The Picture of Uncle Ted and Revealing the Truth

-




Suppose a man was presented the opportunity to live a double life filled with both esteem and vice, dignity and debauchery. Would the man jump at the chance? Glaucon, in Plato's Book II of the Republic, argues that if a just man held possession of an invisible ring, he would undoubtedly live only for self-seeking pleasure and power. On the other hand J.R.R. Tolkein, in The Hobbit, commends the innocent Bilbo Baggins for using an invisible ring only for heroic reasons. And then there's Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, whereby a painting becomes a possible vehicle for living a hidden life of sinfulness.

The handsome Dorian Gray is urged by his modernist friend Lord Henry to "Live! Live the wonderful life that is in you! Let nothing be lost upon you. Be always searching for new sensations. Be afraid of nothing... A new Hedonism." Gray jumps at the chance. His depravity grows daily, matched only by his rise in narcissism. When love struck Miss Sibyl Vane embarrasses Gray with a poor acting performance, Gray flies off in rage: "You are shallow and stupid. My God! how mad I was to love you! [...] You are nothing to me now. I will never see you again. I will never think of you." Sibyl Vane kills herself. Yet Gray continues his path of personal destruction, shocking vanity, and eventually murder. All the while Gray appears forever young and beautiful to his fellow Londoners.

Now suppose there was such a man actually presented with an opportunity for a double life. Only instead of a painted portrait as a shield of cover, it would be a graceful robe and ecclesial hat. The man would appear sublime, set apart, and holy, but in reality have license to use, abuse, and influence whomever he wished. I speak of Uncle Ted, ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick.

McCarrick was the real life Dorian Gray. He impressed upon politicians, celebrities, and fellow Churchmen an influence and charisma which won himself immunity from justice. His carousing and deviance was shocking, his reputation unblemished. That McCarrick ascended the ranks in the Church is most disturbing. That his peers claim no knowledge of his evil deeds is unbelievable; in the literal sense that one simply cannot believe such claims. McCarrick had free reign on vice, all with the freeing appearance of virtue. His life was a lie. It was as Plato spoke in his Republic: “…if we do wrong we shall get the profits and, provided that we accompany our sins and wickedness with prayer, be able to persuade the gods to let us go unpunished." Such was McCarrick’s ecclesial life.

Return to the story of Dorian Gray. As the portrait of Dorian Gray secretly grew horrid with blood and grotesque manifestations, so too the human component of the Church secretly grows in moral depravity and deceitfulness by covering the misdeeds of McCarrick, and not investigating how he ascended in the Church. Sin has real consequences. Grave sin by high ranking Church prelates has serious consequences for all Church members. McCarrick was a spiritual father abusing his children. He wounded his flock deeply. Yet he was aided and abetted in his crimes. Through the McCarrick story the bishops have lost the trust of their flock. For who can trust the Church to protect the children now? Or be righteous? Or be honest teachers of the faith? Indeed, it is the Church which becomes the hidden portrait of hideous deformity when it fails to publicly reveal the crimes of its prelates.

Sadly the portrait of disguise which McCarrick so maliciously employed still exists today. It has not yet been taken away. That bishops can safeguard other bishops is most probable. That other ecclesial McCarricks could still be prowling free in the Church is completely imaginable. That the odorous sins of spiritual fathers are currently begetting sin in their spiritual progeny is likely. That suffering will continue, and despair heighten, is certain.

The end did not bode well for Dorian Gray. The end will not bode well for those in the Church who partake in their own portrait of concealment.



Painting Titled: His Honorable Theodore Edgar Cardinal McCarrick. By Carolyn Egeli. 2003.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Some Concerns with the Exodus 90 Program

-
Image
An update of my thoughts on Exodus 90 can be found HERE . Exodus 90 is underway for many Catholic men. It is an intense 90 day program based on prayer, asceticism, and fraternity. For 90 days these men will take cold showers, abstain from alcohol and most media, fast twice per week, give up snacks and desserts, along with various other spiritual tasks. I applaud such a penitential spirit. The inevitable…. HOWEVER… However, I do have two concerns about Exodus 90 which could use some explaining. 1: Sundays The Church already has a wise, if not perfect, system of fasting and feasting. Catholics are encouraged to do penance on Wednesdays and Fridays (some add in Saturdays as well). In addition, there are specific periods of penance (Lent, Advent, Ember Days). Feasting occurs on Sundays as well as on major Feast Days and Solemnities (e.g. the Assumption of Mary). There is a built in balance to life. My problem with Exodus 90 is that, from what I hear, Sundays and F...
Read more

