Behavior Toward Priests

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Is it right to contest a priest? Is it right to speak out against a priest? Publicly? Privately? Minor Matters? Serious Matters?
 
Quaere_Verum said:
Is it right to contest a priest? Is it right to speak out against a priest? Publicly? Privately? Minor Matters? Serious Matters?
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I can’t answer to this question - it depends on situations. However, if one puts his obedience, humility, and God’s will first, he should then know what to do.
 
Quaere_Verum said:
Is it right to contest a priest? Is it right to speak out against a priest? Publicly? Privately? Minor Matters? Serious Matters?
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In my opinion, the answer is “NO”.

A priest is the representative of Christ. If there is anything you think he does not measure up, politely talk to him with your opinion. Never gossip behind his back, not even be judgmental in your heart. Pray for the priest and love him, that is what I’ll do.
 
In serious situation such as the sex scandal, one could speak up but not in a mean ill way. However, talk to the right person is the key, we don’t just go around spreading rumor.
 
First speak to the Priest.
If unsatisfied, speak to the Bishop.
If unsatisfied, speak to Rome.

Note that none of this involves the “public”.

Peace
James
 
JRKH said:
First speak to the Priest.
If unsatisfied, speak to the Bishop.
If unsatisfied, speak to Rome.

Note that none of this involves the “public”.

Peace
James
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Amen! I would add, always be polite and respectful. Have documentation and evidence on hand. Take copious notes. If it really gets beyond the bishop, the person you want is the Papal Nuncio in DC. A web search will turn up contact info.
 
Quaere_Verum said:
Is it right to contest a priest? Is it right to speak out against a priest? Publicly? Privately? Minor Matters? Serious Matters?
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Yes it is fine to contest a teaching you think that may be errant.

What is not right is a spitting contest, public lambasting, taking it to the media, and trying to achieve your goal “by any means necessary” as though it were political activism.

I have watched just that play out time and time again by folks who were “right” but were wrong in how they proved they were right. It is a moral net loss that leads to the sin of pride as often as not, and denigrates respect for the office of the priesthood, even when the character in question doesn’t seem all that respectable - on the face of it - as a person.

Address issues privately and respectfully in a non-confrontational manner first, if things aren’t resolved, see the bishop.
 
I once read about the do’s and dont’s on this. We should never criticize or talk about a priest. If there is something that we think he’s doing wrong or we disagree with, I think we should take it up with him - but privately, i.e. not in front of others. Depending on how serious the matter, then I’d guess it would have to go the route as suggested in previous posts - priest, bishop, Rome.
 
Conservative said:
I once read about the do’s and dont’s on this. We should never criticize or talk about a priest. If there is something that we think he’s doing wrong or we disagree with, I think we should take it up with him - but privately, i.e. not in front of others. Depending on how serious the matter, then I’d guess it would have to go the route as suggested in previous posts - priest, bishop, Rome.
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…and always pray for them, they are only human, just like us.
 
I’m glad you enjoyed the article, InLight. The author’s quip was rather humorous, but insightful, and I can certainly think of a place where it would be apropo.

Isn’t it interesting that in this age when we have so few vocations to the priesthood, we have so many vocations to the episcopacy.” And, we might add, to the papacy!

😃
 
Joysong said:
Isn’t it interesting that in this age when we have so few vocations to the priesthood, we have so many vocations to the episcopacy.” And, we might add, to the papacy!
😃
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ha ha ha, but actually it is sad.
I was tempted to send the link of the article to certain people that I heard them made “not so nice” comment on the priest.
But I resisted the temptation for not wanting to be “holier than thou”.

Seriously, we ought to be kind to our priests, pray for them and never gossip behind their backs.
 
I only expressed a very serious concern with a priest at my school because of an incident that happened over the summer that was really handled in a very poor way. As a person who holds a high position in the university and who was involved in that process, he was partially responsible for what happened. Had it been anybody else in his position I would have done the same thing. But I will add, the fact that he is a priest greatly influenced the way I approached him.
 
