Church, follow your own advice

by Letters Editor · May 13, 2010

From Geoff Harris, Rooi Els, Western Cape:

Emmanuel Ngara contemplated the difference it might have made to the world if the pope at the time had washed the feet of Martin Luther in a spirit of humble reconciliation at the time of the Reformation.

Often the most simple and basic actions change the world, for better or for worse! As history proves, in such a case as the Reformation, omission can have just as profound effect as commission.

Arising out of the sex abuse scandal many suggestions on how to handle the situation have emerged. However, is our Church not perhaps overlooking a fundamental requirement in its efforts to clean its slate? Why does it not follow its own advice and sacraments?

As Catholics, we are taught that healing our relationship with God and mankind starts with contritely and humbly acknowledging our sins with hearts open to reconciliation, and then doing penance by honestly sorting out our mess, cleaning up our act and making whatever reparation we can.

Why would the same not apply to our Church as a group? Why does our Holy Father, as leader of a Church which espouses and emphasises the sacrament of reconciliation not make a world-wide public confession about the scandals and subsequent cover-up? No semantics, no ducking and diving, just a humble confession and statement of intent.

Taking this one step further, imagine if, at a special Mass on a particular Sunday in this Year for Priests, the Holy Father were to lead his entire flock in such an Act of Reconciliation.

Perhaps this should then become an annual event as a constant reminder of the damage that has been done and the price paid by the many for the actions of the few.