Die loquentes!

OK, I know many of you have been waiting with bated breath for news of what exactly transpired yesterday afternoon between Fr. Roy Bourgeoise and Fr. Ed Dougherty during the "Due Process" mediation for which Roy had appealed as is his (Maryknoll) Constitutional right.

I hasten to scoop NCR on this breaking story:

They talked. Face to face. For a couple of hours.

Although Roy was accompanied by his canon lawyer, Fr. Thomas Doyle, Ed had no such legal representation, nor was there any need for it. This was not a canonical procedure. Instead, with Fr. Wayman Deasy as mediator, the two men spoke about their respective positions. They spoke and listened.

I did not presume to ask what, precisely, they talked about, but rather asked each man his impression of the exchange.

Roy seemed delighted. "We talked, openly and honestly. There were no threats or ultimatums." He gave Wayman high marks for keeping the discussion moving and on point. Roy was not asked to utter the two words he said he could never say: "I recant."

Doc, too, said they had a cordial and frank exchange.

So to answer some questions that have, indeed, been circulating over the salad bar:

Nothing was decided.

Roy is still a member of Maryknoll.

He still receives his personal allowance and health coverage from the Society (Sr. Joan Chittester and other advocates' published assertions notwithstanding.)

The School of Americas Watch recently received a $10,000 grant from the U.S. Region.

Roy has not been silenced (to my knowledge) by Maryknoll, although I did confide to him that my personal objection to his very public actions and speeches have less to do with content and everything to do with our Society being dragged into an ecclesial controversy which we had not discussed, agreed to nor prepared for.

I doubt any of this will get out to those people who withdrew support for Maryknoll, denounced us or think less of us because of perceived injustices. But here in all its unadorned glory is the truth.

Dies irae autem dies spei?

Even as I post, Fr. Roy Bourgeoise and his high-powered attorney, Fr. Tom Doyle, are meeting with Superior General Fr. Ed Dougherty in a "due  process" session, mediated by Fr. Wayman Deasy. As far as I have been able to ascertain, Doc won't be accompanied by a canon lawyer. This may be just as well, since this is not a judicial hearing or trial or negotiation or arbitration. It is, rather, an opportunity afforded Society members by our Constitutions when they feel they have not been treated fairly or ethically by leadership.

Absent a fly-spy on the wall, I am not sure if we will learn what exactly was discussed, but the very fact that Roy and Ed are meeting and talking face-to-face is itself an accomplishment, according to Bourgeoise, who claims there has been neither dialogue nor discussion between the two in the past three years.

I confess I cannot imagine what else can come out of this "due process" process, since there is, in fact, not much that can be reversed or undone. There is also a certain disadvantage for Doc in this kind of situation since the Vatican has made it quite explicit that not only are Catholics forbidden to talk about [DELETED] but we are to refrain from even thinking about [DELETED].

What we have here in microcosm is the same dysfunctional dynamic plaguing not only us here at the Center but, in fact, the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church. To wit: one side sees its authority and power eroding, perhaps irreparably, so it clings desperately to what little power it has. It appeals to blind obedience and to habit (if not tradition) and calls for strict adherence to anachronistic laws or policies; on the other side we have free spirits willing to enter into discussion, dialogue and process to reach some sort of mutually acceptable understanding and conclusion.

This strikes me as being at the heart of the apparent overreach by the Vatican regarding the Conference of Leadership of Women Religious (not to mention the Girl Scouts!). This likewise reverberates through our dining room when somewhere dare suggest moving pizza to another day. It's "Who Moved My Cheese" writ large. Our actions seem to shout: "We can't control our situation, by God we can control this!" and so we pounce for no better reason than that we can.

Age, disease, decreasing numbers force us to confront our limitations and mortality; as individuals, as a Society and as a Church. So what is the knee-jerk reaction? Come down hard on any individual or group you deem vulnerable but whose very actions underscore the embarrassing truth that the emperor lost his clothes decades ago.

