Please permit a brief blog from me today. I am just stepping off a plane from Seattle where I have been the past few days and it is rather late.
I would like to cal to your attention a CBS News report on how Catholics are dealing with the Sexual Abuse scandal.
A New Poll indicates that 86% have not allowed it to affect their belief in the Catholic Faith. The writted version of the CBS article with other links can be read here: Catholics Still Loyal
It is more evidence of what I have also come to know that Catholics are more sophisticated in such matters that the some have either allowed us to be or wanted us to be. I think most Catholics know that there is sin in the Church and that this is surely one of the most egregious things we have recently experienced. But I also think that most Catholics know that God associates with sinners as well as saints and that the Church, like any other gathering where humans beings are involved will have significant struggles and well and great aspects.
I know that some will remark that what I have just said amounts to a minimizing of what has happened. It deny that it does and surely intend no such minimizing. However most Catholics know that there is more to the Church that the sexual abuse crisis, more to her than abusive priests, or Bishops who were sleepy. The fact is that there are innumerable good things that are happening in the Church as you will see in this video. There are good priests, bishops, and religious, good lay people. The Lord is being worshipped, the poor are being served, schools continue to operate, and many people find the Lord in the Catholic Church.
Our sins are real and hurtful, but our graces are also real and helpful. Enjoy this video.
The horribly poor choices of a small minority will not separate me from the True Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
Amen!
Karen is right. Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist is the greatest gift of all !
The gift of Himself takes my breath away.
What has not been published in the media – is that the small minority of those involved in the child abuse issue have sinned against God, as well as against the victims, and as well against the teachings of our Church.
They are dead, or hopefully in jail where they belong.
Let’s all Pray for Pope Benedict XVI, who is doing his very best to clean up the residual mess.
Fourteen percent is still too high, and many of the rest have not only been deeply saddened, but, also, too scandalized. Before being betrayed by Judas Iscarirot, Jesus said about him that it were better for him if he had never been born, indicating, of course, his eternal loss. Our Lord Himself lost one out of twelve, or roughly 8%–of the choicest and most privileged of all time. Percentagewise, all of those now accused are less that 4% of their fellow presbiters. We don’t read of people losing faith in the other 11 apostles because of Judas’ fall. Why now? Haven’t we all been jolly-riding along on a too-easy sanctity and salvation? Haven’t we been oblivious to the fact that there still exist two kingdoms, and that a war goes on between them? How many of us, members of the Church, have regularly prayed and fasted for the sanctity of our priests? Wars normally bring many casualities all around, but the enemy’s choicest targets are always the officers. We’ve all been naive.
Like I always say, I don’t feel any less Catholic when others fail to act Catholic.I merely choose not to follow them. I believe even excommunicated Catholics have been accepted back without having changed anything that brought about their excommunication and they were as Catholic as ever throughout the ordeal. Whether you agree or not, the clergy and Vatican are quite often nothing more than a political arm of the Church and cronyism is as rampant there as in any secular governmental agency. Idon’t consider that to be the norm.
The priest didn’t give me my Catholicism, Christ and my family did. And the Vatican can’t take that away from me.
@Robertlifelongcatholic
Granted the Priest and the Vatican don’t take away your catholicism per se. A person takes themselves out of catholicism by going against mans call to Love, Know, and Serve God! The Priest did give you your Catholicism, since he was the means by which you received Baptism, the initiation of the Catholic Life! With out the Priest you would not be Baptized, at least not until you died and were baptized by the other two means of Baptism, blood or desire. With out the Priest you would not be able to fully live the Catholic Life. So yes in a very true sense they do give us our Catholicism. As for the Vatican, it only recognizes when one has taken themselves out of the family of Christ. It is to make official and public that the Church does not recognize such behavior/lifestyle/Hersey as Catholic. Thus although the Vatican, by excommunication, does not take away catholicism from one who has de-catholicized (pardon for making up a word) himself, the Church does make it official, and She does give the person a chance to reconcile himself with the Church. Anathema Sit to all those who believe that they can reach Christ by their own merits or live the Catholic life without the Holy Mother Church!
Msgr. Pope, correct me if I have misspoken about anything, please.
That the Church is unjustly hated and reviled as Christ was, is just one more assurance that my faith is well placed.
Please look at my blog http://goingdeeper-catholic.blogspot.com/
I’m with Irenaeus. Listening to all the hateful vitriol and lies poured on the Church and the Holy Father has only confirmed my confidence that our Church bears the image of Jesus. Just because there was truth behind the stories initially doesn’t make the wild allegations any more valid, and it’s the wild allegations (eg. Benedict himself covering up abusers) which have gotten legs as the main story.
I know that my parish priest and our archdiocesan bishop ARE holy and that really helps my parochial community to charge through the rough spots.
We are all hurt from what happened, but the majority should not be condemned for the acts of the few.
Hopefully this sorrow will be also be an instructive moment to teach us how to deal with those who defile their priesthood.
In my case I have been fortunate: I have met many good priests. One of them I also felt he was like a literal father to me (since I also grew up without one).