Bishops and priests by virtue of their office are our spiritual fathers in the Church. Honoring them in a spirit of charity, obedience, and filial respect usually poses no problem when things are going well. However, when our pastor seems to be "part of the problem," we tend to wonder to what extent we are to honor them.

Throughout the Bible there are many important lessons on how to relate to those in authority, especially during times of crises. From the example of Noah’s faithful sons, who covered their father’s nakedness (Gen. 9:23), to David's refusal to lay a hand on Saul (1 Sam. 24), to Our Lord’s pithy command to do as the Pharisees and scribes say but not as they do (Mt. 23:1-3), a clear picture develops. This picture is reflected in the constant teaching of the Church, including in our time the documents of Vatican II, the Catechism, and the Code of Canon Law.

The "anatomy" of a godly response to Church authority requires not only backbone but also heart--in other words, strength and tenderness rooted in the truth. This is charity in action, which the Catechism calls "the often narrow path between the cowardice which gives in to evil, and the violence which under the illusion of fighting evil only makes it worse" (no. 1889).

All this might sound good in theory, but what about Bishop So and So? What about my pastor, who allows--or even mandates--that X, Y, or Z go on in our parish? Here are some general principles that usually apply:

(1) Take personal responsibility. We are responsible for doing our part to build up the Church. Too often people lament about the deficiencies of local Church leaders, as though everything rides with them. The fact is, Baptism gives us the serious right and duty to be "apostles" in accordance with our state in life. We can’t control the actions of others, but we surely can take it upon ourselves to strive to become saints. At the judgment, we will not be asked about our bishop or pastor, but we will be accountable for what we did with our own talents.

(2) Offer it up. Difficulties and suffering within the Church can be the very stuff of our redemption. Do we believe that? Are we going to embrace these crosses (even as we legitimately and appropriately address our concerns), or are we going to respond with the "violence" that only makes things worse? Suffering of all kinds is a given in life; we can choose whether in our case it will be redemptive or wasted.

(3) Honor our fathers. Since bishops and pastors are our spiritual fathers, we are commanded to honor them as such by the Fourth Commandment. The Roman Catechism, issued after the Council of Trent, taught that "Christ the Lord commands obedience even to wicked pastors." But the Fourth Commandment is a "thou shall" rather than a "thou shall not" commandment. It does not tell us to avoid negative behaviors, but rather encourages a healthy, positive loyalty and reverence toward our parents and also our spiritual fathers.

(4) Live the vision. Lastly, we should pray for an increase of faith, that we might see in our bishops and priests, despite their human frailty and any perceived shortcomings, "the Lord’s anointed." If we do that, we’re well on our way toward imitating the example of David, who was, to his eternal credit, a man after God’s own heart (cf. Acts 13:22).

The foregoing is an excerpt from my article "Laity on the Line," which originally appeared in the May-June 2006 issue of Lay Witness magazine. 

Bishop Blase Cupich of Rapid City, South Dakota, currently serves as chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Protection of Children and Young People. Today America magazine posted an article by Bishop Cupich entitled "Twelve Things the Bishops Have Learned from the Abuse Crisis." 

Bishop Cupich does a fine job of articulating many of the painful lessons the bishops have learned over the course of the past ten years, and he should be applauded for doing so.

While there may be things that in my opinion should be emphasized more (or perhaps less), overall I can stand behind 11 of the 12 "lessons." The one that gives me concern is lesson 7, which provides as follows: More...

The clerical sex abuse scandal of the past decade is a tragedy that has sent shock waves through the Catholic Church and American society. Catholic dioceses face many pastoral and legal challenges as they address the needs of victims while also developing policies to prevent such crimes from occurring in the future. Surely, as Pope John Paul II said, "The abuse which has caused this crisis is by every standard wrong and rightly considered a crime by society; it is also an appalling sin in the eyes of God."

This scandal has caused harm to the entire Church. Most obviously, there are the victims of the sex abuse themselves and their families, who so much need healing and love. The perpetrators of these crimes have caused tremendous physical and spiritual harm (cf. Mt.18:6-9) and have dire need of divine mercy, in addition to any medical treatment or criminal sanction. There are the many good and faithful priests and religious who suddenly find themselves the objects of suspicion, hatred, and perhaps even false charges. And then there is the larger Church, whose pastoral and missionary efforts have been compromised by the sins of a few of her members.

In addition to all this pain, there is also the considerable anger, frustration, betrayal, sadness, confusion, and outrage experienced by Catholics and non-Catholics alike over this crisis. These feelings are directed not only toward the perpetrators of these crimes, but also toward a Church bureaucracy and ecclesial climate that would allow repeat offenders to remain in active ministry. JPII further affirmed that "[b]ecause of the great harm done by some priests and religious, the Church herself is viewed with distrust, and many are offended at the way in which the Church's leaders are perceived to have acted in this matter." More...

What do we know about the men who are being ordained to the priesthood this year?

Plenty!

The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) has released its annual report on those who are being ordained in the U.S. during this Year for Priests. The report, commissioned by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), contains an overwhelming amount of statistics and demographic information. Here, in this week's top ten list, I will provide ten statistics regarding this year's ordination class that I found especially interesting: More...