Why I Will Not Be Doing Exodus 90 Anytime Soon

-
Image
  There is always a certain amount of fear and trembling when I begin writing a piece on a somewhat unfamiliar subject. Perhaps all that will be demonstrated here is my ignorance and incompetence. To which I suppose my wife would reply: “You’d think you’d be used to that by now.” But I write this piece simply for the fact that Catholic trends, even good ones, need sober reflection and refinement. I  refer to the Exodus 90 program. [i] Earlier in 2020 – simpler times to be sure - I listened with interest to a podcast on Exodus 90. In it I heard that this program, which was founded in 2013, is an intense 90 day program based on prayer, asceticism, and fraternity. For 90 days men take cold showers, abstain from alcohol and most media, fast twice per week, give up snacks and desserts, meet weekly with a small group of participants, exercise regularly, all the while following a regimented prayer schedule. I applaud such a penitential spirit (though it seems that cold showers ...
Read more

My First SSPX Mass

-
Image
I do not write to stir up the SSPX/FSSP debate. Nor do I write to raise allegations and threats concerning being  in communion ,  schismatic , or  a   loyal son of the Church . I find doing so tiresome. If a person cannot recognize the Church is in a crisis; if a person thinks it spiritually superior to attend a polka Mass (they still exist, I assure you) over an SSPX Mass; if the mention of Archbishop Lefebvre angers a person more than the deeds of  James Martin  or the writings of  Cardinal Fernandez ; heaven help this person. Lord knows I can’t. If one “gets” what I’m saying, read on. If not, I suggest  this book  instead. It happened this past summer. My wife and I were planning our usual family pilgrimage to the Canadian Rockies. Climbing mountains while carrying a kid or two, eating rehydrated chili and peanut butter wraps, all while living like dirtbags in a tent, is the closest experience to heaven I know. Moments to live for. All e...
Read more

On Wimpy Catholicism and a Return to Manly Fasting

-
Image
The following is a talk I recently gave at a Catholic men's group: Let’s begin by examining the secular “wokeness” on fasting. Gone are the days of weight loss programs like Weight Watchers… where you simply eat less each meal! Sounds simple, right? Fewer calories means you lose weight. The problem is that it never worked that well. The reduced number of calories per meal also reduced one’s energy as well, dipped into muscle storage, and offered frugal results. Science now shows that full out fasting is the perfect method for proper health. The secular world’s latest trend is intermittent fasting . One builds up how long a person can go in between meals. The ideal is to eat one meal a day. The meal could consist of almost your regular day’s intake (say 75%). What happens is that your body, when full out fasting, actually dips into fat storage for energy. You maintain your energy, lose weight, and it’s perfectly healthy, if not natural. Science shows that intermittent...
Read more

Free Printables for Disconnected: The Broken Path

-
Image
  “ This story came as a wonderful surprise—I was expecting a children's story (which I got), but the truths it touches on brought me to tears several times. The ending was special and beautiful.” - From a review of Disconnected: The Broken Path To purchase Disconnected: Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1778052509 USA: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1778052509
Read more

The Fire of Hell is Unlike Anything Here on Earth

-
Image
  It is good occasionally to think of the fires of hell. Knowledge of the physical torments alone ought to convert us closer to Christ. I offer a brief selection from  St. Alphonsus Liguori's Preparation for Death: The Fire of Hell. The pain which most severely torments the senses of the damned arises from the fire of hell, which tortures the sense of touch. The vengeance on the flesh of the ungodly is fire and worms. Hence, in passing sentence, the Lord makes special mention of it. Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire. Even in this life, the pain of fire is the greatest of all torments; but according to St. Augustine, our fire, compared with the fire of hell, is but painted fire. St. Vincent Ferrer says, that in comparison with the fire of hell our fire is cold. The reason is, that the fire of this earth has been created for our use; but God has made the fire of hell purposely to torment the damned. As Tertullian remarks: "Fire which is made for the use of man i...
Read more