Many scandals have caused those in the Church to react in various manners.
We have a right to know who is not suitable to carry on an office in the Church, as pastors to people entrusted to them.
We do not have a right to prurient knowledge or judgement as to the state of a person's soul.
We cannot treat high or low Churchmen, that is, the clergy, like politicians.
Politicians run for office and bear the scrutiny of sin and corruption. Rightly so do journalists have the duty to expose such criminal activity.
Not all sin is criminal activity.
Not all sin becomes a habit of sin.
People repent and change and hopefully do not dwell on their past sins.
If a person has been a public sinner and is appointed to a high office in the Church, such as a bishop or cardinal, perhaps the humble and honest thing to do would be not to accept that position.
However, sinners can vote for the new pope. Sinners do vote for the new pope.
Sinners preach to us every Sunday. The question is whether the sins are serious enough to demand removal. Obviously, sin which is child abuse is so egregious that the clergy involved must be removed and are so, now that the Church has faced the problem and hopefully is dealing with it.
A priest who is a habitual fornicator or adulterer or stealing money from the Church must step down .
However, those who have repented of sin are the same as any of us.
We sin and go to Confession. Priests go to Confession.
God calls His clergy to a higher standard of purity of heart, mind, and soul.
This teaching needs to be reinforced in the seminaries of the world.
But, our clergyman are not politicians They do not run for office. They do not put themselves forward in the public sphere. The cleric is called by God in a vocation which demands great holiness.
As laity, we should pray for holy, perfect priests. And, most importantly, we need to pursue perfection as laity ourselves.
We get the leaders we deserve and we create ourselves by cooperating with the culture of evil.
Enough already on reviewing the sins of others.
Be wise enough to realize that behind many of the allegations and even true episodes of sin is satan who hates the Church and wants to destroy this work of God.
Lest anyone think I am too objective, I have shared before that four people in my family were abused as children for years by a priest. He is long dead.
This should never happen again. But, this is not the same thing as bad behaviour with adults. There are four sins which cry out to Heaven and God is listening. The seminaries must stop accepting men with SSA.
Does the Church need reform and purification? Yes. Start with yourself.
And, timing for the release of information must be seen for what it is-something done at a particular time to do the most harm to the Church.
Pray for a holy clergy
Rather than anger and self-righteousness, we should be in sorrow. We should be in pain for the one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church. The Bride of Christ has been soiled. But, Christ has redeemed Her and us.
Unless we begin to see that the standard of perfection is not too high, and necessary, we shall continue to get mediocre leaders.
Be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect is not a request, but a demand.
Mourn, pray, fast. Reflect. Honour the good and help the weak.
