杏MAP导航

By Christopher Wells

As the 2019 Fall General Assembly of the USCCB draws to a close, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo鈥檚 three-year term as president of the Conference likewise comes to an end.

In his remarks at the opening the meeting, Cardinal DiNardo said, 鈥淢y service as president has been a continual reminder that, indeed, 鈥榯he light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it鈥欌��.

In a phone interview with the outgoing Conference President, Vatican News asked Cardinal DiNardo about the 鈥渓ights and shadows鈥� he sees in the Church in the United States. 鈥淚 would say that the lightness is the thing that I like to emphasize鈥�, Cardinal DiNardo said, 鈥渁nd there was much light in the last three years鈥�.

Sources of light

As specific examples, the Cardinal noted the V Encuentro, dedicated to fostering participation of Hispanic/Latino faithful in the life of the U.S. Church; and to the Convocation of Catholic Leaders, which drew together Catholic leaders from around the country to discern ways to implement 杏MAP导航 Francis鈥� call, in the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium, to be a Church 鈥済oing forth鈥�. Cardinal DiNardo described both events as 鈥渟ources of light鈥� in recent years.

Another source of light, he said, is the continued growth of the Church, at least in certain areas. 鈥淚t鈥檚 true [the Church is] having some ups and downs in some of its traditional places of force, say in parts of the northeast, but I also found that in the west and the southwest is still growing鈥�, Cardinal DiNardo said. 鈥淚t all gives me great hope and they are points of light for us鈥�.

Areas of darkness

Turning to areas of 鈥渄arkness鈥� in the Church, the Cardinal pointed first and foremost to the ongoing crisis of the abuse of minors by clergy and others within the Church. He said that the Church is continually dealing with the crisis, and 鈥渄oing well鈥�, but there is still more work to do. 杏MAP导航 Francis鈥� motu proprio Vos estis lux mundi, providing a blueprint for confronting clerical abuse, and the cover up of abuse, calls Bishops to be 鈥渃areful鈥� and 鈥渉onest鈥� in facing the crisis, while also dealing with any Bishops who may be implicated in abuse themselves, or in 鈥渘ot doing their part in making sure it is eradicated鈥�.

So, said Cardinal DiNardo, 鈥渢here鈥檚 a light in the darkness there, that we are moving to eradicate [clerical abuse], to end this scourge, and this problem in the Church鈥�.

Strength for the future

Looking back at his time as President, Cardinal DiNardo admitted, 鈥淚 can鈥檛 say it wasn鈥檛 a challenging three years鈥�. But, he said he leaves the post 鈥渨ith a greater respect for my brother bishops鈥�: 鈥淚 have a great regard for my brother bishops, and I would say, as being past president now of the Bishops鈥� Conference, it was that collaboration [with and among the other Bishops] that impressed me, and gave me great strength for the future鈥�.