By FR. KEVIN M. CUSICK
Never have so many people written and spoken so much about something they understand so little. In the face of the libelous unfounded rumors, gossip, and scurrilous innuendo being peddled about the Church and her members by journalists who easily entertain fantasies in order to sell newspapers, make a name for themselves, and perpetuate “ trends” in the news, I have a statement to make.
I have had the completely unmerited privilege in the past few years of getting to know a Vatican insider, a man of rank, experience, and influence who served at one time within the Roman Curia. He is one of the kindest, most humble, and good people I know and an example of the many dedicated, sincere, and committed Catholic Christians who have the privilege and duty of assisting the Holy Father our Pope in his mission as universal pastor in Rome and elsewhere around the world.
He is tireless in his ministry and very seldom is seen to take time for himself in his many travels to seek out the members of the Lord’s flock and to serve them as an “ alter Christus.” He is not the only one who is both living his faith and serving the Church as a true servant: There are many more like him who will never be known because they do not promote themselves in the media and the media are not interested in the good, the true, and the beautiful, especially as they are found in the Lord’s Mystical Body, which is the Church on earth.
Those who are shocked by the existence of sinners in the Church are like the Pharisees who refused to sit and eat with Christ because He associated with tax collectors and prostitutes. They are yet far from the Kingdom of God and certainly need our prayers and the witness of our kindness.
Those who hate the Church will certainly use sin against her, but those who love her should be among the last to find themselves scandalized, knowing themselves, and all who share the privilege of being members of the Body of Christ, to be sinners also in need of mercy and redemption in Christ.
Fasting and prayer are the first recourse for those who seek to cast out evil in themselves or in the Church.
Those who have faith, however, are first and foremost responsible for seeing the good and the Godly in all mankind, sinners and saints. Those who call themselves Christians have the first duty to live the life of grace in desire for their own salvation and as part of that experience to see the image and likeness of God in everyone, for “ God desires all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.” We have the duty, also, to pray for our Holy Father and all who collaborate with him in his ministry.
And, finally, we are called to refuse to participate in detraction and calumny which are sinful and to “ never let evil talk pass your lips; say only the good things men need to hear, such as will help them on the day of the Lord Jesus.”
Reject gossip about the Church as you would for anyone; seek the good in the Church as you do in anyone.
Never have so many people written and spoken so much about something they understand so little. In the face of the libelous unfounded rumors, gossip, and scurrilous innuendo being peddled about the Church and her members by journalists who easily entertain fantasies in order to sell newspapers, make a name for themselves, and perpetuate “ trends” in the news, I have a statement to make.
I have had the completely unmerited privilege in the past few years of getting to know a Vatican insider, a man of rank, experience, and influence who served at one time within the Roman Curia. He is one of the kindest, most humble, and good people I know and an example of the many dedicated, sincere, and committed Catholic Christians who have the privilege and duty of assisting the Holy Father our Pope in his mission as universal pastor in Rome and elsewhere around the world.
He is tireless in his ministry and very seldom is seen to take time for himself in his many travels to seek out the members of the Lord’s flock and to serve them as an “ alter Christus.” He is not the only one who is both living his faith and serving the Church as a true servant: There are many more like him who will never be known because they do not promote themselves in the media and the media are not interested in the good, the true, and the beautiful, especially as they are found in the Lord’s Mystical Body, which is the Church on earth.
Those who are shocked by the existence of sinners in the Church are like the Pharisees who refused to sit and eat with Christ because He associated with tax collectors and prostitutes. They are yet far from the Kingdom of God and certainly need our prayers and the witness of our kindness.
Those who hate the Church will certainly use sin against her, but those who love her should be among the last to find themselves scandalized, knowing themselves, and all who share the privilege of being members of the Body of Christ, to be sinners also in need of mercy and redemption in Christ.
Fasting and prayer are the first recourse for those who seek to cast out evil in themselves or in the Church.
Those who have faith, however, are first and foremost responsible for seeing the good and the Godly in all mankind, sinners and saints. Those who call themselves Christians have the first duty to live the life of grace in desire for their own salvation and as part of that experience to see the image and likeness of God in everyone, for “ God desires all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.” We have the duty, also, to pray for our Holy Father and all who collaborate with him in his ministry.
And, finally, we are called to refuse to participate in detraction and calumny which are sinful and to “ never let evil talk pass your lips; say only the good things men need to hear, such as will help them on the day of the Lord Jesus.”
Reject gossip about the Church as you would for anyone; seek the good in the Church as you do in anyone.
Father Cusick's columns appear weekly in The Wanderer Catholic Newspaper. This column appeared in the March 7, 2013 issue of the paper.
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