Surely the Church, founded by Christ who is God, should not be showing evidence of clerical abuse of minors, cover-ups of these scandals in the highest places. No wonder the world is becoming less religious and more secular. Can you help steady my shaky faith?
The Church is divine in its origin and human in its structure and membership. It is called holy because of the presence of the Spirit of Christ within it; it is imperfect because its members are prone to undermine that holiness through sin.
Christ founded his Church on Peter the Apostle when he said: “You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it” (Mt 16:18). The powers of sin will always confront and try to seduce the Church but cannot overcome it. And so St Paul urges the Galatian Christians to be guided by the Spirit and not yield to self-indulgence and sinful acts (Gal 5:16-26).
Aware of human imperfection, Christ warned that those who lead astray little children will be guilty of a serious sin (Mt 18:7). He even foresaw that disillusion would come upon some of the faithful, when he said: “When the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith left on earth?” (Lk 18:8).
Bishops and priests who commit scandalously immoral acts—for example by abusing minors or wilfully covering up such acts—must answer for their behaviour. Apart from the urgent need for them to be reconciled with God, they must be seen to be repentant and let civil and ecclesiastical law deal with their cases justly and visibly.
The problem is that no matter how sorry they may say they are and the penalties they may have to pay, the harm done remains. This can turn Catholics away from their faith, and others too who are similarly disgusted and horrified.
It is here that we have to stir up our faith and remember Christ’s promise that the forces of evil will never blot out the Church’s inherent holiness.
St Peter wrote: “You have been warned about this, my friends; be careful not to be carried away by the errors of unprincipled people, from the firm ground that you are standing on. Instead, go on growing in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory, in time and in eternity. Amen” (2 Pt 3:17-18).
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