Commentary: Head of Church in Canada Cardinal Oullet issues open apology

Cardinal Archbishop of Quebec Mark Ouellet, the highest member of the Canadian clergy, published an open letter in Quebec's newspapers today, apologizing for wrongs committed by the Canadian Church, especially in its handling of their clergy sex abuse cases.

You can look at this gesture in two ways: how it might effect the dispositions of Catholics and how it will be intepreted by Canadian media and government.

I think the argument might be made that this letter will provide some solace to those who have been victimized by some member of the Church. One can then ask, however, what the utility of this gesture will prove to be among the wider Canadian populace.

Before considering that question, let's take a look at the media reaction and intepretation:

The CBC report claims that Cardinal Ouellet in his letter said that the Church errored in its attitudes (Reuters: "narrow attitudes") in the 1960's by favouring "anti-Semitism, racism, indifference to First Nations and discrimination against women and homosexuals." That's quite a list.

Ouellet also "acknowledged that abuses of power hurt the church's image in Quebec and hindered its moral authority." Well, yes. That and other things (like not excercising it's moral authority).

The letter concludes "These scandals shook the confidence of the people towards religious authorities, and we understand them. Forgive us for all this pain!" and says that the church will make a public display of repentance during Lent next spring. The CBC report helpfully ends by adding "Ouellet is considered among the highest-ranking Roman Catholic officials in the country and has often spoken publicly against same-sex marriage."

Reuters is more harsh:

... The senior Roman Catholic clergyman in Canada, seeking to get rid of church baggage and turn over a new leaf, asked forgiveness on Wednesday for sexual abuse and discrimination committed by Catholics in the past.

Ouellet also sought forgiveness for certain "narrow attitudes" before the 1960s, when what is known as the Quiet Revolution ended the pervasive Catholic grip on Quebec society. He said some Catholics tended towards anti-Semitism, racism and indifference to natives, and discrimination against women and homosexuals.

"Please forgive all this wrong," he said.

Context:

He made his statement in the context of a Quebec government commission that is touring the mainly French-speaking province to examine the extent of "reasonable
accommodation" Quebec society should make to religious and other minorities.

Ouellet said he was imitating a general confession of sins in 2000 on behalf of Catholics by the late Pope John Paul II.

The CBC video report (available in Quicktime forma here and RealMedia here) is somewhat slanted, describing Cardinal Ouellet's letter as an "unusual plea" and the reporter embellishes that "there are many" mistakes the Canadian Church has to apologize for, including things I can't think the Cardinal included in his letter (e.g., women were told to stay home and have more children). The reporter also says reaction has been "mixed", and that various advocacy groups are dismissing the letter as not enough, as it represents the Cardinal's personal opinion and not the official position of the Church.

(Let's pause a moment here: isn't it incredible how precise these groups are able to destinguish the personal opinion of a Church official from the Church's official position expressed by a person of the Church in this case? If even they can see the distinction, why can't the media ever seem to get it?)

Now let's return to the question concerning the utility of this gesture. I would, of course, prefer to see the full text of the letter before rendering an opinion. But the fact remains that most people won't read it and will let the media outlets summarize it for them. Such a summary will come down to: "Head of Canadian Catholic church admits church was wrong and promises to turn over a new leaf." I'm sorry, but I think that's how this will play out.

We also can't forget in this discussion that the Canadian Church is fighting a fierce, losing battle against Canada's militant, anti-Christian (and particularly anti-Catholic) secularism. In this atmosphere, politicians and those who hate the Church will find in the Cardinal's letter ready ammunition to further discredit the Church's moral authority and competence. And are trying to restrict the Church's freedom however they can.

Honestly, when apologizing "for the Church" in the public forum, it's absolutely crucial to do everything possible to clarify that these faults and errors were committed by persons of the Catholic Church and not the teaching of the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church, in itself, is not anti-Semitic, anti-women, anti-homosexuality (properly understood), anti-minority, etc. It is more "pro" these groups, properly understood, than any secular government ever could be, because Jesus Christ is the Church's foundation.

I think it is so difficult to ensure that this distinction is maintained once the letter goes through the public grinder that it almost makes the action futile. Note that I say "almost." I could be wrong. But history, in these matters, has a ruthless tendency of repeating itself. New, smarter ways of combating the slanders voiced against the Church are required. Now more than ever.

Apart from this, I had heard previously generally good things about Cardinal Ouellet (pronounced "wa-let"), but here's a (I hope) helpful tapestry of the impressions I was able to discover after some dedicated searching. The more I find out about him the more I like him:

• He's at the forefront of Quebec's upcoming International Congress, and has good things to say in a brief interview with CNA.


• Speaking to a public commission, Cardinal Ouellet said that the people of Quebec "need to rediscover their religious identity" and that the problem of cultural identity in Quebec can be traced back to "the malaise of the Catholic majority, which needs to find a religious reference point" and concluded that "Quebec is ripe for a profound new evangelization" reports CWNews.


• He acted forthrightly and forcefully against "The Army of Mary", legitimately using his canonical authority to exclude them from receiving communion for various grace reasons, and many other canonical sanctions and penalties.


• The New Liturgical Movement has reported that Cardinal Ouellet has allowed a church to perform the extraordinary form of the Roman rite (related pic).


• Rocco describes Cardinal Ouellet as a member of Pope Benedict's "kitchen cabinet." Cardinal Ouellet is a member of Communion & Liberation, which perhaps explains some of the affinity, as does the fact that Cardinal Ouellet used to work in the Curia, Rocco reports.


• Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston describes Cardinal Ouellet as a "wonderful theologian who gave fantastic talks." That was evidently at the USCCB's June retreat in Albuquerque. I think it's significant that the USCCB decided to fly-in a Canadian Cardinal to give their retreat.

Sure sounds like a good guy to me.

I wish to be proven wrong in my misgivings about the prudence of this public apology and continue to hope and pray for strength in the Canadian church. I think if anyone can achieve this formidable task, from what I've seen, it's Cardinal Oullet. Let's hope that people listen to him when he isn't apologizing for being wrong and thereby realize that, when teaching on behalf of the Church, he is very, completely right.