The bishop and the website

Readers of The Southern Cross who avail themselves of the weekend newspapers published by the Independent Newspapers group will have noted with surprise the revival of a story that ran in other publications two years ago.

We are referring to the “news” published in late June that the auxiliary bishop of Cape Town once participated in an Internet discussion forum for priests with a homosexual orientation.

At the time his involvement in the St Sebastian’s Angels website was made public, the Sunday Times and The Southern Cross covered the story.

Its reappearance may well be attributed to groups of Catholics, mostly from the ultra-conservative wing of the Catholic Church and the schismatic Society of St Pius X (commonly known as Lefebvrists), who in their campaign to force Bishop Reginald Cawcutt’s resignation have widely disseminated the site’s contents. These were obtained when a member of the US group Roman Catholic Faithful infiltrated what was a private e-mail discussion forum.

The timing of the sudden publication arouses suspicion. To the backdrop of the recent revelations of sexual abuse by priests, Indepen-dent Newspaper’s decision to rehash an old story may well be seen as a deliberate and gratuitous attack on the Catholic Church in South Africa.

The Southern Cross carries no brief for Bishop Cawcutt. Like any other Church leader, he must be held accountable for any serious infraction he may have committed.

Indeed, he purportedly made some comments in his postings which might be hurtful to many Catholics. By participating in this Internet forum, he arguably acted with a certain lack of discretion, judgment and prudence.

His alleged comments were made in what he (and other participants) considered a private forum. He was not pronouncing or teaching in his official capacity of bishop. This does not detract from the notion that some tactless, perhaps even vulgar, things might have been said (Bishop Cawcutt has disputed the accuracy and context of some of the remarks attributed to him).

Yet, they should be seen for what they are: conversations akin to pub talk, with the customary wisecracking and attempts to amuse and impress.

Significantly, the Vatican earlier this year closed the file on Bishop Cawcutt, who has reaffirmed his Catholic faith and fidelity to Church doctrine and the magisterium, and was canonically disciplined (the terms of which the Vatican has elected not to disclose).

The Vatican has thus spoken. Nothing good will be accomplished by continuing this divisive and uncharitable campaign.