What should I do when others mock priests?

[Edward_H]

I have a couple of friends who find it funny to insult or bring up the fact that priests are sexually abusing children. I’m constantly praying for them, but I think a lot of the time they are purposely putting me on the spot and expecting me to say something. I’ve managed to keep a resonably cool head when they mock my faith, but I’m wondering if I should say something to them. They will no doubt reply with another question or insult, but I want them to somehow see the good work of priests, rather than their mistakes.

Thanks guys.

If they are your friends, you MUST NOT ignore them…letting friends engage in mockery unchecked IS NOT LOVING THEM. And act of love is engaging your friends, preferably one on one, versus a 2 on 1. You can’t love someone if you are letting them live in a lie or a meanness.

 

[Edward_H]

The truth is that a very very small percentage of priests is made of abusers.

Tell them, “yes sadly, we still to this day have Judas’s among us, don’t we…i mean if we were really honest and being totally truthful about it…but aren’t we all at times capable of denying Christ, abusing Him, in our own little ways? It may be easy to mock people…but I think it takes real guts to seek, name, and work on our own defects, don’t you?”

 

[JamesATyler]

If it were me, I would say that it was a shame and tragedy not only what they did to those kids but also to my friends. If they wonder what that might be, I would tell them, in truth, that these priests have made it harder for them to find faith in the Church, and that’s a real shame too. Another mistake that those priests are going to have to answer for, to God, as well.

 

[Edward_H]

The real tragedy of the priest scandal…is that it hasn’t focused on our contribution…how might our own unfaithfulness over the years…our minimized or rationalized sins, our insincere or infrequent or superficial confessions…our contracepting, our unconfessed impure acts…how all these things have weakened the Body of Christ; we are one body in Christ…one organ affects another, the real question is whose sins came first!

Tell me our hands are clean…and that we’re free to point fingers at lonely, or sinful priests. What did we do or fail to do. Did we make offerings, did we pray for our priests daily, by name. Did we give ourselves plainly in Confession…did we revere Jesus in the Eucharist with great earnestness? Or did we instead add to the lukewamness that so many priests can see every day?

It’s a miracle…yes a miracle…that there are so few exploiting priests.

This may not be a popular or “received” opinion, but it’s the cold truth.

 

[YellowPancakes]

Why are they my friends? Because I’m doing tertiary studies in IT and there’s really not much choice of friendships where I’m doing it. These guys are decent, but when it comes to religion I think they are wanting information about the faith. I think the Holy Spirit is present when they insult the faith and ask questions, but they just want to hide it.

What is my opinion on the matter? I feel sorry for these priests. They do so much good work. Everyone makes mistakes. I’m not defending their actions. It’s a shame that they throw away their priesthood in an action. All they’ve ever worked for. From the time God called them to the priesthood. They’ve been working so hard. It really is quite sad that they get to a point in their lives when they are so lonely.

I myself have a few good friends who are priests. It is such an honour to be called to the priesthood. I can’t empathise, but I could imagine the pain that some priests would endure from the routine.

There is no excuse for their actions. These are just my thoughts and reasons as to why I want to defend the mocking of priests.