As always, in this time of trial for the Church each of us is responsible for his or her own actions as we respond to the uncovering of evils that were too long hidden.

 

Public reactions show us, and God, who wants the Church to fall and who wants the Church to become better.

 

At a personal level, we choose our paths. Do we become defensive and go on attack? Do we allow evil to push us toward despair? Do we shut down in anger and turn away from God? 

 

Or do we grab hold of Jesus, tell Him all we feel and beg Him to help His Church? Do we continue our support as it works to fix whatever policies, structures and practices allowed evil to hide?

 

We can wisely consider our motivations. If we have studied, absorbed and lived what Jesus teaches, the winds that blow the Church around — including this particular hurricane — may be distressing, but we will not despair. We’ll realize the Church remains a blessing to those who are faithful despite its unfaithful members, even when their unfaithfulness is horrific. 

 

The Church would long ago have disappeared if its survival was up to us, ordained or lay. God, and only He, sustains the Church.

 

As we examine our hearts, we can trust God’s ancient-yet-ever-new direction. Jesus has taught us that anger, fear, despair and revenge do not come from God. They don’t flow from His Holy Spirit in any time, place or situation. 

 

That doesn’t mean we don’t experience such feelings. They tend to be automatic, and often they are justified. But anger, fear, etc. are, in fact, evil-spirited temptations. With God we can resist and work to replace them with their opposites of love, courage, trust in God and forgiveness. Such discernment, resistance and replacement is the life work of a Christian — and God is happy to assist us in that inner labor.

 

A good perspective to help us look at our hearts with a bit more clarity is found in a statement used by the Catholic Answers website that comes from Tim Staples: “Don’t leave the Church of St. Peter because of Judas.” 

 

We might want to consider a variation of that thought: “Don’t condemn Peter, James, John and the other Apostles because of Judas.” Recall that when Jesus announced that one of them would betray him, the Apostles were aghast and mystified. Rubbing elbows with Judas for a long time had not raised their awareness of his inner state. It was only afterwards that they could write that Judas helped himself to the money bag. Probably they were kicking themselves for being so blind.

 

However, Jesus knew that original Judas, and He has known all betrayers throughout history — whether ordained, or in the pews or unchurched. Their crimes may be hidden to all in the world, but they are known by God. In all ages, men and women ultimately answer to Him who is Almighty.

 

If we indiscriminately view and/or promote our Church leaders as all being in the “Judas” category, we do not please the Lord. God called this generation of bishops and priests to the essential work of Church leadership, and He knows everyone who, inside and outside the Church, works against His servants.

 

Just as we don’t condemn all teachers, all parents, all relatives, all neighbors, all doctors, all filmmakers and all civil servants for the abuses committed by a few persons in those roles, so too it is wrong for us to allow evil to blind us to the goodness of the majority of priests and bishops. 

 

None of our leaders are perfect of course, but then none of us in the pews are either. That’s why Jesus gave us the sacrament of confession — because we all need it. 

 

Sadly, no one has a magic-bullet test that can identify potential abusers ahead of time. If there was such a test, it would already be assisting engaged couples, preventing a lot of heartache and suffering in that vocation also. 

 

Without such preventative tools, always the Church and its people will have to be vigilant, acknowledge the power that evil can wield, and not let titles or collars hide our own Judases.  

 

However, we do have God Himself. Let us strive to please Him with our actions and reactions, helping to rebuild His Church so it can shine His light more brightly than ever before into an all-too-dark world.