Joysong said:
I copied this article several months ago … it addresses your topic with much wisdom.

ignatius.com/magazines/hprweb/morrow.htm
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Yes, it’s all well and good, but let’s focus on the priests and bishops who are causing the problems in the first place. Yes, they are ordained and all that, but why do they insist on “going off the deep end”? What about the evil they are doing and their superiors who do nothing about it?

When you see the things they do or hear the things they say, you KNOW that the Catechism hasn’t gone far enough in spelling out ethics and morality – either of those bishops and priests or of the laity who are supposed to suffer their mischief.

The Pope just recently gave the Jesuits an earful about some of them who don’t live up to their fourth vow of loyalty to the Pope. And, hold on to your hats when Benedict XVI comes to the U.S. He’s had choice words for bishops here, almost 25 years ago. And, things only got worse.

The discussion advances to the point of this: When do these priests and bishops cross the line? When is it too much to bear? Why are they not restrained by, if nothing else, the threat of losing their “jobs” ? Does the Church have no guidelines? Must these clerics simply bring the scandal of breaking civil laws, to really bring the house down on them? Is there really no ethics or morality of these matters?

Certainly there is the danger of politicizing the church in this realm of matters. The matters must be cast clearly as right and wrong, and not merely political, spitting contests did somebody say above?

I’m deeply in such a situation myself. I wonder if I have to go to church with blinders and earplugs, to avoid the near occasion of sin. (here I go: ) If I wanted to go to a protestant church, there would be many in my hometown for me to choose from. Why do the priests have full rein to criticize the doctrines of the Church, and then act as if nothing had happened?

For one thing, you know why the priests don’t routinely record their homilies as many protestant pastors do. they don’t want the evidence lying around. They have to be able to argue that you didn’t understand what they said. See? You’re the bad guy, by definition.
 
The Golden Key of Virtue in all of this lies in the purity of one’s own heart as they witness behaviors that are in reality a) absolutely wrong, b) seemingly wrong, or c) believed to be wrong, but because of our lack of full understanding, are completely innocent.

Whether it falls into the category of a, b, or c, the danger for any of us spiritually is to “despise another person in one’s heart” on account of that perception of wrong. This was the continual crux of Jesus’s teaching, and if we continue in that haughty sneering and gossip, the sin falls not only to the cleric, but even more so to oneself.

I wonder how well we listened to Sunday’s gospel:
  • Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not also blind, are we?”
    Jesus said to them, “If you were* blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains.
Never does Jesus say to us NOT to see the sin, but NOT to judge, which is what we certainly do if our heart adopts the mode of indignation, mockery, sneering, detraction, anger, and any other emotion that is not the pure charity of God. Believe me, I have worn the shoes and been corrected by God far too many times in the process of learning His will, so it is utterly transparent when I see another fall into this trap. Pray God we all may be delivered from this pestilential pastime and turn our efforts to prayer. It is there that we will learn the way of the Master in dealing with these issues.

The sorriest consequence to oneself if this attitude is indulged is the loss of spiritual joy and the interior awareness and companionship of God’s presence. As the author remarked, one becomes very “dour” and negative.

I thought the timing was ‘right on’ Sunday night, for Father Corapi gave the example of a reprobate priest who was so entrenched in sin that he was on the brink of suicide. ONE sole charitable person kept supporting him with, “You can do it, Father,” and offered prayer and fasting for him. Fr. Corapi said he turned his life completely around and became a saintly priest. In deep emotion, Father begged the audience to “love your priests” and PRAY them into the Kingdom. They are so much under the devil’s attack.

Amen, and Amen!
 
My lenten reading has been primarily from the Diary of St. Faustina, and as I came upon these words today, I thought about this thread.

#690 On one occasion, I came to know of the condition of two religious sisters who were grumbling interiorly about an order the Superior had given them, and for this reason, God withheld many special graces from them. How sad it is, O Jesus, when we ourselves are the cause of the loss of graces.

The thought that came to mind is that whenever we grumble against our priests, who are indeed the authority God places over us, that we may also experience the loss of many special gifts and graces of God … and in the closing words of St. Faustina,

Whoever understands this is always faithful.

May we listen and be aware how offensive this is to Our Lord.
 
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