Jeffrey Epstein

 Where is He?

The real question, for the Catholic intellect, is: Where is he? Did he pass serenely to heaven in the universalist mercy of God? Not likely! From what we now know of his life and (apparent) manner of death, as well as the retributive  (good word!) justice of God (brutally clear in the words of Jesus, throughout the scriptures, and our entire legacy of faith), it does not look good for Jeffrey! Did he go to hell in accord with his mortal sins? Very probable. But not certain! Is he in purgatory? Possibly!

I strongly accept a theological opinion (which is neither condemned nor approved officially by the Church) articulated by Fr. Benedict Groeschel and Gil Baile (in God's Gamble), that God comes, at the moment of death, to each person (saint and sinner) and makes a final, definitive offer of mercy and salvation. Even the sinner dying from suicide or in an act of mortal sin (drug overdose, heart attack victim in act of adultery, hit man who is shot and killed) is offered Mercy. Yes...Judas, Hitler, and Jeffrey! This can be accepted or rejected, in freedom. This entails, obviously, a humility, a receptivity, a contrition, and willingness to forgive others. It also entails that the entirety of one's prior life is not absolutely determinative but largely dispositive. This theory awakens in me, not a presumption to sin and repent at the last moment, but an urgency to prepare to make a strong assent to God's offer, now and in the moment of death. 

We simply do not know where he is. I am inclined to err (with Christ) on the side of mercy and think of him at a very, very deep place in purgatory. I personally am praying for his soul. There are probably not too many joining me. Jeffrey was Jewish. That may work for him as he is one of God's chosen; but also against him as he violated his sacred identity and mission!  If he is in hell, I trust that God will lovingly direct my prayers and their merit to the cause of another worthy suffering soul. I am not going crazy about this. I don't plan at the moment to have a ($10 donation) mass said for him or obtain a plenary or partial indulgence for him. But I might! I asked a priest about having mass said for people  like Hitler and was told that masses were said for him in Spain after the war. Theologically I see no obstacle. Pastorally, however, I could see that a pastor might say the mass but prudentially refrain from announcing or publicizing it if it might cause scandal or distress.  Personally, subjectively, I am disinclined to pray for Hitler, Stalin, Mao. I am more inclined to pray for McCarrick, Epstein, Hussein, Madow and Osama...privately! Public prayer might scandalize, stress and polarize the community as their evil was so profound! I invite you, dear Reader, to join me (if you are so inclined) in a simple, short prayer for these sinners who have lived in our time. God will not let the prayer by wasted! The prayer will please him and align us with his Mercy, without denying retributive justice!

Underage?

Epstein's great crime was sex with underage girls. In the USA, states vary in setting the minimum age of consent at 16, 17, or 18. So: if I have sex with a 16 year old in NJ I am fine; in NY I am in BIG trouble. Imagine two 21 year olds go to a bar in NYC and hook up, one with a 16 year old and the other with a 17 year old. The first in in BIG trouble. The second is fine.

Our culture is incoherent about this underage sex stuff. There is broad consensus that adult, consensual sex in all its varieties is just fine. But at an arbitrary age it becomes criminal, vile, despicable "child abuse." Pretty much anything goes in our liberated society for consensual adults; but the taboo against "pedophilia" is fierce. This is good, of course. But sex with post-pubescent adolescents is NOT pedophilia. Epstein was not really a pedophile. A post-pubescent is not a child; is not exactly an adult either; is in a gray area.

Developmentally, a 14 year old (especially a female) is adult physiologically, entirely capable of motherhood. Intellectually the brain is mostly (but not completely) developed. 14-year old girls in my world (family) are entirely capable...emotionally, cognitively, morally, etc.... of raising a family. Such was not unusual only a few generations ago.

Consider Catholic practice and canon law. Globally, men may marry at the age of 16; women at 14. This can be adjusted by the local bishops. Note the gender asymmetry! Note the early age "of consent" for women. This is an organic, natural practice than the more arbitrary civil legislation in the USA. We consider the "age of reason" as 7: the age at which a child has adequate intellect to be sorry for sin, to confess, and to receive Holy Communion. "Age of reason" is not identical with "age of consent" but is closely related. "Consent" is a mysterious, interior, subjective reality...largely incomprehensible to the person him/herself. There are many factors more decisive than mere age. Psychological and social factors affect consent, capability, and culpability. The argument here is that  age is overrated in our society. The greater problem: abuse of authority!