Asked what he hoped would come from today's "due process" meeting, Roy replied: "Hope."

Not a minute too soon!

Maryknollers pull SOA Watch funding | National Catholic Reporter

Maryknollers pull SOA Watch funding | National Catholic Reporter
http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/maryknollers-pull-soa-watch-funding

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Sent from my iPad

Thanks to my Catholic Press Association colleague, Ms. Heidi Schlumpf, author of the above blog, for giving me a heads-up on the above story via Facebook.

I, and I trust most Maryknollers, were blind-sided by this. There are problems on many levels.

1) Absent any media relations person (a replacement for Ms. Betsey Guest who retired last month has yet to be hired) calls from the press get bounced around giving the impression of an organization in disarray.

2) Maryknollers find out about this from outside sources. Granted it doesn't have to be via this blog, but it might have been classy to let the membership know that this very public action was taking place. Talking points would have been nice.

3) As Heidi pointed out to me in a later post, Maryknoll shouldn't be surprised when this results in bad press for us and even more loss of support.

4) We will lose more friends and not placate our detractors by one iota. So who are we trying to impress? (I know the answer, but I need my Prudence Chip now more than ever.)

5) Sources here would neither confirm nor deny details of this story and then, WHAM, it appears in NCR. What happened to transparency and better communications?

6) The Acts and Motions of the Eleventh General Chapter are effectively dead. In the paragraph about our relationship with the Church in the U.S. we said that actions on behalf of justice were necessary "even when they result in a loss of support." The word "prophetic" peppered that same document. Sounds nice, but this present action belies that stance.

7) What in the name of justice does the righteous work of closing WHINSEC (School of the Americas) have to do with the "attempted ordination of women"?No matter what you think of the latter, (and last week we know exactly what the Vatican thinks of this) the SOA Watch seeks to give voice to the voiceless and bring peace to Latin America.

8) SOA Watch has already issued a fund raising letter and will no doubt replace the funds cut.. The ultimate loser in this sorry case is Maryknoll.

Weekend update

Responding to the "clarification" by the Vatican that lumped "the attempted ordination of women" as a "grievous sin" on par with the sexual abuse of children, our own prophet-in-exile Roy Bourgeoise issued a statement. In it he merely observed that to date not one convicted pedophile priest or bishop has been excommunicated. Protestations to the contrary notwithstanding, it does seem that by this punishment some in the Vatican must think ordaining women is actually worse that abusing children. Hard to argue with this logic. But as with most things from the Vatican these days, logic is not the issue.

I erred in an earlier post when I wrote the mission exposure trip to Honduras was already underway. Actually four men depart for Central America tomorrow, Saturday the 17th. Deacon Steve DeMartino will accompany Pablo Talavera, Sean Farry, Richard Rivera and Ryan Danaher. (Yes, they pay their way down and back and enjoy Maryknoll hospitality in between.) Please pray the Holy Spirit guide their discernment but that they apply to Maryknoll anyway. (I couldn't resist.)

Having celebrated the Mass for the community this past week, I had the opportunity to fan some sparks into flame---in a good way, I hope. It is my contention that Maryknoll is not dying, but we might very well kill it with our indifference. I see the two greatest threats to our survival as a Society as apathy and inertia. We no longer want to try new things and take risks that might upset our comfortable routine. Fr. Ernie Brunelle said we apply the "lowest common denominator." Today's first reading from Isaiah for the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel spoke of the dying Hezekiah who turned facing the wall to pray and weep at his imminent demise. God heard his prayer and granted him 15 more years. If we could only cultivate an equally fervent spirit of prayer, I am confident Maryknoll will enjoy many more years of mission service.

This weekend at the Knoll we welcome parishioners from St. Michael's Church in Jersey who are on retreat.

Similarly, tomorrow all day in the Asia room there will be the School for Vibrational Healing Meditation. Seriously. (Thank you, Prudence chip, but I never pick low-hanging fruit.