As he says:
What is it that non-Catholics don't get? The teaching of the catholic Church is explicit and stern:2389 Connected to incest is any sexual abuse perpetrated by adults on children or adolescents entrusted to their care. The offense is compounded by the scandalous harm done to the physical and moral integrity of the young, who will remain scarred by it all their lives; and the violation of responsibility for their upbringing.
Her Master was sterner still:It were better for him, that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should scandalize one of these little ones. Luke 17:2
And then comes the hard-hitting bit. What are we doing to combat the mess? Before we can demand holiness from our priests, we must demand it of ourselves. We need to turn back to lives of prayer and penance... to mortify ourselves.
But we as lay people should also demand a little more of ourselves. Do we pray the Rosary for priests? Do we pray for good vocations. Do we fast and do penance? Do we pray for the victims of abuse. Are we faithful in our own lives? Do we hold the teaching of the Church in public and in private. Do we support priests and appreciate them? Are we willing to stand up for the Holy Father when the sneers come at work or at dinner parties or in the pub?
It's time to clear up the mess. And it starts with all of us.
Amen to that.
1 comment:
The tragedy, I fear, is that many Catholics nowadays wouldn't even be prepared to stand up for the Holy Father if he came into the room, let alone the conversation !
That said, I echo your 'Amen'. My comment would be that if careless priests make sinful people, well, praying people make good priests . . . so we know what we have to do about it.
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