Three years ago we added the award-winning columns of Father Ron Rolheiser, a Canadian priest, a member of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, to the pages of Tower Topics and to the abbey's Web site (www.conceptionabbey.org). We have since heard from many readers who value the compassion, poignancy and practical relevance of his writing. As one reader recently remarked about a column, "That was exactly what I needed today."

We present in this issue in place of his usual column the text of a challenging and necessary address by Father Rolheiser on how to approach the recent sexual abuse scandals in the Church. It is a topic that has been exhaustively reported in the media and discussed in workplaces and in homes. The obvious question is, what more can be said? Father Rolheiser doesn't say anything new. Indeed he turns to words that are quite old, and the result is a powerful message of hope that we, especially as a community helping to form future priests, felt compelled to offer for your own reflection.

As Christians, we believe that Jesus Christ fully embodied the paschal mystery. By both his death-to-self and his physical death on the cross, Christ won for us the promise of eternal life and showed us the way to true freedom, deep interior joy, and unending hope. To imitate his example and to live the gospel message is to taste the paschal mystery on our earthly pilgrimage.

Our Church in the past two years has experienced the paschal mystery in an especially wrenching and public way. The hurt, anger, betrayal, and frustration endured by so many has been something of a "death experience" for the Church. We have felt the pain and suffering that comes with deep disappointment and a loss of integrity. As we try to enter into this experience with faith and hope, we still await the assurance of new life and peace, the promised fruits of the paschal mystery.

With the generous permission of Father Rolheiser and the Seattle Theology and Ministry Review at Seattle University, I invite you to read "On Carrying a Scandal Biblically." It is a lengthier feature than we normally publish, but we believe what Father Rolheiser has to say is important. We hope that you will benefit from and appreciate the manner in which he explains that the pain and suffering of the scandals can be transformed into new life, renewed integrity, and lively charity, truly the paschal mystery lived in our own day. The manner in which Father Rolheiser leads us to this is through the Scriptures and by challenging us to more fully live the word of God. I hope his words will be for you a source of inspiration and an impetus to personal renewal as they have been for me and many of my confreres.

Sincerely in Christ,
Abbot Gregory - signature
Abbot Gregory J. Polan, OSB

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