Bishop Finn and me

[Usbek_de_Perse]

Priests and Bishops should know that every time the specter of sexual abuse hits the headlines, sympathetic potential converts like me just shut down. I am perhaps lacking in perspective, but every human institution has problems, but few human institutions make claims to having a divine charter. The Catholic Church does.

Again, I may be unfair in my judgement, but child abuse coupled with very bad institutional behavior does not attract many converts. It encourages cynicism and the belief that the Catholic Church is no different from other churches, just bigger.

If the Catholic Church is better, then shouldn’t it act better?

 

[The_Scott]

The Catholic Church may have a divine foundation, but it’s still made up of human members. Wouldn’t be nice if the Church was made of perfect, infallible and impeccable humans? It would - but then we will cease to be human! As the saying goes, “To err is human.” The Church is a church of sinners.

Furthermore, it’s always interesting that we always see on the news the negative. Turn on the news right now, and I guarantee you’ll hear about thefts, riots, rapes, murders. All negative. It’s a gem to hear about charity these days, isn’t it? My point is this: even though all you hear is the negative, there is also an immense amount of positive. Focus on the saints, not the sinners.

I just want you to understand that I agree - hearing about more scandal is heartbreaking. It’s faith-shaking. But you know what makes me still faithful at the end of the day? History. Empires, wars, plagues, persecutions – all these have attacked the faithful. And the Church has survived it all. There is no other institution today that has survived so long. There is a quote from a highly respected member of the Church, although I forget who, who said something very interesting. I don’t remember exactly what it was, so maybe someone else can find the exact quote. This person said, “How do I know the Church will last until the end of the world? Because the world has already tried to destroy it.” Something to that extent.

I hope I helped.

Peace.

 

[Usbek_de_Perse]

yes, it helped a lot. I just wish these bishops and priests had the same perspective you have.

The Catholic Church may have a divine foundation, but it’s still made up of human members. Wouldn’t be nice if the Church was made of perfect, infallible and impeccable humans? It would - but then we will cease to be human! As the saying goes, “To err is human.” The Church is a church of sinners.

Furthermore, it’s always interesting that we always see on the news the negative. Turn on the news right now, and I guarantee you’ll hear about thefts, riots, rapes, murders. All negative. It’s a gem to hear about charity these days, isn’t it? My point is this: even though all you hear is the negative, there is also an immense amount of positive. Focus on the saints, not the sinners.

I just want you to understand that I agree - hearing about more scandal is heartbreaking. It’s faith-shaking. But you know what makes me still faithful at the end of the day? History. Empires, wars, plagues, persecutions – all these have attacked the faithful. And the Church has survived it all. There is no other institution today that has survived so long. There is a quote from a highly respected member of the Church, although I forget who, who said something very interesting. I don’t remember exactly what it was, so maybe someone else can find the exact quote. This person said, “How do I know the Church will last until the end of the world? Because the world has already tried to destroy it.” Something to that extent.

I hope I helped.

Peace.

 

[LilyM]

There’s a story told about Napoleon meeting with the Pope and saying to him “I will destroy the Church”. The Pope replied along the lines of “our own bishops haven’t been able to destroy it, and neither will you.”

The Church is still here, and neither Napoleon nor anyone else will succeed in destroying it.

Jesus didn’t promise that there would never be problems or sinfulness within the Church. How could He, when there was so much among His chosen twelve, both before and after Pentecost?

 

[kmaaj]

Very humbly, may I offer to you an old fighter pilot saying:

“If you are not being fired upon, you are not over the target.”

This lifelong Kansas Citian believes that Bishop Finn is squarely over the target.

My own opinion is that Bishop Finn made some mistakes in the Ratigan ordeal, but those mistakes are not criminal. Bishop Finn owned up to those mistakes and apologized to the people that it mattered to the most: the parishioners of St. Patrick’s. He then let those same parishioners grill him for 3 hourss.

Bishp Finn’s detractors have no intention of listening to his side of the story or accepting his ap0logy. His detractors are only interested in spite and scandal, and SNAP is right there to fan those those flames, regardless of the truth.

The ironic thing is that there is a very real possibility that Fr. Ratigan will beat this, or plea to a lesser offense, and this will prove that canon law can be more severe than civil law, because I seriously doubt that Bishop Finn will ever lift the restrictions he has placed on Fr. Ratigan.

 

[po18guy]

Priests and Bishops should know that every time the specter of sexual abuse hits the headlines, sympathetic potential converts like me just shut down. I am perhaps lacking in perspective, but every human institution has problems, but few human institutions make claims to having a divine charter. The Catholic Church does.

Again, I may be unfair in my judgement, but child abuse coupled with very bad institutional behavior does not attract many converts. It encourages cynicism and the belief that the Catholic Church is no different from other churches, just bigger.

If the Catholic Church is better, then shouldn’t it act better?

We are entering a period of profound reformation in the Church. Now is the time to begin watching and pondering, as good things are occurring. The strongest and most faithful Bishops are being moved up. They, in the manner of Peter, are strengthening their brothers. Consider Archbishop Dolan, who alone has begun the challenge to a very hostile federal government. I pray nightly that others will join him - and they will.

Rather than allowing the secular news to affect you, go to the catechism, look through the index and begin reading into the various tenets of the faith. It is truth that you are seeking, and it is in the Church that maintains and defends truth that you will find ultimate peace. You have been hovering around long enough! Once you know what the Church believes, and teaches, where else can you go?

 

[nannygirl]

Another thing to keep in mind is that the media sensationalizes this type of news. You are not getting all the facts. Bishop Finn is my bishop and I admire him. From the day he was installed in Kansas City, he has been a target for the National Catholic Reporter and other liberal groups. They had vowed that they would get rid of him. He may have been a little naive and too trusting of those under him, but he has not committed any crimes.
I’m a convert (2006) and nothing could keep me from the one, true, catholic and apostolic Church, warts and all.