Phil Lawler reminds us why the corruption of the clergy abuse scandal is still very much unresolved.
Bishop John McCormack has been leading the Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire, for 10 years now, and that milestone earns him a remarkable favorable piece in the Union Leader.
According to a sociologist from the University of New Hampshire, the bishop– severely tarred by the sex-abuse scandal– has “won back, I guess you could say, his credibility to lead the diocese.”
How? By striking a plea-bargain deal with prosecutors, ignoring demands for his resignation, riding out the storm of criticism, and… surviving? Is that what passes for leadership?
The same sociologist argues that the bishop’s deep involvement with the shuffling of predator-priests will “be like a passing incident or episode that has to be noted, but it won’t end up defining his legacy.”
What does define his legacy, then? Read on; the information is in the article.
When Bishop McCormack was installed, there were 130 parishes and 37 missions in the diocese. Now there are 102 parishes and 16 missions. There were 158 active priests. Now the number is under 100, headed for 75.
That’s one legacy: a diocese in decline. As in Boston (where McCormack had previously handled priest-personnel problems– with memorable results), so in New Hampshire the diocese is contracting. The Catholic faith is in retreat. The scandal and the contraction go hand in hand.
But in New Hampshire there is more: As I explained in The Faithful Departed, Bishop McCormack reached an agreement with the state’s attorney general, surrendering his own autonomy. The bishop accepted state supervision of ecclesiastical affairs as an alternative to prosecution because– as he conceded in a legal document– the state had evidence “likely to sustain a conviction” on criminal charges.
Don’t think he’s the only clever bishop to ride this out.