Catholic church feels the power of the pews

To some people, the resignation of Bernard Law as archbishop of Boston amid the ongoing scandal of child-abuse may seem astounding. It's the first-ever ousting of a bishop that's due, in part, to a rebellion by priests and lay followers. It may even have echoes of Martin Luther's church-shattering revolt in 1517.

But to faithful American Catholics like Tina DaRos, it's just simple common sense. And it's the first of many changes that must occur.

Cardinal Law was "the king of cover-up," says the self-described Catholic conservative, an interior designer in the gilded enclave of Santa Barbara, Calif., who still attends the church she grew up in.

Her three daughters are products of Catholic schools. She and her husband are "firm supporters of the pope ... and we adhere as closely to our religion as possible," she says.

Yet the deceit and callousness evidenced in the scandal, she says, "angers me."

As seen from church pews across America, Law's departure was overdue. And the child-abuse scandal is only a symptom of broader problems that must be fixed - such as the culture of secrecy and the lack of accountability. Catholics don't necessarily agree on the specifics of reform - whether to ban gay clergy or let women be priests, for instance. But their clamor for change is often strong, as is their continuing faith.

"My spirituality goes beyond this," says Rosalie Smith, a grandmother in Pittsburgh who wears jumpers and clogs. The "corrupt hierarchy," she says, doesn't keep her from attending mass every Sunday.

Doing so over the years has brought great blessings, she says, including an understanding of "how unconditionally God loves us." It's also helped her be more unselfish.

She regularly dispenses notes to ill friends - and listens caringly to others' troubles. "The church will survive," she says, evincing a steelier side, "because we - the laity - are the church."

The abuse and scandal "never would have happened if the laity - and especially women - would have been involved in the decision making process," she says, adding, "Women are not power mongers."

Many lay members do exhibit a mind of their own. Back in June, a poll found that 87 percent of Catholics said the pope should remove a bishop who knowingly transferred an abusive priest to a new parish and didn't inform police - a policy that was only just enforced with Law, after, among other things, 58 local priests called for his resignation.

Now the focus turns to other bishops and whether there will be a domino effect from Law's ouster. Already, five bishops besides Law have been subpoenaed to testify before a Massachusetts grand jury probing whether there was a cover-up by top officials in the Boston archdiocese.

For all bishops, Law's resignation sends a clear message, says Chester Gillis, chairman of the theology department at Georgetown University in Washington: "Get all the bad news out as fast as you can, and then attempt to reconcile and rebuild." In other words, he says, "Better come clean." Stirring the wrath of priests and lay members can have consequences.

Page: 1 | 2