Thanks to Tom for this post regarding the wonderful Tom Mengler and his thoughtful reflections on why a Catholic law school should be Catholic. I would like to offer an example of what I think Dean, now President, Mengler referenced.
Earlier this week I was present at our law school graduation mass. It was especially lovely due to bountiful student participation. An acutely poignant moment for me was during the prayers of the faithful, which were read by many individual students. The prayer for members of our military, particularly those who had been killed or injured and their families, was read by a student, Mary, whom I knew to be a veteran. She was also the President of our Catholic Lawyers Guild. As she read those words, I was moved, as I knew that she intensely understood their profound meaning. With less than one percent of Americans in active duty military service, Mary had been asked to serve her country at great sacrifice and risk. She had resisted the social messaging given to her generation (not to mention women of her generation) as well as the easier path of self-enrichment selected by most of her peers, and answered the call of her country. No doubt as she read that prayer, she was keenly aware of the effects of war and its casualties.
That, however, was not the most interesting part of this observation. I had had the pleasure of meeting her mother, also named Mary, before mass. Like many of the graduates' parents, she was beaming with pride. The three of us began talking and I had remembered that the Mary's brother had come to visit our law school class shortly before himself deploying to Afghanistan. I also learned another brother was a fireman. I inquired from the mother if theirs was a military family and was surprised to learn it was not. What inspired her children to follow such paths of service and heroism? "Oh, that was September 11th," she modestly stated.
It was not just September 11th. As I talked more to this family and their particularly humble mother, it was clear to me it was so much more. It seemed to me that through her faith, this mother had instilled values of service, sacrifice, and responsibility in her children. So, when an event like September 11th occurred, they were ready to respond in a way few others do…with their lives if necessary.
This is perhaps an example of what Dean Mengler meant when he said that a Catholic law school should help students "continue on their journeys by searching actively for the truth in their lives." These are the students who come to us. Whether, as I suspect in Mary's case, they come from a Catholic tradition which values service, or from some other community, so many students come to law school searching for that truth in their lives, and understanding that it is found often in serving others. I might suggest that it is one role of a Catholic law school: to continue the work of the students and their mothers and fathers, families, and all those who helped instill in those students such values. The Catholic law school is different because its mission does not end with solely providing intellectual and academic excellence - necessary components of a legal education. Beyond that, it should also be a place that nurtures these students, reinforces and strengthens their resolve to serve, and awakens such a resolve in others. As in Mary's case, they often come to us from fertile ground. We take on an almost sacred responsibility to cultivate that ground, make it more potent, and support it, such that it will bloom even more brilliantly than when it came.
Our conversation ended with Mary's mother saying she "was so excited to see what Mary will do next. I know it is going to be great." I was honored to have met them, honored to have been present for the prayer, and honored that Mary and students like her choose to attend our law school. Catholic law schools, I might suggest, serve an important role of nurturing and promoting the whole student to achieve all the great-- and selfless-- things Mary's mother envisions.
Monday, May 21, 2012
The Philadelphia trial of Msgr. William Lynn and Fr. Brennan turned a corner last week. After 8 weeks of testimony, the prosecution rested its case. While the evidence cannot be recounted adequately in this post, the press summarized some important events and themes here and here.
This case has raised important questions about child protection, appropriate response, institutional climates, and the role of lawyers. As the press articles suggest, most predict that Msgr. Lynn's defense will not be to question whether certain events occurred. Rather, he is expected to continue to describe the situation as one in which he was attempting to take action, but his superiors were hindering his efforts. Fr. Brennan denies any wrongdoing.
Last week the trial judge dismissed one of two conspiracy charges against Lynn. Remaining are two counts of endangering the welfare of a child and one count of conspiracy. Brennan faces charges that he sexually assaulted a child. The defense presents it case this week. Jurors are expected to have it by Memorial Day.