Over the past couple weeks I've come across some interesting stories involving the Catholic Church, and in particular priests, religious, and especially bishops. Today I thought I would mention ten of them, with links for you to find "the rest of the story."

(1) Welcome, But Not Honored

Archbishop Dolan of New York firmly yet pastorally advises that pro-abortion Catholic politicians will not receive honors at events such as the annual Al Smith dinner under his watch. This could easily come into play, not only with national figures such as Vice President Biden and Speaker Pelosi, but even more likely with New York Governor David Paterson, a pro-abortion Catholic. 

(2) Baby Bishops

The Vatican just appointed Msgr. Joseph Bambera as the new Bishop of Scranton, PA, and Fr. Terry LaValley as the new Bishop of Ogdensburg, NY. Both have been serving as the administrator of their respective dioceses pending the appointment of new bishops. This leaves only three dioceses without a bishop right now (Springfield, IL; LaCrosse, WI; and Harrisburg, PA)--an unusually low number--and there are four additional dioceses where the bishop has already reached retirement age.

(3) Cardinal George Addresses Mormons

What a brilliant prelate. Excellent presentation on religious freedom, drawing on many points of agreement between Catholics and Mormons that should unite us in our efforts to build a more just, life-affirming society.

(4) Way to Go, NC Bishops!

Bishop Jugis of Charlotte and Bishop Burbidge of Raleigh led the charge in getting the state of North Carolina to alter its new civics curriculum that compared pro-life laws to pro-segregation laws, calling both examples of "oppressive government."

(5) More on Oprah and the Nuns

In a previous post I mentioned that the Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist were appearing on Oprah. The linked story tells about the sisters' giving Oprah a Rosary and the conversation that ensued. That program has had a wide-reaching effect. Here in Kansas City, for example, Archbishop Naumann wrote about that program in his weekly column for The Leaven, the archdiocesan paper.

(6) Courageous Dutch Priest (not a misprint!)

The priest informed the openly homosexual "prince" for a town carnival that he would not be able to receive Holy Communion. Many in the town revolted against this decision and decided to stage a protest of sorts during Sunday Mass. The priest held his ground, and on that Sunday he did not give out Communion at all, so as to avoid the very real possibility of sacrilege.

(7) Bishop Vasa

Bishop Vasa's columns are always excellent. Scroll down on the linked page for a wealth of great teaching. I especially liked this Lenten column, including his reflection on the phrase from Ash Wednesday: "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." 

(8) Archbishop Chaput

Ditto for Archbishop Chaput of Denver. The linked column is but the first in a series of powerful reflections on Pope Benedict's Lenten Message.

(9) Call No Man "Father"

Our Lord says in today's Gospel to call no man "father." Yet I call my pastor "Father." Heck, I refer to myself as a "father." So what does Our Lord mean? I answer that question in the linked article.

(10) Don't Call Him "Teacher," Either

We don't get as worked up about this one (not a Catholic-Protestant thing), but still, Our Lord does tell us to call no one "teacher." I comment on that particular teaching of Christ in the linked article.

Well, that's it. Did I leave out a compelling story? Would you like to see more posts like this?

Since I posted "Confession by the Numbers" a couple weeks ago, I've received a few emails asking how often we should avail ourselves of this sacrament of Christ's mercy. So, since you asked . . . More...

For many years I’ve had the clear sense that most parishes allot an inadequate amount of time each week for Confession. In my experience, most parishes set aside one hour per week for scheduled Confessions, some set aside two hours, and very few set aside more than that.

What does that all that mean in practical terms? Well, I decided to dust off my calculator to see if there really is a “Confession shortage.” More...

Like many parents, I’ve heard the incessant pleas of my children to get a pet (or in our case, another pet). With these pleas come all sorts of promises and assurances that the dog, cat, or gecko will receive abundant love and impeccable care. All will be right with the world--or at least with our home--if we simply were to adopt Rover or Princess.

Then, of course, we get the pet, and the enthusiasm diminishes with the first accident on the carpet. The kids are still fond of animals--they love the zoo or Animal Planet, and maybe would like to own other pets.

But the pet or pets they already have are taken for granted, and what was previously considered loving care is now experienced as a burdensome chore.

Pet Seminary

When we think about it, there’s a similar dynamic at work when it comes to our parish priests. We’re concerned about the looming priest shortage in many areas. We have vocation directors and parish committees on the constant lookout for prospects. We come up with 101 ways to support our seminarians. We esteem the priesthood and like the idea of getting a new priest.

Yet, as a pastor in California once confided to me, priests tend to fall off the map after ordination. The priests that we do have, day in and day out, are easily taken for granted. Over time their personal quirks or shortcomings overshadow, in our minds, the graces that come to us through their ministry.

In short, the idea gives way to the reality.

That brings us to our consideration of the Year for Priests. Notice that it’s the “Year for Priests” and not “The Year of the Priest.” The latter sounds like an item from the Chinese zodiac (2009, “The Year of the Ox”) or a 70s hit by Al Stewart (“Year of the Cat”).

The Year for Priests is much more tangible than that. The Church is calling us to support the real-life priests in our midst. After all, this year is for them.

So what are some practical things we can do as a way of observing the Year for Priests? More...