Bishop reassures Honolulu priests
By Mary Kaye Ritz
Advertiser Religion & Ethics Writer
In an unusual move, Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo has sent personal letters to all 120 active priests in the Honolulu Diocese telling them, in essence, to keep the faith.
The letter, dated yesterday, quotes St. Augustine's advice to pastors to "Take care of our parishioners, not ourselves," "Nurture our parishioners as our primary goal, not exploit them," "Be on guard against temptation" and "Realize that as shepherds we will be judged not only as Christians, but also as leaders."
The words of encouragement were a salve to those on the receiving end, including the vicar general, the Rev. Joseph Grimaldi. Grimaldi commended the bishop for speaking out at this difficult juncture for Roman Catholics, whose leaders have been assailed throughout the Mainland in sexual molestation cases.
"I think as a result of all these scandals, priests have been feeling a lot of pain, confusion and difficulty relating to parishioners," said Grimaldi, adding that the difficulty seems to be coming from the side of the priests, not the reverse.
Diocese spokesman Patrick Downes said while there are no priests or employees in active ministry of the Honolulu Diocese today (including brothers or nuns) who have had a substantiated allegation of molestation against them, "the high profile of the present sex abuse scandal in the church casts a cloud over priestly ministry."
He said the bishop "senses some discouragement among his clergy, and one of the bishop's jobs is to support his priests." Downes said it was the first time in memory that DiLorenzo had issued a letter of this kind to his clergy.
DiLorenzo's letter follows a spate of public statements from as high as Pope John Paul II, who on Easter Sunday addressed the issue of accusations of sexual misconduct by priests in the United States.
The allegations have led to the fall of one bishop in Florida, actions taken against dozens of priests around the country, and the tarnishing of the reputation of Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston for failing to take action against a child-molesting priest.
In his annual Easter letter, the pope said he is profoundly hurt that some fellow priests have betrayed the grace of ordination by succumbing to the most grievous forms of evil.
That sentiment reached Hawai'i's Catholic community, causing the bishop to take the step of sending his own letter to priests.
The Rev. Hal Weidner, pastor of Holy Trinity in Kuli'ou'ou, heard the letter read by a reporter before it showed up in his mail, and recognized the personal touch of the bishop.
"I think that the first time I had lunch with the bishop, he quoted St. Augustine," adding he was very impressed at the time. "... (The letter) is very heartfelt and encouraging."
Weidner was buoyed by the outpouring of comfort from his congregation. He recalled how last Saturday, on Easter Vigil, after a particularly moving three-hour service, his parishioners burst into spontaneous applause when he remarked: "We've had a wonderful, three-day celebration, and these wonderful baptisms. There's more going on in the church than this beating we're getting."
He added yesterday: "We're getting beaten up, for good reason. ... But the applause was real."
While both he and the Rev. Gary Secor, the vicar for clergy, said they don't wish to diminish the pain of the victims, both also were saddened about the fallout on parish priests, whose duties include comforting the congregation.
For example, Grimaldi, who served as pastor for St. John Vianney in Enchanted Lake and was at Damien Memorial High School before that, talked about how when young children run up to give him a hug, he now freezes and hopes there are other people around to see the innocent gesture for what it is.
Weidner told a similar tale of how he once was asked for a ride home from a woman, and finally agreed, but asked her to ride in the back seat.
Secor, who grew up in Enchanted Lake, remembers the summer of his junior year when his parents went to the Mainland and his sisters were farmed out to relatives. He was sent to stay at the St. John Vianney rectory, where it was highly unlikely he'd get into trouble.
"At that time, nobody blinked an eye," he said. "That would never happen now."
While relieved that abuse allegations haven't touched the Honolulu Diocese in nearly a decade, the reason these anecdotes sadden him, he said, is that when most people choose to enter the priesthood, it's often because of the influence of a priest in their lives.
But he chooses to hear DiLorenzo's words of encouragement — which he paraphrased as "Keep doing the good work you're doing, because overwhelmingly, people are saying you're doing good work" — and hear the underlying message as well: Don't freeze or pull away from your parishioners, who need you now, more than ever.