Abuse of Authority

Our disenchanted culture has no clue about "authority" but does know all about "power." The later means the ability to coerce and comes from physical strength, money, social status and connections, military might, psychological prowess and such. Authority comes from heaven. The identity, mission and destiny of the one in authority is to mediate, represent, articulate, echo the heavenly here on earth, something from God, the True-Good-Beautiful. Authority exists only in an enchanted universe, open to the Eternal and Transcendent.

The abuse of authority is much worse than that of power, because it is sacrilegious and blasphemous. 

That Bill Clinton and Theodore McCarrick abused power is obvious to all. The deeper sin, abuse of authority, is far worse and largely unrecognized. 

I am an: older brother, husband, father, grandfather, uncle, CCD teacher, boarding home director, volunteer hospital chaplain, member of Catholic prison ministry team, and more. Each involves power: I can go into the county jail Friday mornings. I have broad discretion in use of money for boarding home. But the powers are subordinate to the sublime responsibility: I am invested with the authority, in each role, to mediate something precious, abiding, inherently worthy. In each I am in some way, however modest, a king, a prophet and a priest. In each, I am received by others with some degree of trust, respect, deference, and obedience. In these roles I enjoy significant power or ability to instruct, edify, inspire, encourage...or to deceive, discourage, confuse, and destroy. Such power and responsible is awesome...in the deepest sense. God bless me should I fulfill, with whatever flaws, my mission! God damn me should I abuse this authority!

If Jeffrey is in hell, it is not only because he had sex outside of marriage or with "underage" women. It is because he abused his sacred authority.

A significant, puzzling aspect of this drama is that the victims somehow cooperated with the abuse, even as they despised it, but then came back, for many years, and even recruited their friends. One woman grieved that she recruited her little sister. How could this happen? Some of it is mimetic: they imitated each other. But another aspect is that they deferred, not only to power, but to authority. Jeffrey and Ghislaine were older, sophisticated, affluent, glamorous, intelligent. They were invested with authority by virtue of age, education, ability, social status, charm, and charisma. They assured the young women that they would mentor them through college and into career. They assumed a maternal/paternal posture. 

The victims were not merely young by the age numbers. They were weak and poor as they were low in self-esteem, social status, life experience, connections, accomplishments. They gave a childlike, filial trust, deference, respect and obedience to these two mother/father figures. Jeffrey/Ghislaine took this innocent trust and abused it. This is a grave sin. Worthy of eternal damnation, if not repented.

Ghislaine is a particularly puzzling person. What motivated her? As a man, I understand in some degree the allure of lust. But what was up with her? She attracted these young women and developed the amazing pyramid scheme (involving hundreds) due to her maternal warmth, charm, glamour, appeal. What did she get out of it? I can only imagine that she enjoyed the power of engaging and then destroying virginal innocence. Such is a diabolical motive more insidious than masculine lust. May she be brought by God's mercy to contrition! 

Conclusion

The personalities and dynamics of this entire drama are mesmerizing: far more fascinating than any James Bond movie.

I am not inclined to conspiracy theories. I see all this fuss as a big nothing-burger, a symptom of MAGA paranoia/hysteria. I doubt he was murdered; I doubt he was much of an intelligence asset; I doubt there is much of a clients list. I see it as a terrible idea to broadcast investigations and grand jury testimony. If the state has indictable evidence, it must indict. If not, it is confidential. Otherwise people will be shamed with few ways to defend reputation. I basically still trust our systems (including Bill Barr) and agree with Yuval Levin that we all have to work to "make our institutions Great again."

The real drama here is the engagement of human freedom with radical evil. This on the part of the abusers as well as the abused, who are themselves complicit in the abuse. 

This drama can only be received by the Catholic as an urgent invitation to draw close to God...in zeal and fervor...in humility and trust...in purity and fidelity. And to pray for those involved.