"...grace did more abound." (Romans 5:20)
My heart grieves the scandals that have recently come to light within the Church, but also for some of the responses that reveal a similar issue. If the bishops have been remiss in not bringing sin to light and have tried to cover it up for the sake of what the world may think, the faithful may also care too much for the world's opinion and therefore attack vociferously those who stand in the place of Christ who have failed us.
We too fail. We too are sinners.
It is easy to stand outside and say what must be done. It is easy to believe that we would act rightly in their situation. But would we?
There but for the grace of God go I.
How do we know until we have faced the pressures that have worn them down and twisted them into believing they did what they must? For rarely do people act wrongly for reasons that they do not themselves perceive as good in some way, even if only by the twisting lies of the enemy.
He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone. (John 8:7)
By all means, let us call for an end of silence, but let it be without condemnation. Our bishops are already under so much attack for their positions from within and without. If the devil tries to come after us and turn us away from serving our Lord, how much more do you think he goes after those who shepherd so many souls?
Let us not forget in our outrage against the unthinkable evils committed that these were done by part of the Body of Christ. I think of the words of Father John Corapi that touched my heart so deeply before he too wandered off the path: "Never abandon a fallen comrade." These men are our fallen comrades. They are our brothers. Let us never abandon them. Let us rather pray and sacrifice for them until they repent of their sins and turn back to God.
And when we call upon the Church's hierarchy to take a strong position against those who have committed these grave sins, let us not stand outside as an angry mob or treat them as merely worldly leaders who must fulfil administrative responsibilities. Let us remember that this is a spiritual battle. Let us assure them that we will stand with them in the brink.
For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places. (Ephesians 6:12)
We must therefore fight with more than earthly means. We must take to our side all the spiritual resources at our disposal and beg our Lord for the grace He wishes to bestow upon us. Then we shall be more than conquerors, for:
...in all these things we overcome, because of Him that hath loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor might, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37-39)
