Spiritual Depression and Alienation

[c1949]

The last 12 months of news about sex abuse scandals and allegations running all the way up to the Pope have made me spiritually depressed.

The narrative is that incidents of sexual abuse have gone down drastically, but my diocese has been rocked by three priests suspended, one of these convicted and in prison in the last year or so.

People are talking out loud in church, it is no “Temple” to them. It’s SO ironic: people are talking in church before Mass, in front of the Tabernacle, but OH when the priest starts walking in they come to order – such a lack of insight.

No results from the November USCCB conference in Baltimore, no substantial results from the Feb 2019 Synod at the Vatican on sex abuse.

I went to confession last Saturday. Had several things to confess from the “top ten” list if you know what I mean, then i said to the priest that I was concerned about all the money being spent to settle sex abuse things and he told me that was all covered by insurance – NOT – not that I know of. I thought a couple dioceses had to declare bankruptcy and in Chicago Card. Cupich was selling some prime real estate in Chicago (parking lot for the cathedral) for $150 million to knock down the outstanding total of judgments against the archdiocese for sex abuse settlements. here’s my confessor lying to me, He didn’t say anything about the top ten list things I confessed but he reacted to this money issue.

Then, we hear that “the Church won’t be the same” after the South American synod later this year – I guess the books on that are already “cooked.”

So many bad things going on – inside the Church.

 

[Adrian169]

This is indeed a difficult thing to accept, and rightly so. Our highest members of the ministry are guilty of unspeakable things they have done. They were supposed to be the last of our kind to give in to sin, but this scandal shows that as long as we are in Earth, we are all vulnerable to fall. This is why Jesus wants us to submit to the Holy Spirit, to fill us with strength and purity. To those bishops and priests that are guilty of sexual misconduct, they will not escape the Judgement of God or even the Court. I would say pray for those men, and ask the heavens to intercede for them. For they are human beings as well, needing the Hand of God to lift them up.

 

[CRV]

Firstly, pray for the Pope, all Bishops and priests.

We tended I think to put them up on a pedestal and perhaps had unrealistic expectations of them. They are still fully human, with free will exactly the same as you and me. Satan attacks them with greater vigor because being consecrated to God, if he can seduce these souls away from God - well imagine what a slap in the face to God that is.
So perhaps we can keep that in mind when looking at all this.

Secondly, there has been a crisis in the Church in one form or another since Christ came on earth. Look at our history - the various heresies, the most obvious one Luther and the Protestant Reformation.
Jesus established the Church on earth for sinners - it is full of sinners including you and me.

Thirdly, we were not promised smooth sailing either in our personal lives or within the Church either. We are in the boat with Jesus and on a storm tossed sea. Our job during these trials is to remain faithful to God in our own lives, not to give into the temptation of discouragement or despair over the “state of the Church”.

Fourthly, you could also look at it as God pruning the vine, purifying it in order to make it stronger and produce more fruit.

Concentrate on fulfilling your own state in life, the duties of this, loving God and those around you, co-operating with His grace and His working in you to sanctify you.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I went to confession last Saturday. Had several things to confess from the “top ten” list if you know what I mean, then i said to the priest that I was concerned about all the money being spent to settle sex abuse things and he told me that was all covered by insurance

I think if you have sins of your own to work on, it might be better to focus on conquering those, and not on other things that are beyond your control.
Too many people distract themselves from their own sins, or stuff gone wrong in their own lives, by getting all hung up on what others are doing, whether we’re talking about the Church or the government.

Your confessor may not have been “lying to you”, he may have genuinely had other information or been misinformed. He may be a busy priest trying to save souls and not following every little thing going on in Chicago. You criticize him for reacting to the “money issue”, but there you are, in a confessional where you’re supposed to be focused on your own sins, bringing up some discussion about settlement money that has nothing to do with your own sins I presume. How about you use confession for what it’s for - telling your sins and getting absolved - and not for playing “gotcha” with the priest over stuff going on with the Church?