Monday, May 14, 2012
There is an interesting post about the Lynn trial on Commonweal's blog. You can find it here.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Today I had the pleasure of attending the 123rd commencement at The Catholic University of America. The graduation speaker for the University was Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York. He had some interesting and inspiring reflections he shared with the graduates and their families. Here is an excerpt:
That we are at our best when we give ourselves away in love to another — the Law of the Gift — is I'm afraid, "counter-cultural" today, in an era that prefers getting to giving, and entitlement to responsibility;
in a society that considers every drive, desire, or urge as a right, and where convenience and privacy can trump even the right to life itself;
and in a mindset where freedom is reduced to the liberty to do whatever we want, wherever we want, whenever, however, with whomever we want, rather than the duty to do what we ought . . .well, the Law of the Gift can be as ignored as a yellow traffic light in New York City.
It reminded me of the unique role of Catholic education to prepare our students not only professionally and academically, but also to be counter-cultural in a pursuit of what is just. Here is the address in full:
http://publicaffairs.cua.edu/releases/2012/dolan-commencement-speech.cfm
Or, one could just reflect upon a poster I saw on campus last week aimed at the graduating seniors. It reminded the students to remember the reasons they selected Catholic University …and to not forget to take those values with them as they enter the world.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Last week's testimony continued during the trial of Msgr. Lynn and his co-defendant, Fr. James Brennan. Much of the evidence continued to portray an atmosphere of people complaining about abusive priests to Lynn's office and the Archdiocese failing to act appropriately. Lynn's attorneys continued to pursue a strategy of asserting that removal of priests was the duty of the now deceased Cardinal Bevilacqua and not Lynn.
Two witnesses may be of particular note to MOJ readers, however. One was Bishop Robert Maginnis as vicar of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Earlier in the trial, Sister Joan Scary testified that she was concerned when a Fr. DePaoli was receiving what appeared to be a form of pornography at a church rectory. Fr. DePaoli had a prior conviction for child pornography possession, but was allowed to serve in a parish without notice to the parishioners about his conviction. After Sister Scary mailed her concerns and relevant information to the Bishop, she was fired from her position. Bishop Maginnis testified in connection with these events and, according to the New York Times, he stated that "he could not remember much about the episode but that he had been trying at the time to establish whether the sister's assertions were true." In 1996 he reportedly wrote to Msgr. Lynn that "perhaps she [Sr. Scary] is using [the pastor's] absence to cast doubt on Father DePaoli's credibility." DePaoli continued as a priest until, due to abuse of children, he was defrocked in 2005. Lynn's defense attorneys confirmed with Maginnis that Lynn, as Secretary for the Archdiocese, did not have the power to remove priests but that said power rested with the Cardinal.
A second interesting witness testified at the intersection of canon law and criminal law. Here is some of the Washington Post's (via the Associated Press) reporting:
An expert on "canon" law angrily called it "obstruction of justice, cubed" for a Roman Catholic archbishop to have shredded a list of 35 active priests accused of molesting children.
***
The Rev. Thomas Doyle, an expert on Roman Catholic law, testified at Lynn's child-endangerment trial Thursday. Lynn, 61, is the first Catholic church official in the U.S. charged with child endangerment for allegedly failing to protect children from suspected priest-predators.
Church law requires church officials to investigate the complaints, Doyle said. And the archbishop — following the teachings of Christ — should have sought out victims to offer pastoral care, he added.
"He's got a list of men who are sexually abusing children, and he's going to shred it?" an incredulous Doyle asked on cross-examination from defense lawyers.
***
Jurors also heard excerpts Thursday from Lynn's 2002 grand jury testimony. Lynn testified that his office had never referred any of the complaints to local authorities despite a 1995 state law that added clergy to a list of mandated reporters of suspected child abuse.
Lynn believed the law only required reporting if a "child" had made the report. That rarely if ever happened. The reports were coming in from adults who said they were abused as children, or occasionally from parents of minors, he testified.
If this reflects Msgr. Lynn's beliefs accurately, this would be a rather narrow reading of mandatory reporting statutes. The purpose of such statutes lies in the fact that child abuse is so often underreported by children. As a result, mandatory reporting statutes require certain professionals to report suspicions of child abuse to state officials so that cases will be investigated even without a disclosure from a child. As the trial progresses it will be interesting to see what the jury thinks of this claim. Notably, Lynn is not charged with violation of that statute but with endangering the welfare of children.
The trial will start its fourth week on Monday.
