When I started this blog I wanted it to be a totally positive place to write about Catholicism. My experience in the Church has personally been nothing but positive. But things are so bad that I have occasionally used this blog to complain or write about the corruption. Here is an article I found from St. Catherine’s Review written by the great Michael S. Rose in 1998. It is interesting to read this article about Mother Angelica and see what has happened since the article was written. Some excerpts followed by my updates:

“For the past few months Mother has been bitterly criticized by members of the Catholic press, bishops, and priests for her public criticism of Cardinal Roger Mahony’s pastoral letter on the liturgy, "Gather Faithfully Together: A Guide for Sunday Mass" (September 4, 1997)”

*Update: Cardinal Mahony has proven to have covered up child molesting priests within his diocese and has lost most of the credibility he may have had. The pedophilia crisis has been exposed in his diocese and his influence is greatly diminished. Thanks be to God for that!

“Bishop Tobin wondered what drives Mother Angelica and others to be so critical of bishops and cardinals of the Church. "Could it be that some members of the Church have become so outspoken, even defiant," he suggested, "because their legitimate complaints about abuses in the Church have not been taken seriously by Church leaders? Their concern about fuzzy teaching or liturgical aberrations have too often been neglected, sometimes even belittled… Church leaders need to address well-founded complaints seriously, or we will continue to see the marginalization of many good people who just care about the spiritual well-being of the Church."

*Update: Church leaders continued to ignore the legitimate complaints about abuses in the Church and the marginalization has exploded. Some of the worst bishops were forced to resign and others have lost all credibility. Thanks be to God for that!

“In 1994, Archbishop Rembert Weakland led the Catholic crusade to rid Milwaukee airwaves of Mother Angelica. Likewise Emil Wcela, auxiliary bishop of Rockville Center led a similar campaign on Long Island, New York. (Weakland’s diocesan newspaper even rejected running a photograph of Mother in an EWTN ad because she was clothed in a traditional habit)”

*Update: Weakland has been exposed as a fraud. He has retired after the public became aware that while trying to silence Mother Angelica and EWTN, Weakland stole $400,000 from the people of his diocese and gave it to his homosexual lover. The lover wanted to make “Christological dramas” with the money. Weakland was replaced by Timothy Dolan and his installation Mass was carried live on EWTN. On Long Island, thousands rallied in support of EWTN and the diocese tv station still carries EWTN but significantly cut down the hours it is shown. The coverup of priestly pedophilia on Long Island by bishops including Bishop Wcela, has been publicly exposed by the Suffolk County Grand Jury Report. Bishop Wcela, a biblical scholar who denies that Jesus actually performed some miracles described in the Bible, was former Bishop McGann’s hand picked successor. Thankfully, McGann’s plan failed and our diocese has been given more faithful bishops from outside the diocese. Thanks be to God for that!

“In January, for instance, Los Angeles Lay Catholic Mission reported on a letter sent to Mother Angelica from Bishop Robert Lynch of St. Petersburg, Florida. Bishop Lynch, former secretary for the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, wrote in his November 19, 1997 letter: "I pray that you will cease these personal and vicious attacks on those whom the Successor of Peter has chosen to lead the Church at this time." The bishop added, "you and your network are not helping me in my office as Shepherd, Pastor and Leader”

*Update: Bishop Lynch has since been accused of sexual harassment by a man who worked closely with him. He also has banned perpetual adoration in the St. Petersberg diocese. The Bishop was right though, when he said Mother Angelica and her network were not helping him. Thanks be to God for that!

“In a 1994 interview with Thomas Droleskey of The Wanderer, Mother Angelica "went to great lengths to explain that she loves and prays for the bishops; what angers her is that some of Christ’s shepherds are not faithful to the Holy Father.”

*Update: Dr. Drolesky has since left the Wanderer and is now a traditionalist Catholic who attends the traditional latin mass. He had complained about his parish priest, Msgr. Bud Ribaudo years ago because of the priest’s liturgical abuses and questionable theology. Ribaudo was recently accused of sexual abuse by several men and has been forced out of the active priesthood. Thanks be to God for that!

“Mother Angelica does not attribute her network’s great success to her own talents and persistence—although many others would; she gives all the glory to God, the prayers of her community, and perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at her monastery in Irondale, Alabama. Indeed the two pillars of EWTN’s efforts are profound Eucharistic piety and a great devotion to the Mother of God. Mother’s sisters, brothers and priests are first and foremost contemplatives. Their vocation is to the religious life. Their mission is to bring true Church teaching to the common people through the media.” –Michael S. Rose

*Update: Mother Angelica has since built a brand new monastery for her growing order of nuns. Her order of brothers and priests continue to grow as well. EWTN has continued to grow, both in reach and in influence, and many attribute this fact to the network’s independence. Michael S. Rose has since written a couple of books that exposed more of the corruption in the Church, including one that became a best seller. Thanks be to God for that!

Conclusion--Mother Angelica never covered up child molestation. Michael S. Rose never covered up child molestation. Both have worked hard for the Church and have done great work. The same cannot be said of Weakland, Mahoney and Wcela. That is why I will continue to focus on the Angelicas and Roses of the Church rather than the corrupt figures.