WILL PASTORS SPEAK TO THE GRAND JURY REPORT IN HOMILIES THIS WEEKEND?

Will Priests speak to the Pennyslvania Grand Jury Report in their homilies this weekend?

It is a fair question to ask in the wake of the negative attention which has been directed to the Church not only in that State but in places around the country.

Anyone who has read the Grand Jury Report  comes away overwhelmed by the shocking detail of abuse and the cover up employed by Bishops and their delegates to hide the truth from the Catholic faithful and thus not protect other children from becoming victims of the predatory homosexual rapists among the Clergy.

Adopting a “head in the sand” attitude from the pulpit is hardly in keeping with the mission of the Church to speak the truth not only about sinful corruption in the secular world but that which exists within the ecclesial community as well.

Without mincing words, Pastors need to publicly denounce those Clergymen who preyed upon innocents, robbing them of their childhood and leaving scars of painful memories to last a lifetime.  

With equal conviction, Pastors need to call the Bishops and their delegates to a public accounting for their misdeeds, demanding that they be subject to the same standards as those they so eagerly imposed upon the Clergy under their authority and supervision.

Apologies alone do not suffice to provide justice for victims and their families, as well as the untold number of parishioners who unknowingly and with trust welcomed serial rapists and abusers into their folds.

A reader of this blogsite recently commented on the fact that the Grand Jury Report has taken from her fond memories of the parish and the Priests she knew in her childhood and who have been revealed to have been perpetrators of horrific acts of sexual assault upon classmates and friends.  

Even the memories of those not directly touch by the assaults and attacks have been touched by the filth of such perversion!

Pastors need to be in the forefront of those decrying the abominations chronicled in the Grand Jury Report.

We Priests pledge the Bishops our obedience and respect at Ordination, a burden we freely embrace for the good of the Church.  

But the corollary of that indebtedness must be an equal pledge on the part of the Bishop to provide example and guidance in the living out of the Evangelical counsels of faith, hope, honesty and integrity.

It will be a bit tougher to wear the Roman Collar in public these days.  

Every Priest who does wear one faithfully and honorably has a right to see that no one, not even those in the highest echelons of authority, sully the honor and respect that Collar is due.

Pastors have a right to speak to these scandals.  

May they exercise their right and, frankly, their obligation to do so.

It remains to be seen how many homilies denouncing the atrocities cited in the Grand Jury Report will be offered to the Catholic faithful this weekend and in the weekends to come.

The People of God deserve to be informed of these crimes and inspired by the Word of God for guidance and healing.

Let us pray that our Pastors will be up to the difficult and unpleasant task of denouncing these despicable acts and asking the Lord to help all those who have suffered so terribly in their wake.