Monday, April 12, 2004

Apparently, forbidding Catholics to eat Fenway franks on Opening Day is not the only way Archibishop O'Malley is failing the Boston faithful. Sean O'Malley was brought in to replace the much-maligned Cardinal Bernard Law in order to bring closure to the victims of the priest sexual abuse scandal. Within a year, O'Malley managed to reach settlements in most of the cases. Most people in Boston, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, were happy to have a new face on the archdiocese, hoping to turn over a new leaf.

It seems that in order to get an Archbishop who could take care of the sex abuse scandal, the church had to give up any semblance of being open of accepting of the largest minority in the world: Women. Check this lovely quote from our new Archbishop:

The boomers born between 1946 and 1966 are 76 million Americans, the most educated and affluent group in U.S. history. They are heirs to Woodstock, the drug culture, the sexual revolution, feminism, the breakdown of authority and divorce. Typically, they are religious illiterates, but they are interested. Not big on dogmas. My karma ran over my dogma could be their motto.

So feminism, along with drugs and rock and roll, have lead to divorce and the breakdown of [male] authority. Also, Archbishop O'Malley refused to include women in the ritual washing of the feet ceremony during holy week. He argued that the 12 apostles were men, so women should not be included in the ceremony.

Good Lord, what does it say about the Catholic Church that the Boston Archdiocese can't find a leader that has a reasonable idea of women's role in the church and will also not shield the priests from sexual abuse allegations? O'Malley claims the influence of the church is waning because Americans are "oppressed for time and they are addicted to entertainment" and because feminism and the sexual revolution have undermined the authority of the church. Perhaps the influence of the church is waning because it's impossible to find a priest who believes in equality for women and holding errant priests accountable. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to return to the equally barbarous activities of dropping acid and asserting my opinion as a woman.

Archbishop Sean O'Malley's Chrism Mass Homily
Linking evil to feminism [Boston Globe]
Boston Archdiocese settles with four men who say they were abused [AP]

Related Posts:
Cardinal O'Malley is Most Certainly Not Wicked Pissah.