BishopAccountability.org
	Catholic Priest Discusses Scandal By John Rossomando Daily Local [Westtown PA] September 26, 2005 WESTTOWN -- Sunday's Mass was unlike those of other Sundays for parishioners at St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Church, as recent revelations about the Philadelphia Archdiocese's failure to rein in priestly sexual abusers hung over their heads. As in many parishes throughout the archdiocese this day, the priest devoted his sermon to the scandal. "A word that I could use to describe the fraternity of the priesthood in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia today is 'empty,'" said Parochial Vicar Fr. John Schiele. An embarrassed Schiele related his dismay at reading newspaper accounts of the scandal, and the breaking report that preceded the accounts, only to learn a former seminary classmate was listed among them. "I didn't want to refer to the report, and I wouldn't want to, either, read the paper and look at a picture of a (seminary) classmate who was recently laicized,'" he said in his sermon. "This was a guy who came in and did the entire eight-year program right out of high school, who I was together with the entire time I was in the seminary." Schiele said he and this classmate, who he declined to name, were never close and that he had almost come to blows with him at times "because he was being a jerk," including on his day of ordination in May 1993. "This doesn't make it easy," he said. "It is tough to know what to say, when it is hard myself, knowing what to think. I don't know if any words I could say in the pulpit could make anything all right, ease the doubt or make the anger and confusion go away." The diocesan response contains conflicting testimonies, reminding him of what happens when children are told a story and then are asked to repeat the story back. "You get as many stories as you have kids," he said. "I came to the conclusion that the truth is only known by the one who knows all things." Schiele refused to attribute malice to the archdiocesan handling of the scandal, saying he could not believe they would have done anything maliciously. "The diocese's effort to protect itself and the priests was done according to the standard of that time to deal with the disease," he said. "Standards have changed, but things were done according to the standards of two, three or four decades ago. Did the diocese go too far? I think it did." In spite of the scandal, Schiele's faith and obedience to his bishop remain unshaken. "Truthfully, I hate to hear about this, and I hope it goes away," said parishioner Marti Malanik of West Chester. "I am so glad that father spoke about it, because it is heartbreaking. There are so many good (priests)." Parishioners were unanimous in saying they grounded their faith in the Catholic Church's teachings and its numerous good priests, not in how its bishops and officials have handled or mishandled errant priests. "It shows all the good guys apart from the guys who have shown priests in a bad light," said Joe Ranaudo of West Chester. "It is just a handful of bad guys, and it hasn't shaken my faith." Maureen Brennan of West Chester said her faith in the Catholic Church remains unshaken in spite of the scandal. "My faith is based on the teachings of the Church, not people who are teaching it," Brennan said. "I pray for the people who are affected by the abuse. This makes it hard for people like Fr. Schiele."
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