The Diocese of Buffalo's report to the worldwide synod has been released. A mere 650 laity out of 600,000 Catholics in the diocese contributed. The report expresses "surprise" at such apathy. That this organization's leaders are so surprised is just one sign of its disassociation with rank-and-file members. Read this excerpt for more signs of… Continue reading Diocese of Buffalo’s ‘surprise’ at lay apathy is no surprise
"Are lay people still so blindly accepting of anything told them by a bishop, even when it is manifestly extremely suspicious if not patently false?" Answer: Yes. An example revealed in a recent article will blow your mind. [Click title link above to read all about it]
(AUDIO read by author) This final post details concrete reform recommendations for laity to regain relevancy in their advisory roles in this diocese. Long-time Buffalo-area advisors working for their FIFTH or SIXTH bishop are not appropriate for this task, as demonstrated throughout this series. Included is a practical action guide for laity to get involved in the battle for the soul of our diocese.
(AUDIO read by author) To combat the clergy sexual abuse crisis, it is not enough to address the abusers. We have to change the look-the-other-way culture that allowed the abusers to flourish. We examine more dark corners of the diocese to watch how this enabling culture plays out and what laity can do to root it out.
(AUDIO read by author) Sexually abusive clergy and their abuse-facilitators in chancery offices operate off principles. Throughout this series, we saw their chief principle in action: Keeping a lid on the exchange of information and squashing dissent at every opportunity. We laity have principles we work off of too. In this post we look at ten guiding principles foundational to any diocesan reform recommendations.
(AUDIO read by author) We explore indications that the Diocese of Buffalo, over the course of many years, groomed a tight-knit circle of lay advisors in a system that effectively compromised their objectivity. Lose that, and you can easily get duped.
(AUDIO read by author) This six-part series walks you through dark corners of the Diocese of Buffalo in which we explored areas of moral depravity laced with chilling aloofness and missed opportunities as we examine the the intersection of laity with the clergy sexual abuse crisis. To fix this system, we have to fix the culture that created the crisis. Laity can play a significant role in doing that.
The video of the "Path Forward" Symposium held by the Movement to Restore Trust at Canisius College on December 7 is worth watching, but it doesn't capture the whole story. Laity, we need help.
