An innocent man, certainly a man who has been Ordained into the Priesthood with a modicum of faith in his Creator; would not attempt suicide to avoid the humiliation and spectacle of being tried in a Court of Law (for a crime he did not commit) no, nay, never.
A true Priest would remember the Sermon on the Mount - Mt. ch.5 v.11 - “Blessed are you when men reproach you and persecute you, and speaking falsley, say all manner of evil against you, for my sake.”
Suicide is a mortal sin, a cowardly escape, but perhaps not quite as heinous as ruining this young man’s life. He is guilty, and I will not pray for him, but rather for his young victim.
I do indeed know what I am saying - as a nine year old altarboy molested in the Sacristy (yes, Sacristy) by the Monsignor, so I empathize with this young man ~ his life is now a train-wreck through no fault of his own.
You are thinking,“Judge not, lest ye be judged.”
He is undoubtedly guilty - look at the facts. I don’t know all the facts either (only what I read) yet I propose the method of suicide he chose may be as revealing as any other information gathered against him…
Only by by the gift of Divine Mercy, the Sacred Heart (through the intercession of the Immaculate Heart) brought this lost sheep back into the fold - after decades of being Satan’s constant companion. My life was not what Almighty God intended; and never can be ~ I can never retrieve those lost years… I have after 30 plus years reached the point where I think I sincerely forgive that Priest, but honestly, I may never forgive him.
Stories like this bring me back into that little nine-year old boy’s mind. Fear. Palable terror - never in my life, before or since, have I been so scared! My heart aches for this child, and I can only hope and pray he will be healed before it’s too late.
For nearly thirty years I abandoned Holy Mother Church, the Sacraments, prayer, and even the concept of a benevolent Creator; with predictable results. The good news? He died before I grew old enough to kill him, and today I teach RCIA, CCD, and am a very active member of my local parishes, K of C and AOH
Dominus vobiscum,
William
