Today is the feast day of the Assumption of Mary into heaven. But after the news of what has happened in Pennsylvania, I don’t feel like celebrating.
I feel heartbroken. I shudder thinking of the trauma the victims carry in their hearts and the damage done to them. I am disgusted that the trauma they endure was inflicted upon them by priests. I am enraged and deeply saddened for the victims. I am devastated for the hundreds of people who felt that their safest option was to leave the Church because there were too much lies and too much sin to witness. What these men did and hid for decades was pure evil. It was somewhat of a relief that many of the men are dead and gone. But this does not change what happened. The burden that the victims carry. And the horrific consequences. The Church has a giant wound. And only the Church can address it. Pope Francis said recently that we need to “stop clericalizing the Church”. I think this may be appropriate to contemplate. While priests and bishops may be the skeleton of the Church and administer the sacraments, they are not the full, total, body of the Church. Christians are the Church. Catholics are the Catholic Church. Young women, young men, families, little old ladies, and people of all ages, experiences, and ethnicities who share the same faith in Jesus Christ are the Church. We see this horrible wound in our Church. When I say that only the Church can address it, I mean people like you and me. The laity. So what are we going to do? To make sure this never, ever happens again. We need practical answers. This is where reform happens. Nothing will change if every single Catholic who was heartbroken by this news left the Church. When something needs to be changed, we cannot give up on it. I heard an old person commiserate once about young people: “When I was growing up, if something was broke, you fixed it!” I think that this idea of giving up may be related to some marriages. Many divorces (but certainly not all!) happen because both parties view the relationship as beyond repair. Couples who have been married 25, 40, 50 years utter similar themes of “compromise”, “always putting in the work”, “never give up on one another”, “date your spouse”. Our Church is broken and deeply wounded. But it is not beyond repair. Thank goodness for saints such as Francis, Teresa of Avila, Dominic, and Catherine of Siena who patiently and vigilantly advocated for reform and the truth of Christ’s doctrine during corruption and injustice. As the laity, we are called to follow in the example of these holy men and women and rededicate the Church to the love of Church in the face of evil. “We've had enough exhortations to be silent. Cry out with a thousand tongues. I see the world is rotten because of silence. - Catherine of Siena” It sounds to me like we need people who will not despair on the Church, but work towards solutions. That is the way to protect and provide for the future Church. In the face of these atrocities that presently bring me to tears, I would not say that I am embarrassed to be a Catholic though. Why? Because my faith has never been in priests. My faith has never been in humans. Though I do not like attributing labels to people, for the sake of clarity I would like to say that I have met many “terrible” Catholics and many “excellent” Catholics. Same goes for any Christian denomination or religion. Humans sin. And where there are humans, there will be sin. As long as the Church has humans, there will be sin in the Church. Ultimately, I place my trust in Jesus Christ alone. Humans will disappoint us, but God does not. I am Catholic because the Catholic Church is the Church that Christ instituted 2,000 years ago. The teachings on faith and morals are based on Christ’s teachings, sacred tradition handed down to us from the first apostles, and divine inspiration. The atrocities do not change the teachings of the Catechism, the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and the sacraments. Therefore, I could never not be Catholic. Because no other Christian church can offer that. I would like to encourage everyone not to despair. Do not give up hope. I stand firm in my belief that only light can drive out darkness. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." - Martin Luther King To rewrite Ghandi’s famous cliché quote: Be the change you wish to see in the Church. ---- I would like to link to this excellent analysis by Father James Martin tracing the causes of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. He provides real practical explanations that must be addressed moving forward. This is what I am praying this week: A Prayer For Angry Catholics ---- A Prayer For Angry Catholics by Father James Martin Dear God, sometimes I get so angry at your church. I know that I’m not alone. So many people who love your church feel frustrated with the Body of Christ on earth. Priests and deacons, and brothers and sisters, can feel frustrated, too. And I’ll bet that even bishops and popes feel frustrated. We grow worried and concerned and bothered and angry and sometimes scandalized because your divine institution, our home, is filled with human beings who are sinful. Just like me. But I get frustrated most of all when I feel that there are things that need to be changed and I don’t have the power to change them. So I need your help, God. -Help me to remember that Jesus promised that he would be with us until the end of time, and that your church is always guided by the Holy Spirit, even if it’s hard for me to see. Sometimes change happens suddenly, and the Spirit astonishes us, but often in the church it happens slowly. In your time, not mine. Help me know that the seeds that I plant with love in the ground of your church will one day bloom. So give me patience. -Help me to understand that there was never a time when there were not arguments or disputes within your church. Arguments go all the way back to Peter and Paul debating one another. And there was never a time when there wasn’t sin among the members of your church. That kind of sin goes back to Peter denying Jesus during his Passion. Why would today’s church be any different than it was for people who knew Jesus on earth? Give me wisdom. -Help me to trust in the Resurrection. The Risen Christ reminds us that there is always the hope of something new. Death is never the last word for us. Neither is despair. And help me remember that when the Risen Christ appeared to his disciples, he bore the wounds of his Crucifixion. Like Christ, the church is always wounded, but always a carrier of grace. Give me hope. -Help me to believe that your Spirit can do anything: raise up saints when we need them most, soften hearts when they seem hardened, open minds when they seem closed, inspire confidence when all seems lost, help us do what had seemed impossible until it was done. This is the same Spirit that converted Paul, inspired Augustine, called Francis of Assisi, emboldened Catherine of Siena, consoled Ignatius of Loyola, comforted Thérèse of Lisieux, enlivened John XXIII, accompanied Teresa of Calcutta, strengthened Dorothy Day and encouraged John Paul II. It is the same Spirit that it with us today, and your Spirit has lost none of its power. Give me faith. -Help me to remember all your saints. Most of them had it a lot worse than I do. They were frustrated with your church at times, struggled with it, and were occasionally persecuted by it. Joan of Arc was burned at the stake by church authorities. Ignatius of Loyola was thrown into jail by the Inquisition. Mary MacKillop was excommunicated. If they can trust in your church in the midst of those difficulties, so can I. Give me courage. -Help me to be peaceful when people tell me that I don’t belong in the church, that I’m a heretic for trying to make things better, or that I’m not a good Catholic. I know that I was baptized. You called me by name to be in your church, God. As long as I draw breath, help me remember how the holy waters of baptism welcomed me into your holy family of sinners and saints. Let the voice that called me into your church be what I hear when other voices tell me that I’m not welcome in the church. Give me peace. -Most of all, help me to place all of my hope in your Son. My faith is in Jesus Christ. Give me only his love and his grace. That’s enough for me. Help me God, and help your church. Amen.
1 Comment
Carey Wyatt
8/17/2018 11:05:21 pm
The best remedy for this is embracing purity and chastity and elevating the very young and the very old.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Author
Thanks for stopping by! I'm Madeleine, and I write about how I think and why I do the things I do as a Catholic. Archives
October 2018
Categories |