Don’t judge all priests by the sins of some
“You are a priest forever,” wrote King David in Psalms 110.
Now is undoubtedly a tough time to be a priest, especially with the recent bombshell report out of Pennsylvania announcing that more than 300 priests over the course of 70 years have sexually abused persons, parishioners, and sickeningly enough, even children.
Not a priest myself, yet unashamedly and faithfully Catholic (as well as a theologian by profession), I felt compelled to compose this brief essay to disabuse so many of a pervasive thoughttrap I’ve observed, especially rampant on social media, in light of this scandal.
When something like this atrocity raises its ugly head, the immediate reaction of so many (Catholics, and those who either don’t or never have thought kindly of us) is to castigate the entire Catholic Church and ALL her priests.
While I agree that the immoral, deplorable, and sickening acts of these corrupt priests deserves swift action to ensure that such acts never again occur, I must urge for “tempering” of our perhaps all too rampant assumptions and castigations.
Insofar as all practitioners of Islam are far from radicals or terrorists, so too, is it with Catholic priests and Catholic faithful. Certainly, there have been found to be (and likely still are) “bad apples”, but this is not indicative of the majority of truly good, faithful, and holy priests throughout the world and our country.
That said, the actions — however despicable — of so many priests ought not drive persons away from Christ. While human persons err and are subject to corruption, Christ Himself suffered, died, and rose again even for these most despicable. Indeed, no matter how far astray they have gone, they are priests forever.
We (all of us— anyone who believes in a higher power; not just Catholics or monotheists) need to pray for a renewal and for healing within this circumstance, but that prayer must be accompanied by action.
What exactly these actions will look like, in practical terms, will likely vary by diocese as these grotesque betrayals of trust continue to be revealed. However, I will, at least for my part, state outrightly that the blasé statements of sympathy from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to this point, have proven less than weighty against the magnitude of so great a scandal.
Mere statements will not do. Statements won’t restore stolen innocence from the “little ones”; they won’t absolve the deception and cover-ups; and they sure won’t stop the coming-to-light of what more lurks beyond our knowledge at this time.
We need to see either removal or resignations of bishops who knew but didn’t act; appointment of an interChurch task-force, perhaps led by religious sisters to “weed-out” future risks; and above all, we need healing that will only come from Christ.
This will not be a swift process, but I remain heartened by Jesus’ own Words from the Gospels and from Revelation. He reminds us all that “even the gates of hell will not prevail against the Church” (Matt. 16:18) and, perhaps so instrumental to our healing right now, that He “makes all things new” (Rev. 21:5).
May the renewal of the Church begin now with each one of us, it’s lay faithful.
Anthony Maranise is a professor of religious studies at the University of Memphis.