Sin, satanic influence and the toleration of heresy lie at the root of the priestly sexual abuse scandals

[Catherine_S]

Sin, satanic influence and the toleration of heresy lie at the root of the priestly sexual abuse scandals*,** Pope Benedict XVI said today. Precisely because it is an institution erected by God to make himself sacramentally “present to all men and women,” the devil is interested in destroying the priesthood**,** he said. *
*Referring to the line in Psalm 22 “Your rod and your staff - they comfort me,” Benedict became explicit about the need to use the "rod"of discipline to correct errors in the Church. *
“The Church too must use the shepherd’s rod,” he said, “the rod with which he protects the faith against those who falsify it, against currents which lead the flock astray.”
“Today we can see that it has nothing to do with love when conduct unworthy of the priestly life is tolerated. Nor does it have to do with love if heresy is allowed to spread and the faith twisted and chipped away, as if it were something that we ourselves had invented.”
*Pope Benedict spoke today to 15,000 priests at the closing Mass of the Vatican’s Year for Priests at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. *
The priesthood, Pope Benedict said, is not “pleasing to the enemy,” the devil. “He would have rather preferred to see it disappear, so that God would ultimately be driven out of the world. And so it happened that, in this very year of joy for the sacrament of the priesthood, the sins of priests came to light - particularly the abuse of the little ones, in which the priesthood, whose task is to manifest God’s concern for our good, turns into its very opposite.”
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/jun/10061116.html

 

[reggieM]

I hope our parish priests can be brave enough to simply repeat the truth that the Holy Father has explained here so well.

 

[Rich_Olszewski]

Sin, satanic influence and the toleration of heresy lie at the root of the priestly sexual abuse scandals**,** Pope Benedict XVI said today. Precisely because it is an institution erected by God to make himself sacramentally “present to all men and women,” the devil is interested in destroying the priesthood**,** he said.
Referring to the line in Psalm 22 "Your rod and your staff - they comfort me," Benedict became explicit about the need to use the “rod"of discipline to correct errors in the Church.
"The Church too must use the shepherd’s rod,” he said, “the rod with which he protects the faith against those who falsify it, against currents which lead the flock astray.”
"Today we can see that it has nothing to do with love when conduct unworthy of the priestly life is tolerated. Nor does it have to do with love if heresy is allowed to spread and the faith twisted and chipped away, as if it were something that we ourselves had invented."
*Pope Benedict spoke today to 15,000 priests at the closing Mass of the Vatican’s Year for Priests at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. *
The priesthood, Pope Benedict said, is not “pleasing to the enemy,” the devil. “He would have rather preferred to see it disappear, so that God would ultimately be driven out of the world. And so it happened that, in this very year of joy for the sacrament of the priesthood, the sins of priests came to light - particularly the abuse of the little ones, in which the priesthood, whose task is to manifest God’s concern for our good, turns into its very opposite.”
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/jun/10061116.html

A fine speech, but I’m not comfortable with blaming the Devil for having “the sins of priests come to light.” Those needed to come to light be it through the agency of an angel, a human being or the Devil.

 

[Scoobyshme]

A fine speech, but I’m not comfortable with blaming the Devil for having “the sins of priests come to light.” Those needed to come to light be it through the agency of an angel, a human being or the Devil.

I don’t think he’s absolving the abusing priests from blame at all. I think he’s rightly showing the influence of the devil over the priests who have strayed.

 

[josepham]

I think if I did not have people praying for me I would be the worst sinner on the face of the earth. Priests need prayer. Satan cannot attack Christ but he can strike at His Church and where could he strike his worst blow? At His priests. They are the heart of the Catholic Church militant and if Satan wants to destroy the Church, and he does, then the most effective place to strike would be at the Priesthood. Please pray for priests. None of us but a few pray for them enough and we need to make sacrifices for them.

 

[JReducation]

A fine speech, but I’m not comfortable with blaming the Devil for having “the sins of priests come to light.” Those needed to come to light be it through the agency of an angel, a human being or the Devil.

