… Damon Linker Leaves Catholicism | The American Conservative. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
Well, both Dreher and Linker were converts, which is a different way of being a Catholic than my own. I am a cradle Catholic. I did not reason myself into the faith. I also was raised in the faith — 16 years of Catholic education. I well know that ordination to the priesthood doesn't necessarily confer civility, let alone sanctity. But am I supposed to forget the priests who helped make me who I am, most especially my Jesuit mentor, Edward Gannon. S.J.? Why would it surprise anyone that the powers of darkness would have their sights set on the Church? And that they would often succeed in corrupting the Church's ministers, who are, after all, only fellow sinners. Are Dreher and Linker looking for a church whose members are all saints? Then they are on a fool's errand.
Well, both Dreher and Linker were converts, which is a different way of being a Catholic than my own. I am a cradle Catholic. I did not reason myself into the faith. I also was raised in the faith — 16 years of Catholic education. I well know that ordination to the priesthood doesn't necessarily confer civility, let alone sanctity. But am I supposed to forget the priests who helped make me who I am, most especially my Jesuit mentor, Edward Gannon. S.J.? Why would it surprise anyone that the powers of darkness would have their sights set on the Church? And that they would often succeed in corrupting the Church's ministers, who are, after all, only fellow sinners. Are Dreher and Linker looking for a church whose members are all saints? Then they are on a fool's errand.
I feel for Dreher; he lost his Catholic faith after doing genuinely good work reporting on the horrendous details of sexual abuse scandals in the early 2000s. When you look at the level of detail he went into, attempts by clergy to quash his inquiries, the endless and harrowingly explicit stories of victims, and their stark fear of going on the record, it's no wonder he was shattered. I give him real credit for rebuilding his faith, albeit in a different religion; his self-examination and brutal honesty about the process are on ample display in his writings about the subject, both in his blog posts and in his books, and he's been highly supportive of good priests who are coming forward and speaking up about corruption in their midst.
ReplyDeleteFar be it from me, Jeff, to pass judgment on his choosing to leave the Church. That is between him and God. But the Church has survived other scandals, and scandals, as Jesus warned, must come. I still think prayer and penitance is the best response.
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