The Fall of Rome?

New York Magazine has an interesting story that looks at the state of the Catholic Archdiocese of New York and whether or not the new archbishop, Timothy Dolan, can solve the looming crises of the New York church. I'm on record as believing that only severe financial problems and significant declines in membership will bring about the reforms much needed in the calcified and corrupt Church hierarchy. While membership in the Catholic Church is down by roughly 398,000 in the USA, overall membership has remained steady, so monetary losses will be all the more important to motivate the Vatican to leave the 12th century and come into the 21st century. New proposals to modify the statute of limitations for bringing suit against the Catholic Church under consideration in New York could hasten this phenomenon. Here are some highlights:

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Given all the hosannahs and sighs of relief emanating from St. Patrick’s Cathedral last week, you’d have thought the pope named President Obama the new archbishop of New York rather than Timothy Dolan of Milwaukee. . . . No doubt it helped that Dolan is not Cardinal Edward Egan. Egan won’t be missed by many of his priests, or the 2.5 million in the archdiocese. Yes, he balanced the books (which needed it), but he was off-puttingly imperious.

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The problem is going to be keeping the archdiocese alive. In New York, Catholicism looks like a Rust Belt industry: The next archbishop will likely have to close more parishes and schools, and even the practice of the faith here is in decline—lower Mass attendance, fewer marriages and priests. “Those are the things we bishops worry about,” Dolan admitted at his press conference. “It’s not the money stuff that keeps us awake at night.”

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Still, money will be a nightmare. While other dioceses have been rocked by the clergy-sexual-abuse scandal and a tab of over $2 billion in settlements—six dioceses have filed for bankruptcy—New York has seemed blessed. But that’s likely a legalistic illusion. Boston and Philadelphia have endured harrowing revelations, with personnel files showing 7 percent of all priests, or higher, had abused children over the past half-century. New York’s self-reported rate was just 1.3 percent, easily the lowest among all 195 U.S. dioceses.

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Forgive victims advocates if they don’t cheer. They say the numbers are artificially low because of New York State’s especially restrictive statute of limitations (minors used to have until they were 21 to report abuse—now it’s 23) and the fact that, unlike in other cities, prosecutors have not been able to look at the chancery’s records for themselves.

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All that could change, however, if Albany passes a new bill aimed at opening a one-year window to allow lawsuits for claims going back decades. Previous versions had been DOA in a Republican-dominated State Senate thanks to Majority Leader Joe Bruno. But Bruno is gone, and church officials are terrified that lifting the statute—as happened in California—could unleash a flood of lawsuits. Michael Dowd, a leading abuse-victims attorney, says he already has 175 waiting to file.

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.” Church officials are especially angry that the bill singles out the church by effectively exempting public schools. If it passes as is, Catholicism in New York could go under. St. Patrick’s as General Motors? Dolan may want to keep Obama’s number on his speed dial.

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Yes, in some areas the Church has done good. In others, however, it has promoted bigotry, ruined countless lives, and caused unspeakable pain and suffering. It may be about to reap what it has sown for so many years. Personally, I hope the reforms pass and that the Church is held accountable for its cold-hearted treatment of abuse victims.