I believe that you misunderstood the sentence. He’s not blaming the devil because the sins came to light. He’s saying that the sins themselves are part of a satanic attack on the priesthood, not the the media frenzy.

On a personal note, I do believe that the devil has used the media. Not only has information come out that needed to come out, but the way that the general population has responded to the reports has not always been very virtuous. Even in the face of grave sin, we must protect our inner silence. Without inner silence, the soul cannot hear the gentle whisper of God. When we respond to information or the the persons involved with hatred, suspiscion, insults, and other acts of aggression and hostility, then we have been sucked up into the devil’s whirlpool. I truly believe that he has done this to many people.

I always take the example of many of my own brothers in community. We rarely read newspapers, never watch TV or listen to radio, never read magazines or go to movies. We get out news on the internet while working on some ministry or through letters and conversations. But one of the most beautiful examples that I have observed on how to respond to this crisis with virtue has been among my brothers in community.

They know there is a problem. They know the gravity of the problem. They also know that this is not the first time that the Church has gone through this particular kind of problem. In fact, it’s probably the fourth or fifth time in its history. It was worse when our community was founded. This was one of the reasons why the Franciscans were founded, to convert Catholics. Catholics had developed such a hatred for priests and the Church, because of the sins of the clergy, that they had become just as sinful, only a different kind of sin. The clergy was abusive and the laity was hateful. Great mix.

Today my brothers are teaching me that these things are serious enough to warrant the attention of the authorities in the Church, but not a justification for a lack of charity, disrespect toward Church authority, obsessing over this issue as if it were the only sinful issue in the world and certainly not a justification for leaving the Church.

None of the teachings of the Church have changed. But the devil has used the media to make people believe that the Church’s teachings cannot be trusted and people have followed that line of thinking. That’s very sad. My brothers have taught me to pray for the abusers, the abused and those whose faith is affected by public opinion. By remaining in prayer and practicing charity toward all parties, we keep our interior silence. In this silence, we continue to hear God’s loving whisper today as we did 800 years ago when Francis was around.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[Catherine_S]

A fine speech, but I’m not comfortable with blaming the Devil for having “the sins of priests come to light.” Those needed to come to light be it through the agency of an angel, a human being or the Devil.

The very act of calling for a** “Year of the Priest”** would have stired up the power of hell (Satan working through his own) to tear down, corrupt, and distroy by distraction the sacredness of the Priesthood** and** the care, concern, and respect (love) that many still have and will always have for their priests. What better time could there have been to bring all this filth and abuse up than in the "Year of the Priest"? Pope Benedict does not speak hastily or without depth in regards to these matters :nope:! The power of Our Lord is also and always at work through His own and it will trump Satan every time .

 

[Tigg]

The very act of calling for a** “Year of the Priest”** would have stired up the power of hell (Satan working through his own) to tear down, corrupt, and distroy by distraction the sacredness of the Priesthood** and** the care, concern, and respect (love) that many still have and will always have for their priests. What better time could there have been to bring all this filth and abuse up than in the "Year of the Priest"? Pope Benedict does not speak hastily or without depth in regards to these matters :nope:! The power of Our Lord is also and always at work through His own and it will trump Satan every time .

Great post! Any good and holy action will try to be negated by Satan, who after all, is primarily concerned with the destruction of the Church.

I believe that as heinous as the obvious sex crimes are, the more insidious by far, is the heresy spoken by clerics that continues to weaken the faith. I feel such sympathy for those coming into the Church during this time. I’ve found many posts on this forum of those in RCIA who are confused by what they are incorrectly being taught by priests and laity alike.

 

[edwest2]

Everyone is vulnerable to sin. Everyone. It should be pointed out that in the middle of the last century, there were hundreds of independent media outlets. Today, only a handful of global companies control most of it. We need to realize that the “power” they have at their disposal is great. When there were many voices, including local voices, there was more balance. Today, an entity like Rupert Murdoch could promote his favorite cause on all media. He could also exclude certain things from the media he owns.

Speak the truth to everyone you know. Helping one person understand what’s really going on is just as important as helping 100 or a million. Don’t let the apparent smallness of your contribution stop you from doing anything.

