Blind Obedience

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Last Saturday, I viewed the documentary SIPE; sex, lies and the priesthood at the Salem Film fest (Click here to watch). It touched me, and not just because the documentary featured my brother Richard’s life’s work, helping sexual abusers and abused victims.

I was close to Richard, at the end of his life, as he invited me to participate in his third, and final, book of poems, SMELL THE ROSES, feel the soil, reach the sky (FriesenPress.com). The three books of poems, written at the end of his life, were a way for him to process the pain of dealing with the horror of hurt, working with abused victims, and being personally abused - a hurt he held inside, for most of his 85 years.

The documentary touched me to the core because the Church’s coverup of thousands of abuses is so hard to understand, and so devastating to the victims, and to a lesser affect, albeit a big impact, to people like me, who looked at priests as special - beyond reproach . The documentary and follow-up panel discussion, helped me understand the awful sexual abuse, and the frustrating wall of resistance by church hierarchy - possibly an impact of the craziness of the Church’s required “blind obedience”.

“You can’t handle the truth” - the famous line from the powerful marine colonel (played by Jack Nicholson) in the move A Few Good Men came to mind after I viewed the documentary. What a great reference to better understand the craziness of ‘blind obedience’. The clergy oath and the depicted movie’s marine corp oath of absolute obedience, up the ‘chain of command’, is strikingly similar. The point in both films is clear - the powerful are not above reproach, and those associated with them, that act with blind obedience to cover up the crime, to be faithful warriors to the family, lose themselves, their integrity, and trust of followers.

Forgiveness is good. Zero tolerance, going forward, is good. Appropriate education moving forward is good… But, we need more for the Church to survive the balance of this century - once not thinkable, now logical. Accountability and authenticity, is necessary.

What if all who knew about sexual abuse, who abetted the abuse, came clean - not likely, but how real powerful and God-like consistent that would be. What if the church freely opened their coffers, and invited victim reparations? - Not likely, but the huge cost would come with real forgiveness and saving parishioners - build trust, and eventually replenish coffers.

Real change can be effected fast, from the top, and much slower, and less likely, as a ground swell, from followers. The Catholic Church, ironically, is going to hell in a hand basket. Get real. Get truthful. Be ministers you profess to be. Practice what you preach.

From Corinthians 13; 4-6: “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.”

Clouds form from the volcano, Etna, in Sicily. Life and order on the city below are threatened. Church hierarchy - I wouldn’t shake the earth too much - possible extinction is real. Life on earth is short, and temporary. Changes are inevitable. How will we be accountable for our earthly actions, at the gates of eternal life? Love and Truth will prevail. Soon, each of us will account for our hate and lies on earth. Truth heals. God help us.

Share this message, or do your own blast regarding Love and Truth, as it relates to this Catholic Crisis. Now is the time to speak out for Love and Truth, and for a better belonging, for the relatively few years we have left on earth.