I turned on the nightly news and the headline screamed at me: “Scandal Rocks the Catholic Church.” As a cradle Catholic I could not help wondering what would it be this time? Those pesky Arians or maybe those Gnostics…Did someone start another Reformation and I missed it? Investiture could have reared its ugly head or perhaps someone in Rome fell on hard times and had been caught selling indulgences.
It turned out to be another sex scandal. This topic gets high mileage with the news hounds. Nothing drives a Catholic Church scandal like a sex story.
By now I can hear the building murmurs: “This is serious; you can’t take this lightly.” Be assured, I don’t take it lightly! If I were king I would stand those responsible up against a wall in the town square and execute them, after a fair trial of course. Or maybe put them in stocks and let the populace throw spoiled vegetables at them.
But we must never lose sight of the fact that we are all sinners—all of us—those who did these heinous things and those who are picking up the first stone to throw. The Catholic Church is an organization made up of men and women who are sinners, led by a hierarchy of men who are sinners. Only the Son of God and his Mother are free of stain. The apostles and our great saints all were sinners. So when next I “Do This In Memory of,” let me concentrate on the fact that there is a guarantee that “The Gates of Hell Will Not Prevail.” It has been that way for 2,000 years and will be so for the next 2,000 or until the end of time.
Mike K., MO
I’m writing to tell you that I was very disappointed in your “From the Editor” column in the October issue. [It included discussion of some Church celebrations in October.] Two great saints are not mentioned at all: Saint Faustina, whose feast day is October 5, and St. John Paul II, whose feast day is October 22. Jesus appeared to St. Faustina and told her the Chaplet prayers he wanted to be said using the rosary. He was very emphatic about it.
Marita Z., OH