God bless,
Ed

 

[OriginalJS]

Everyone is vulnerable to sin. Everyone. It should be pointed out that in the middle of the last century, there were hundreds of independent media outlets. Today, only a handful of global companies control most of it. We need to realize that the “power” they have at their disposal is great. When there were many voices, including local voices, there was more balance. Today, an entity like Rupert Murdoch could promote his favorite cause on all media. He could also exclude certain things from the media he owns.

Speak the truth to everyone you know. Helping one person understand what’s really going on is just as important as helping 100 or a million. Don’t let the apparent smallness of your contribution stop you from doing anything.

God bless,
Ed

Really? When I log on to the Internet I find many, many more voices than I was able to experience in past years. I read newspapers from England, Germany, Israel, and other countries. There are dozens of sites, such as www.catholic.com. There is more choice now than ever.

 

[colmywaykurtz]

A fine speech, but I’m not comfortable with blaming the Devil for having “the sins of priests come to light.” Those needed to come to light be it through the agency of an angel, a human being or the Devil.

It doesn’t sound to me like Benedict would have wanted these sins NOT brought to light. I think he’s echoing the narrative in Job, in which the evil one takes the role of accuser.

Where the similarity ends is that, in this case, the accuser has a valid point, whereas he had none in Job’s case.

Benedict would rather the accuser had no valid point to “bring to light,” of course. But the mere fact that he uses the imagery of “light” to symbolize revelation of what is hidden indicates he DOES believe there IS something “dark” that needs “illumining.”

 

[edwest2]

Really? When I log on to the Internet I find many, many more voices than I was able to experience in past years. I read newspapers from England, Germany, Israel, and other countries. There are dozens of sites, such as www.catholic.com. There is more choice now than ever.

I can get, and have been able to get, newspapers from other countries for years. On the web site where I am a moderator, the Leftists, nihilists and progressives have parked themselves and are repeating the same, tired nonsense that the mainstream media spouts every day. The road to destruction is wide and they enjoy being on it.

Choice does not mean better, especially on the internet, when too many choose the commonly revealed message. I see less discernment on the internet, a lack of deductive reasoning and critical thinking skills. In fact, in too many debates, what someone heard, especially from a buddy, often substitutes for facts and in fact it becomes superior to any fact.

God bless

 

[Catherine_S]

Everyone is vulnerable to sin. Everyone. It should be pointed out that in the middle of the last century, there were hundreds of independent media outlets. Today, only a handful of global companies control most of it. We need to realize that the “power” they have at their disposal is great. When there were many voices, including local voices, there was more balance. Today, an entity like Rupert Murdoch could promote his favorite cause on all media. He could also exclude certain things from the media he owns.

Speak the truth to everyone you know. Helping** one** person understand what’s really going on is just as important as helping 100 or a million. Don’t let the apparent smallness of your contribution stop you from doing anything.

God bless,
Ed

 

[OriginalJS]

None of the teachings of the Church have changed. But the devil has used the media to make people believe that the Church’s teachings cannot be trusted and people have followed that line of thinking.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

I respectfully disagree. In all of the maelstrom of observations and opinions I have heard and read, the vast majority do not attack the teaching of the Church; the attacks have been against men, individuals, who have failed to follow those very teachings and have elevated their own protection over the needs of their flock.

There is nothing new in all this. Alexander VI’s scandalous proclivities were well known, but in 1500 thousands made the pilgrimage to Rome. Those people understood that regardless how depraved popes, cardinals or bishops might be, the Church remained above it all.

 

[OriginalJS]

Choice does not mean better, especially on the internet, when too many choose the commonly revealed message. I see less discernment on the internet, a lack of deductive reasoning and critical thinking skills. In fact, in too many debates, what someone heard, especially from a buddy, often substitutes for facts and in fact it becomes superior to any fact. God bless

I agree. If you really want to know about something, the Internet can get you started, but that’s about it. The Internet is largely about media, and media publishes what sells to the majority. Really digging in to a subject still takes work.