Over the course of the last few weeks I have been racking my brain as to how best address, in writing, the current situation in the Church. I have preached on it. I have spoken to you (the teens of St. Paul) about it. But, when I sit down to write I am struggling to put forward clear and concise thoughts that will convey a message of hope. There are many reasons for this, but I think one stands out among the others: I want to find a way to logically approach what has become an incomprehensible situation in the American Church’s history.
Over the summer a story broke in the national media about a very prominent figure in the Catholic Church, former-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. This story depicted a revolting predator who used his position of power and prestige in the Church to take advantage of so many, including young boys and adult seminarians. Then, in only a span of about a month, another catastrophic blow was delivered by way of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report. This report speaks about an inconceivable number of predatory priests who violated, physically, emotionally, mentally, and sexually over a thousand (and this is the lower estimation) children. What makes this report so repulsive is that it also illustrates how the leaders of the local communities for a span of 70 years sought to cover up these abhorrent crimes.
On top of all of this, there has been a high-ranking official in the Church who is now making claims that Pope Francis was well aware of some of these matters and failed to act accordingly.
Now, isn’t it tempting to just jump on all of these stories and raise our voices in protest against the entirety of the Catholic Church? Isn’t it tempting to turn our backs on the Church that seemingly turned Her back on these countless victims for far too long? It is tempting, but we must resist this temptation.
On the other hand, isn’t it reasonable to be one more voice in the vast sea of voices crying out for change, for accountability, for new measures to protect the vulnerable and innocent? Absolutely! And, out of a sense of true righteousness, we should not shy away from these responsibilities. Instead of leaving or protesting against all that the Catholic Church teaches because of the grievous misdeeds of some, we should stand and fight for Her! We should fight for the survivors of these atrocities (to echo the sentiments of Bishop Robert Barron). That said, above all of these crucial tasks we must renew our faith in Jesus Christ (as I have said on numerous occasions these past few weeks).
This isn’t to look past the grave sins and deplorable crimes committed by ministers of the Church. Rather, it is an attempt to make sure that, as we are sifting through all of the stories and accounts that are coming out, we are remaining steadfast in the Lord who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Without this sure foundation, this pivotal relationship, we run the risk of hasty reaction motivated solely by emotion. Our faith rests in a God who is the fullness of Truth!
If our faith allows us to believe and hold to the Truth that Jesus Christ is God, then we must approach this messy situation with the knowledge that He promised, I am with you always, to the close of the age. Our faith rests in a God who promised to be with His Church, for better or worse, until the end of the age. What age? Until He comes again!
Surrounded by the bleak reality that stands before us, that we are literally forced to look at each and every day, it can feel as if we are gasping for breath and drowning under the turbulent ocean. Nevertheless, we ought not to lose hope! The hope that we have is that this world is not ‘the end all and be all’! Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI stated in his Encyclical Letter, Spe Salvi: “The present, even if it is arduous, can be lived and accepted if it leads towards a goal, if we can be sure of this goal, and if this goal is great enough to justify the effort of the journey” (Spe Salvi 1). Not denying the fact that this life brings with it many difficulties, our beloved Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI sets forth on his discourse about hope from the standpoint that it is something entirely real, something outside of ourselves, something that will only be fully realized in a time and place other than what is given to us in this life.
As young people, it is so easy to be swept away by the monotony of the world. It is easy to be lost in the confusion of a sacred, but incredibly broken institution. It is for this reason that we must renew our faith in Jesus Christ. Not only will our faith in Jesus Christ help us to remain focused on what is most important, it will keep our gaze firmly fixed upon the very hope that gives meaning to all of the pain, suffering, turmoil, and chaos that we must endure in this lifetime.
The last few weeks at our Life Nights we have been stressing the importance of a relationship with Jesus Christ. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI states: “an encounter with the Lord of all lords, an encounter with the living God and thus an encounter with a hope stronger than the sufferings of slavery, a hope which therefore transformed life and the world from within,” (Spe Salvi 4) is exactly what Jesus Christ came to give us by way of His life, death, and glorious resurrection! Let our hope, let our faith, let our trust rest solely Him! “Man needs God, otherwise he remains without hope” (Spe Salvi 23).
Please know that Audrey and I are here for you. Feel free to talk with us about your concerns.