Barker's Reflection

As Mickey said, I did not use the term "cult" lightly - my usage is rooted in years of education and professional experience.

There is one aspect of Cal Oren's writing that warrants a response. He rhetorically asks: "...would any of Mr. Barker’s accusations (egocentrism, intolerance of dissent, arrogance, obsession with control) be any less serious if they were NOT on someone’s checklist of characteristics of a cult? I think not." In this he is correct - any one of them would be just as serious, even if it was not noted as characteristics of a cultic system.

There are, however, several problems that this question does not address, and these underscore why I sadly but pointedly compared the problems in the Archdiocese with a cultic system.

First, it is not simply a matter of one, or even two, of these characteristics being present within the system, but rather the notable presence of ALL of them.

Second, these characteristics are not simply a hodge-podge of character quirks (or even flaws), but rather a coherent system of attitudes and actions directed toward one goal: absolute control.

Third, a notable characteristic that was excluded from Mr. Oren's list is a foundation for violence (including an acceptance of criminal activity). If this were simply a matter of a cantankerous bishop, or a lone parish council member with a criminal record, then it would be easy to ignore. Instead, however, we have threats of violence, an acceptance of criminal activity in the highest levels of leadership, and - for lack of a better term - a somewhat blasé attitude toward the safety and well being of women. All of this elevates the problem from mere impropriety to a system resulting in true danger to members.

Finally, while all of the characteristics I've mentioned - both here and in my original article - are existent within the system, the characteristic that makes it all particularly problematic (as if all this were not enough) is that is given an explicitly spiritual emphasis: people who object to any teaching or action of the leadership are depicted as opposing the will of God.

At 20:45 in the "Department of Legal Affairs" recording, +PHILIP sighs in response to Sarah Hodges' assertion that we do not need to pay +DEMETRI's salary, and then goes on to give what I will call a pseudo-spiritual rationale: if we object to paying +DEMETRI's salary we are scorning the history of St. Mary Magdalen, the Holy Apostle Paul, and the thief who repented while crucified beside Christ; we are taking upon ourselves God's responsibility for separating the righteous and the unrighteous; and we are ignoring the words of Khalil Gibran, who daily discovered within himself a new continent (but not, apparently, the ability to write good poetry).

While the focus of my article was on a strictly psychological definition of a cultic system, the fact is that the problem is compounded when, not only is it spiritual leaders with these problems, but they are attempting to use God and His saints as tools with which to manipulate the faithful.

So yes, the comparisons between a cultic mentality and actions, and the mentality and actions seen among some of the Archdiocese's leadership and membership, are valid.

At the same, your question as to why I did not go ahead and brand the Archdiocese a cult is valid, and I admit my article is weaker for my having neglected to address the issue. My answer is relatively simple: all of the characteristics I discussed can be found - in greater and lesser amounts - among some of the Archdiocese's leadership and membership; they are not pervasive and systemic, however, throughout the entirety of the Archdiocese. By this I mean that, while the problems are pronounced on the national level, and in some highly influential parishes, you can nonetheless go to many parishes and find sincere, pious Christians who faithfully worship God and serve His Church without being influenced by the corruption to be found elsewhere. In a fully cultic system the problems would be endemic from top to bottom. I regret that I did not make this clear in my article.

I should point out that the fact that the Archdiocese is not a cult is among the things that give me such great hope for it: God will work through the wonderful, faithful people of our Archdiocese to rectify the problems that are so troubling for it now. It will be difficult and painful, but it will happen.