Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle B

John 6:60 – 69

When I was young we never heard about sexual scandals in the clergy. Once in a while a priest would leave the priesthood to get married. The biggest scandal, however, was the alcohol abuse. It wasn't something we talked about openly, but now and then a priest would be sent off to minister to a small hospital or a convent and it was usually blamed on him being unable to drink responsibly.

We are hearing about scandals concerning our Catholic clergy all over the world. Some of the things described in the Pennsylvania grand jury report are so awful that it's hard to believe any human beings are capable of such things, let alone priests. And there is the accusation that bishops and cardinals were asleep at the switch or covered up the crimes of those they supervised, and some were even abusers themselves. And of course with the press and social media the attention of the world is negatively focused on the the Church once again.

There have been many excuses offered as well. Some of the priests were sent to psychiatrists who after a period of time told the bishop that the priest had been cured and could return to ministry. Bishops as well as laity could not believe that priests were capable of such things – it was easier to believe that the children and young people were making things up. And people who were being victimized had no one to turn to – the report covers a time, many years ago, when people still thought that priests were walking saints.

There is a movement now to withhold all or part of one's support for the Church until the guilty parties are drummed out of the priesthood and safeguards are set up so this sort of thing never happens again. There are also people clamoring for an end to the obligation of celibacy – after all, if celibacy is a charism, a gift of God, then it can't very well be an obligatory gift, they say. In the Eastern Rites and Orthodox churches the bishops are selected from mature monks, and the priests are mostly married before they are ordained – in fact, someone who wants to be a priest who is not married is looked at with suspicion.

So what are we, those of us at the Parish level, supposed to think? What are we to do? In the face of this horrible scandal how can we be silent?

The first thing, I think, is to remember that there have been horrible scandals in every generation since the beginning of Christianity. Some were sexual and there were times in the middle ages when priests and bishops and even popes had mistresses And scandalous as well was the way the Church treated Jews and American Indians and many other indigenous people. And yet, even in the midst of the worst of these times, there were great saints; and the same is true today. Those causing the scandals make up a minority, and most priests and bishops are hard-working and holy and take their vows seriously. In the Pensylvania report covering 70 years more than 5000 priests served the Church in the dioceses of the state, while three hundred were accused – not proven, not convicted, but accused. We laity have to protect the good priests and stand up for them. And while what we are hearing is horrible, we need to remember that most of this took place more than forty years ago, and in most of the Church the policies put in place to restore the integrity of the Church are working – and they are being constantly reviewed and updated.

The second point is that we are not Catholics, I hope, because of a priest or a bishop. If our faith depends on someone like that, we can lose the faith just as easily. If we are serious about our Catholicism, we are in the Church because we want to know Christ better; we want to imitate his life and through our relationship with Him, gain eternal happiness. Our Church must survive if it is to continue down through the ages being the Mystical Body of Christ and to be there for the generations to come, including our children and grandchildren. We laity have to redouble our efforts to keep the Church going and growing. Priests and bishops can't do it alone, and in fact it isn't even their job. You and I are supposed to be the light of the world.

The third point is that we have to pray for our Church. When we pray, we are saying good things and asking God for his grace, but when we really pray we are seeking to understand what God wants for me in relationship to what I am praying for. That's why the Lord's prayer is such a great example of prayer; every petition is something God wants for the world and for his people. When we pray it, we align ourselves with God's will and that should be what we seek when we pray for the Church.

We laity are being challenged. How many young men who have considered the priesthood will choose not to become priests because of these scandals? And how will this impact on the moral authority of our bishops, who are charged with teaching not just the Church but the world? . On the parish level we are the Church, and whether Saint Mary's sinks or swims, whether our parish thrives or becomes a relic, is really up to us.

Two thousand years ago after hearing Jesus speak some scandalous words people who had been following Him turned to each other and said, “This is hard to listen to. How can we accept it?” And they went away. And Jesus asked, “Will you also go away?” And Peter spoke up for those who remained and said, as I hope you will say and I will say, “To whom can we go Lord, you have the words of eternal life.”