Sex abuse scandals and other church troubles.....punishment from God?

[Jadesfire20]

Hi all,

Lately I’ve been pondering why we are having such tough times in the church, especially with the problems of sexual abuse that had gone on for so long. I know there are many reasons which have been bought up…secularization, bad catechesis, New Agey stuff, etc. But these bad influences may have been prevented, or at least limited if the clergy had been on their guard and taught the truth. Alas, many clergy have not been teaching the truth…rather many have been actively promoting these evils in the church.

As I’ve been thinking about these things, I keep coming back to a passage in Malachi criticizing the Jewish clergy of the time, that I just find absolutely haunting:

*" And now this commandment is for you, O priests. If you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name," says the Lord of hosts,“then I will send a curse upon you and I will curse your blessings; and indeed I have already cursed them, because you are not taking it to heart. Behold I am going to rebuke your offspring, and I will smear dung on your faces, the dung of your feasts; and you will be taken away with it. Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, that My covenant may continue with Levi,” says the Lord of hosts. *

"My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as an object of reverence; so he revered Me and stood in awe of My name. True instruction was in his mouth and unrighteousness was not found on his lips; he walked with Me in peace and uprightness, and he turned back many from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. But as for you, you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to stumble by your instruction; you have corrupted the covenant of Levi," says the Lord of hosts. "So I have made you despised and abased before all the people, just as you are not keeping My ways but are showing partiality in your instruction."
Malachi 2:1-9

Sounds kinda familiar doesn’t it?

Any thoughts?

Jade

 

[Scout]

I can’t say whether God is punishing the Church or not. I wouldn’t want to guess the mind of God. I can say that there are consequences to sin and destructive behavior. I think we’re definately reaping what we’ve sowed.

Perhaps God is just cleaning out the closets? You know, getting rid of the stuff no longer needed to make some more space for those things that are needed? Maybe He’s allowed this to happen to see who’s going to stick it through no matter what, and who’s going to bail in the tough times.

Just a thought.

Scout :tiphat:

 

[Minerva]

no it’s not God’s doing. The pains the Church is going through right now were caused by the actions of some of its members. If those priests and bishops had free will, which they certainly did, then they are to blame, not God. God didn’t make anyone do anything - we aren’t God’s puppets after all.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

There is a claim, which may have some validity, that Pole Leo XIII had a vision. In that vision he heard satan claim that if he were given a century he could destroy the Church. God asked satan to name the century and he chose the 20th.

We do know that Pope Leo XIII ordered the Saint Michael prayer said after all low masses. This continued until mid-century when the prayer was dropped and the troubles started.

In any case the 20th century is now behind us and the Church continues on.

 

[DVIN_CKS]

I agree that the “misguided” (I’m being VERY kind here) bishops and priests are to blame for the situation the Church is in. It is troubling that bishops who knew about the sexual abuse, turned a blind eye to it and even transferred these pediofile priests to other parishes. I do not think for one minute that this scandal will bring the church to her knees…she has withstood scandal before and she will do so again. I’m just sorry that this scandal has added to the already declining view among many Catholics and non-Catholics that the church can no longer be looked at as the “authority” on matters of morals. Her credibility in the world regarding “moral teaching” (let alone being the authority on moral teachings) is at grave risk.

I sure hope that we as a Church can hold our leaders more accountable for such poor governing choices and demand nothing less than resignation from their ministries if this type of behavior continues.

 

[Jadesfire20]

Thanks for the replies

Minerva- I certainly was not implying that we are puppets in God’s plan…we do have free will after all! It just seems that God is allowing us to reap what we sowed by not upholding God’s law.

 

[Chris_Jacobsen]

God is doing a little house cleaning. He found a pile of garbage and is tossing out the rats. No big deal. In the past, rats have been found on other piles of garbage and kicked out of the Church as well.