If you click on the title to this post, you will be taken to an article from the Catholic News Service (USA) in which the Archdiocese of Milwaukee defends the installation of a bronze relief in which former Archbishop Weakland is depicted kneeling at the holy creche of Christmas.
Aside from the question as to whether it is ever appropriate for a church to insert local clergy into holy pieces of art ( in my opinion it is not for it is a simple expression of the ego of the person depicted), the revelations that were made public of his ongoing sexual relationship with another male (thank God not a minor, as if this makes his actions any less reprehensible) and the fact that literally a tens of thousands of dollars taken from Diocesan funds were used to keep his partner silent) one would have thought the such a piece of art, commissioned by Weakland himself, should have never seem the light of day. It most certainly is offensive to all victims of sexual abuse at the hands of clergy to know that such an article was installed within the Cathedral of the Diocese. It should be offensive to all faithful Catholics, and particularly to we clergy who continue to faithfully live out our vows of celibacy.
Pray that the new Archbishop might see fit to move this offensive bronze into a more appropriate place. (perhaps in the closet where the floor mops and pails are stored, given the clean-up job that needs to follow the perverted clerical witness of the former Archbishop).
Aside from the question as to whether it is ever appropriate for a church to insert local clergy into holy pieces of art ( in my opinion it is not for it is a simple expression of the ego of the person depicted), the revelations that were made public of his ongoing sexual relationship with another male (thank God not a minor, as if this makes his actions any less reprehensible) and the fact that literally a tens of thousands of dollars taken from Diocesan funds were used to keep his partner silent) one would have thought the such a piece of art, commissioned by Weakland himself, should have never seem the light of day. It most certainly is offensive to all victims of sexual abuse at the hands of clergy to know that such an article was installed within the Cathedral of the Diocese. It should be offensive to all faithful Catholics, and particularly to we clergy who continue to faithfully live out our vows of celibacy.
Pray that the new Archbishop might see fit to move this offensive bronze into a more appropriate place. (perhaps in the closet where the floor mops and pails are stored, given the clean-up job that needs to follow the perverted clerical witness of the former Archbishop).
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