Abandoned Altars

The word “privilege” basically means a “private law”, that is, a law not enacted for the good of the general public, but for the benefit of some interested group.

Case in point: the clergy. Historically, the Church has claimed many privileges for its clergy. Here’s what the old Catholic Encyclopedia lists:

“The privileges in favour of the clergy are: personal inviolability, a special court, immunity from certain burdens and the right to a proper maintenance (privilegium canonis, fori, immunitatis, competentiœ). In addition, the clergy have precedence of the laity in religious assemblies and processions, a special place in the church, viz., the presbytery, and titles of honour.”

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I apologize for my long absence from this blog. This summer I protested a bishops’ meeting in town, argued with the local university over a Church-endowed chair, and went to Roswell for the 60th anniversary of the saucer crash (FUN!).

Most importantly, however, I’ve been writing. Can’t say much about that except stay tuned. The clergy sex abuse scandals are about to have the lid blown off.

Meanwhile, some of the research I’ve been doing has been needed to be mentioned. So in the meantime, there’s this:

Way back in 1880, an ex-priest named Charles Chiniquy published The Priest, the Woman, and the Confessional, one of the first exposes of solicitation in the confessional. It caused a sensation, with over 30 editions in less than 7 years.

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