William P. Leahy Quotes

I would be with those who say the hierarchy in the United States has badly mishandled this whole situation.

One of the biggest issues that we face is that we have people who have their own particular concerns, whether it’s on abortion, birth control, divorce and remarriage, civil rights or social justice.

The challenge for the church is how do we have unity about basic beliefs and yet respect individual differences.

Clearly there are individuals who don’t understand what the church teaches, or they think it’s so limiting.

This is a crisis, but there is an opportunity to help revitalize and renew the Catholic community.

What I think we can do is help individuals understand the church teaching, but also maybe help the church understand the viewpoint of lay men and women about what they want in regard to priests, or how do they want the hierarchy to deal with them?

We are the meeting place, an entity that’s trying to connect faith and culture.

What we’re about is a manifestation of the Catholic roots of Boston College.

Now where people are – at least the people I talk to – they are focused on issues of trust. Accountability also comes up, to make sure that this doesn’t happen again.

By no means do I anticipate screening those who come on to campus… And I have no difficulty if a bishop across the country or some local pastor may say that’s not Catholic teaching – that’s fine.

The Spirit hasn’t deserted the church today.

Individuals will speak their minds, which I think is healthy.

BC is not going to replace the hierarchy, and BC is not going to lead some major reform in the Catholic Church – that’s got to come out of the whole Catholic community.

As a university, we’re not focused on bringing about huge reforms – that’s not our role.

The more we can get together and talk about various perspectives, feelings, beliefs, the better.

The hierarchy shouldn’t fear what we’re doing.

We’ve always had issues up for discussion at Catholic universities.

I think the issue of clergy sexual abuse sparked people to look at their faith in a different way.

I am very confident that the Spirit is with us.