good of the seminary and of the dioceses for which these men would, presumably, be ordained. As events have proved, we have suffered for a lack of vigilance over such erring seminarians.
The Rev. Saumell says that the priests in our article have "their concept of what they 'think' orthodoxy is," but I hope Saumell will agree with these priests' "orthodoxy": that the vow of celibacy includes a complete abstention from sexual acts; that the homosexual orientation is intrinsically disordered and homosexual acts are gravely sinful. I hope, too, that Father Saumell understands that the scandal in the Catholic Church in America is not something invented by the press, but is the fruit of profound clerical negligence. It is the clergy, not hack reporters, who have brought on the scandal that has covered Holy Mother Church with shame.
MAYBE WRONG, BUT NOT WIMPS
Editor's note: The following is a response to a letter written by John Genova, published in the July/August Mission, in response to Mission reports on the St. Charles Borromeo Preservation Guild.
It is with some reluctance that I write to you now, because I must publicly disagree with someone for whom I have tremendous respect. John Genova has served the parish community of St. Charles for many years and used his musical talents to glorify Our Lord. However, the truth is the truth, and I cannot accept misrepresentation, no matter how much I respect the source.
Dr. Gonzalez did not "style himself an official" of the guild; he was freely elected as chairman. Regarding guild members' "machismo" dissipating, I believe Mr. Genova is referring to the decision made by some members not to try to speak with him because they believed it impossible to hold reasoned discourse with him. (In fairness to Mr. Genova, I can say that I have held several conversations with him and never felt this way myself.) But getting back to the "machismo" issue: some guild members have been more than once threatened with expulsion from the parish, others have been dismissed from their positions, or have endured public berating by the pastor. I would say these things show courage in the face of opposition, or as someone once defined the role of a prophet, a willingness to "speak truth to power" which could hardly be described by any impartial observer as "machismo" that dissipates with the slightest opposition. They may be wrong, but they are not "wimps" by any honest measure.
I was only present for part of the last "Speak Out" session, but I observed a large crowd there, which I would estimate to be over 100 persons. The vast majority were not members or even associates of the guild; therefore it seems disingenuous to blame the clearly passionate behavior of the crowd (against the proposed remodeling) entirely on the members of the guild. What Mr. Genova, the pastor and a few other "pro-remodeling" parishioners need to face is the fact that the vast majority of the people of the parish do not want their church remodeled. ("Renovated" is a misnomer in this case, since that term's derivation from the Latin indicates "to make new again" not to "rearrange.") At each of meetings, it was abundantly clear that the majority of parishioners do not want a remodeled church, but it still appears in the offing. The parishioners may not be able to stop the remodeling; but if and when it comes, it will be one of the most sad and ironic examples of pastoral and archdiocesan autocracy in the very hour when our cardinal archbishop is claiming the need for greater involvement by the laity.
In a recent conversation with the pastor, I was told that all the parish workers with whom he had spoken looked forward to changes. I asked him if he didn't think it possible that they were saying what he wanted to hear because he is the pastor? He replied that he didn't think so. And yet I know that many parish workers have expressed agreement with the guild but were not willing to say so publicly for fear of reprisal (of the type which has already taken place). There is only one other parishioner besides Mr. Genova (that I am aware of) who has expressed public opposition to the guild in writing, and they are both on the pastor's payroll. Indeed, Mr. Genova has recently been appointed a parish representative for the cardinal's synod as well as the new director for the parish's RCIA program.
Finally, I am in complete agreement with Mr. Genova that a thorough examination of the guild's website would be instructive. I would invite all of your readers to do so and decide for themselves if it contains superficiality and prevarication. Though I can claim no credit for its design, I think it is outstandingly done. Unfortunately your article got the website address wrong. I would appreciate if you could publish it correctly. It is St-Charlesborromeo.org. (Note the hyphen).
L. A. Carstens,
A St. Charles Borromeo parishioner