Bishops counter crazy claims

In all honesty, I am very pleasantly surprised – and a bit relieved – that the bishops’ conference was able to release a common statement about today’s statements in the Volkskrant. Their track record in quick responses to developing news stories has not always been the best, although I do think it is improving. Let’s see what they have to say:

The Dutch Bishops’ Conference wish it to be known that the article of 18 April in the Volkskrant contain a number of manifest errors. For example, contrary to what the Volkskrant writes, Archbishop Eijk has never submitted a request to the Vatican Congregation for Bishops to have Bishop de Korte of Groningen-Leeuwarden removed from office.

In addition, the article claims that “the relations in the Church province have worsened because Msgr. Eijk employed investigators to search the computers of clergymen for information that is displeasing to the archbishop.” This too is not the case. There has been no contact with whatever investigations company, let alone that “Msgr. Eijk himself recently sent investigators to his bishops to check their computers,” as the Volkskrant writes.

Finally, there is no case of a looming “great delay of major projects within the dioceses”: the dioceses are autonomous in realising projects, although cooperation is certainly sought and found in some areas. Neither is anything known of “putting initiatives on the back burner to turn the bad financial tide in the dioceses.”

The two sources named in the Volkskrant article, the ladies Stienstra and Schreur, have indicated that the appeal to the Congregation for the Clergy has not been sent yet. It still remains to be seen to what conclusion, if any, this sordid affair will lead.

Palm Sunday 2011: Impressions from a Passion

Yesterday I celebrated Palm Sunday in the Archdiocese of Utrecht, at the Emmanuel church in Zutphen. That church was host to a preparatory program, called ‘Passion’, for the World Youth Days in Madrid, in August. God willing, I will be able to go there, thanks, in large part, to the youth worker of the archdiocese, who was willing to waive to age limit. The reason that we (for it is not just me) are not joining our own diocese for the trip to Madrid is not very interesting for this blog, but it boils down to us having faith that Utrecht’s program will be a success.

The day offered various events, starting with Mass with the local parish, and continuing with presentations, practical information and workshops. Below are some photos I took during the day.

The cavernous interior of the Emmanuel church, with local parishioners and young people taking part in the WYD program.

Local priests and Auxiliary Bishop Herman Woorts (second from right) concelebrated Mass with Archbishop Wim Eijk (right).

The archbishop gives the homily

"Hoc est enim corpus meum"

Attendance was very good

Fr. Patrick Kuipers delves into the theme for the World Youth Days 2011 and the pope's letter about it

One of the workshop was an introduction to Spanish

The archbishop hosted a workshop in which he drew a comparison between the religious landscape of the Colossae, recipient of a letter of St. Paul, and our modern society

Elements that those religious landscapes share: worship of spirits and of nature, scientists and astrologers, the Greek and Roman pantheons, mysterious New Age-like religions, people who claim to be visionaries, the Jewish religion and the worship of angels.

Youth worker Hao Tran speaks about the practicalities of our trip to Spain

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

Pope to rein in Abp. Eijk? Not likely when this is the best ‘proof’ against him

A misleading title, old news and unsubstantiated claims: it must be a Dutch newspaper writing about the Church again. And it is.

Daily the Volkskrant devotes some space to a piece informing the readers, per the title, that Catholics think that the pope should call Archbishop Wim Eijk to order. The reason: he has apparently lost all credit with orthodox Catholics. Well, that’s news to me, but once the names of two people showed up in the piece, the claim is understandable. Ms. Nelly Stienstra and Ms. Erica Schruer have a long history of public disagreement with the archbishop, and have often turned to name-calling in blogs and public media. In my humble opinion, these two people are hardly objective sources in such matters.

The newspaper piece also presents the orthodox Contact Rooms-Katholieken group, of which Ms. Stienstra is the chair, and the Latin Liturgy Society, of which Ms. Schruer used to be the chair, as credentials, although these groups have either no official standing in either the archdiocese or in Rome, or are simple not involved in these matters at all.

A 32-page appeal sent to the Congregation for the Clergy (the current prefect of which, Cardinal Piacenza, has come out in defense of Abp. Eijk before), detailing the reasons why the archbishop should be reined in, is a mysterious document of which the archdiocese’s press chief knows nothing. Some of the reasoning in said document is detailed in the article, although the accuracy seems very doubtful. For example, it mentions that a spat between Archbishop Eijk and the accountant of his previous diocese, Groningen-Leeuwarden, caused the former to request the dismissal of that diocese’s current ordinary, Bishop Gerard de Korte. Other accusations say that the archbishop has ordered the investigation of the personal computers of clergymen – and even other bishops – for information that they are less than positive about him. Both are claims that not only seems quite ludicrous, but also very doubtful when seen in the light of (secular and canon) law.

Then there are also claims that the papal nuncio, Archbishop Bacqué, has been mediating between the archbishop and the other bishops in the Dutch Bishops’ Conference. Large financial projects of the dioceses, the article says, are being put on hold because of the archbishop’s behaviour in running the archdiocese. As if he has much of a say in the way other dioceses manage their finances.

As for the truth behind the matter? I don’t pretend to know much of it. Certainly, Archbishop Eijk and his way of working are not loved by everyone. But these claims are quite unbelievable when considering the person of the archbishop, the legality of the suggested steps taken by him, the lack of objectivity of the main sources of the story, and the lack of previous news about much of the events mentioned (there is more in it, but that is all old news).

Easter is coming. The media’s eye is on the Church even more at this time of year. And people with personal vendettas against prelates and other Church officials use it to win another battle in their ongoing war. Such a pity that the result is such very shoddy workmanship.