(Was a) Deacon's Blog

I never liked lustration, the process of outing former collaborators in formerly communist countries. I actually much prefer the South African truth and reconciliation process. This gets to the heart of the matter and if handled according to Christian ethics, is the best choice for moving forward. As a matter of fact, in some sense the Bush administration is going to have to backtrack on its de-Baathification process and get to truth and reconciliation in Iraq.

In Poland not a small number of clergy cooperated with the U.B. and S.B. (Communist secret police) To a certain extent the outing of their personal sins was perceived to be worse than cooperating with the communist devils. Men entering seminaries were often presented with dossiers on their ‘activities’. Afraid of embarrassment? Do as we say.

What sins? Sexual relationships with women or other men. Priests having ‘secret’ wives and children is quite rampant in Polish society. It is a frequent source of gossip and salon talk. While there were certainly homosexuals among the clergy, heterosexual scandal was the order of the day, going back 1,000 years. As to homosexuality, there hasn’t been much of a homosexual subculture in Polish seminaries until quite recently. The trend in Poland, according to my sources, has been the appointment of homosexual rectors in seminaries. This trend, and the results it produces, will probably save the Church from having to support women who have been, for all intents and purposes, victimized, and from supporting their children. There will be other problems of course.

The recent scandal involving Bishop Wielgus, soon to be installed Archbishop of Warsaw (and that which flows from it, the red hat, the title of Primate of Poland) is a case in point (see the NY Times article Ties to Secret Police Snare Polish Bishop).

Are we to believe that the communist secret police were able to turn him, all for the ‘advantage’ of studying in Germany? The Jagellonian University or KUL (Catholic University of Lublin) have excellent faculties. No need to go to Germany to study. What could have forced a Hobson’s choice on the young priest? I have friends who refused to turn when threatened with rape and death.

The problem is twofold.

The Church imposes a standard that many men cannot endure. The resulting personal and public scandal that results from breaking your ‘commitment’ and choosing God plus God in a personal relationship is too much for some men to bear. This is of course for those who accept personal responsibility. For some, their girlfriend is no more than a convenience and a prospective source for scandal, they are no more than users. I give a ton of credit to priests who seek out the PNCC because they want to lead honest and open lives, with their wives and children. The stories of women and children, victimized and scandalized by absentee priest-fathers and priest-husbands (common law) are many fold.

The other problem is that the deals made with the secret police will be a generational defect. Is revenge and punishment worth the cost to society? I can’t imagine it is. There are those who will bear ill will toward their victimizers forever. We should pray for their healing. Above that, I would hope that a society, with a concordat, that is supposed to be 98% Roman Catholic, get its perspective on repentance and forgiveness in proper order.

The title for this post is lead us not into temptation. The bureaucracy of the R.C. Church and the weakness of men, as well as of those seeking vengeance, are sources of temptation. The best thing to do is to find God’s way in accordance with the Catholic faith once practiced and believed by all. Set aside vengeance and live honestly and justly.