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August 19, 2018I love the church and I am both angry and saddened!
It is tragic when innocents, children and those most vulnerable are hurt.
I am sure this week most of us have heard of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report. This report outlines patterns of abuse in six Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania and states that over 300 priests have been accused of abusing more than 1,000 innocent victims.
I find this news personally devastating, and it causes me both great anger and grief. And what makes me especially angry is that this report indicates that there were on-going efforts by church officials to cover up this abuse and not nearly enough was done to report and prevent this tragic abuse. My heart is sick.
At the exits of the church today you will find an open letter from Fr. Jim to the parish along with statements from the Vatican and the USCCB. I urge you to read these. Fr. Jim also wishes he could be here today to talk to you on person.
Here is a short excerpt from the Vatican statement:
The Holy Father understands well how much these crimes can shake the faith and the spirt of believers and reiterates the call to make every effort to create a safe environment for minors and vulnerable adults in the Church and in all of society. Victims should know that the Pope is on their side. Those who have suffered are his priority, and the Church wants to listen to them to root out this tragic horror that destroys the lives of the innocent."
Here is an excerpt for the USCCB statement:
“I apologize and humbly ask your forgiveness for what my brother bishops and I have done and failed to do. Whatever the details may turn out to be regarding Archbishop McCarrick or the many abuses in Pennsylvania (or anywhere else), we already know that one root cause is the failure of episcopal leadership. The result was that scores of beloved children of God were abandoned, to face an abuse of power, alone.”
I also ask for forgiveness for the clergy and church’s actions and inaction, let us take a moment now and pray for all victims of abuse both in Pennsylvania and around the world.
At this time it is easy for me and I am sure most of us to question our faith and especially our church in light of this abuse and the many other discouraging things going on in our society.
But we come here to this place and more importantly to this community because of our overriding faith in Jesus Christ who is indeed our savior!
We the community of believers gathered here now, we are the church!! Our church is not a building, it is not the clergy, the church truly is the people of God! And God always stands with us, God holds us especially in our time of need. Today I am so grateful to be with you. I find a comfort and hopefulness in your presence today. We need one another! Christ is our savior – He laid down his life for the people of God. He died for you and me. Christ is among us today!
All of us, including myself must be asking the question, but what can I do?? Sometimes we feel powerless. But there are things we can do!! First and foremost must be vigilant, we need always to seek transparency. We need to do everything we can protect innocents from abuse. In addition, be more present in all of our church activities. Hold church leaders accountable for their exercise of power and report abuse of any kind to civil authorities. Listen to your heart and your anger. Make this part of how you live out your life of faith. Don’t be afraid to write letters to the bishop, church leaders and to the Vatican on this issue, make your anger and concern known. I wish to thank Fr. Jim, Fr. Jeff, Fr. Bill, and Fr. Bob for their openness, dedication and years of service to our parish.
When Jesus turned over tables in the temple He was acting in anger over the misuse of the temple. Perhaps we need to consider what tables need to be turned over in our time. We know that Jesus didn’t leave the temple or denounce His faith because of this. He used his anger to change the church.
I am asking your help and implore you to use your concern and anger, to start a dialog with clergy, staff, with your friends and family. This is your church! This is the faith we share as community! God calls us together as community to support one another. We are the people of God let us use these tragic events to help move the church forward, forward toward the light, forward in the direction that God is pulling us. The direction that God speaks in our heart.
Reflecting on the readings today remind us that we are called together as community to share a meal, share the Eucharist, share fellowship and most importantly to share our faith together. An important part of our gathering is to support one another in time of need. I ask, that we support one another during this time when many in our community are struggling. Many are struggling with this latest news of abuse, some are struggling from flooding and other natural disasters, and many are dealing with significant health and addiction issues. Please reach out to one another today, take some time to talk with one another, share your hurts, your concerns and your anger. We are all broken in some way. We all need support. That is why as community we are stronger together. We find hope and find the face of God, as we reach out to one another in these trying times.
As we approach this table and look forward to the Eucharist. Let us reflect and find hopefulness in our reading from Proverbs. Wisdom – She is gathered with us today! She has prepared a meal and invites us all to the table! She implores us all to come to her table and seek wisdom. She wants us to embrace the meal she has prepared for us all! She seeks to heal our broken hearts.
We come in brokenness to the Lord, the Lord who supports and lifts up all!
