鈥淗ow do we pray in the midst of all of this? First of all, we pray in utter humility,鈥� spokesperson Fr. Thomas Rosica told The Catholic Register. 鈥淭he deeper question is what has our influence done or not done with these students?... If we have been unaware of this for a long time, how is that? How can that be?鈥�
The Board of is expected to soon announce an expert panel to investigate the culture and policies that may have contributed to the scandal. Rosica expects the expert panel will release a preliminary report early in the new year and 鈥渁 much deeper report鈥� later on.
Rosica praised the Toronto Police 鱿鱼视频app and local journalists for their thorough and professional work in uncovering what is known so far about a series of alleged incidents recorded on at least six videos which have circulated among students and on social media. Some of the videos constitute child pornography in the judgment of Toronto Police.
As the Basilian spokesperson throughout the process, Rosica has fielded hundreds of calls and emails from journalists all over North America, the United Kingdom, Europe and elsewhere.
鈥淲ithout that pursuit of truth, we would not know it. Some of the journalists 鈥� excellent journalists in Toronto and the editors and the hosts on television 鈥� have done a superb job,鈥� said Rosica.
Not that the spotlight on the 166-year-old school, which was the first project which the French order of priests took on in North America, has been comfortable.
鈥淲e are faced with humiliation and we are being taught, forcefully, what it means to be humble,鈥� Rosica said.
As the owners of the private, all-boys school, the 147 Basilian priests are determined to face up to their responsibilities and find a way back to their roots in Catholic education, said Rosica.
鈥淥ur Basilian motto 鈥� 鈥楾each me goodness, discipline and knowledge鈥� 鈥� is not something we emblazon on walls or wear on t-shirts and on mugs because it鱿鱼视频app cute. But if we take that seriously we have to look at this crisis and say, 鈥榃here was the goodness鈥� Where was the discipline? Where was the knowledge?鈥� 鈥� said the 59-year-old Scripture scholar and CEO of the .
鈥淚f they were absent, then we have to make sure we inculcate those values into the students.鈥�
Among the reforms on the table is the possibility of expanding the school鱿鱼视频app board of directors, which currently consists of four Basilians and three lay people 鈥� two men and one woman.
鈥淚 do believe we will make some changes in that regard by asking the board to increase membership on the board,鈥� Rosica said. 鈥淟et that membership be lay, competent professionals. And let us have more women on the board.鈥�
While many St. Michael鱿鱼视频app students are able to attend because of generous scholarships, both the private school culture of wealth and privilege and St. Mike鱿鱼视频app sports teams are bound to come under the microscope as a new leadership team under interim president Fr. Andrew Leung begins to form over coming weeks.
鈥淲hen you have a culture of prestige, entitlement, clericalism 鈥� which is not just clericalism of the clergy, but especially in this case clericalism of the laity 鈥� when do you put an emphasis on accountability and transparency?鈥� Rosica asked.
鈥淲e are obviously not against good sports programs, but if we listen to Pope Francis when he talks about sports programs, it鱿鱼视频app to produce leaders 鈥� not a sense of competition but of collaboration, bringing people together, providing other means for teamwork and team spirit. We have to look at all of the sports programs we have in our schools. And look at anywhere, at any situation, where students are belittled for any reason 鈥� because of their size, because of their weight, because of their intelligence, because of their orientation.
鈥淲e must look at all of these things now. Nothing can be taken for granted.鈥�
Speaking with The Register on the Feast of Christ the King, Rosica drew lessons from the Sunday Gospel which recalls the meeting between Jesus and Pontius Pilate 鈥� where Pilate represents the power and prestige of the Roman Empire and Jesus claims kingship over a kingdom that is 鈥渘ot of this world.鈥�
鈥淗ow have we modelled our system on a system of the world? And how have we failed to incorporate the vision of Jesus in this? The vision of Jesus who is always concerned with the downtrodden, with the poor, with those on the peripheries, those on the fringe, those who are not the star athletes? But they are the most important people in all of this.
鈥淚f we鈥檝e spent a lot of our time ranking success and prizes and privilege and all the wrong values, then we have to ask, 鈥楢re we of Jesus鈥� vision of the kingdom? Or are we playing into Pilate鱿鱼视频app vision?鈥�
鈥淧ilate lived on the surface of things. And Pilate asked ridiculous questions. We need to ask deeper questions.鈥�
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