Keep Your Eyes on JesusA Layman’s Guide to Surviving the Sex Scandals in the Catholic Church
by Greg Trainor
Catholic lay evangelistSo many people don’t know how to answer the many questions of their friends and coworkers: “Hey, what do you think about all the sex scandals in your church?” “Did you see the paper today? What do you think?”
I find it best to answer honestly. I think that the current outbreak of scandal is a long overdue cleansing of the Church. Even Bishop Robert Lynch of St. Petersburg, in the middle of accusations and controversy himself, was quoted in the Tampa Tribune as saying that the church and priesthood are undergoing a “long overdue” period of purification. The cleansing that should have been initiated by the leaders of the Catholic Church in America has been pushed forward by the district attorneys and news media. The hierarchy dropped the ball on this issue, but God loves the Church too much to allow it to continue on in sin.
The Church would have done much better to have followed the directive of Scripture decades ago and have the priests that were guilty of sex crimes prosecuted by the government: Never accept any accusation against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest also may stand in fear. (1 Tim 5:19-20) There is such a sad contrast between the secretive actions of the hierarchy of the Church in this regard and the stern public rebuke that Scripture calls for. The words of Jesus are even more direct and harsh:
Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. "If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. (Mat 18:4-6 NRSV)
Hits close to home.This is an issue that hits close to me. In the past sixteen years of our ministry, we have had two pastors (Fr. Pat Sheedy in Ocala, FL and Fr. Peter Van Nguyen in Lake Worth, FL) that are two of the holiest people that we have ever known and whose lives and ministries remain an ongoing source of inspiration for our entire family. Yet, during this same period of time, we have served under two bishops, one chancellor and one pastor (who was also the Vicar General) that have been scandalized by a past that includes sexually molesting minors. Two other priests that we dealt with on a diocesan level left their respective dioceses and when I asked where they were and what was happening with them, I was told that I didn’t need to know.
I have often said that if we were in ministry to please people or to serve the institutional church, we would have quit many times over. But we have answered God’s call to preach the good news of the Gospel to a lost and dying world. We are not serving mankind, but God himself: Render service with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not to men and women, knowing that whatever good we do, we will receive the same again from the Lord, whether we are slaves or free. (Eph. 6:7-8) The Word of God is very clear in instructing us not to put our trust in mankind: This is what the Lord says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. (Jeremiah 17:5 NIV) These times of scandal are most difficult for those who place their primary trust in people and the institutional Church. My trust is in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, the one and only Savior of the world. My faith remains unshaken. Jesus is still risen from the dead and seated upon his throne:
God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. (Eph 1:20-23)
The “tip of the iceberg.”The media has only shown us a small portion of the scandalous things of the past decades. I must be frank with you-- none of this catches me by surprise. In our ministry of traveling, preaching, and ministering in healing, many people have sought us out for prayer to be healed of the painful results of being sexually abused by clergy. I think that they are drawn by both by the fact that they find us approachable because we are lay people and the itinerant nature of our work provides a confidentiality as they seek to find healing in an area of their life that few, if any, others know about.
To see the news stories can be heart wrenching; to personally meet these people and hear them describe their experiences is disgusting. Many truly love Jesus but are crying out to be healed from the emotional scars. The people that we have met aren’t suing anyone or asking for a financial settlement, they just want to be put back together by the healing power of God so that they can go into a church during Mass and receive Jesus in the Eucharist. Pray for the victims of this sexual abuse, especially those that have hardened their hearts against God because of it. Pray that these persons will be touched by the grace and mercy of God and will receive a revelation of Jesus as their Savior.
Most of the cases involving minors that have been pub-licized thus far indicate that the victims were more often teenagers than prepubescent children. These sex of-fenders are more accurately defined as phebophiles rather than pedophiles. This group of victims (in regard to the clergy) is made of mostly, though not exclusively, male victims. To me, it stands to reason that these of-fenders would also be attracted to victims that are not minors, but college aged young men. My limited ex-perience in dealing with victims of sex abuse tells me that this is true. It is my hope that this purification of the Church will not be limited to those who committed sex crimes against minors, but will be a purging of all clergy that have sexually abused others.
Who will lead the way?
One good thing that is coming of this is that the long established practice of secrecy surrounding the Church in regard to sex scandals and financial settlements is changing. What should have been done out of a desire to walk in holiness is now being accomplished because of a fear of prosecution and further financial settle-ments. Thus far, we have only heard from a very few number of victims who became willing to speak out because their financial settlements were already de-pleted and they felt compelled to speak out. Two of these have resulted in the resignation of our bishop and a seminary professor in our diocese. One can only won-der what would happen if those that received the huge settlements would speak out in risk of losing the fortunes that were paid to insure their silence.
Like the “war against terrorism,” there are many battles yet to be fought on this front. I wonder who will be the first to step to the plate to rid the church of sex offend-ers that did not molest minors. Will it be the hierarchy of the Church in a newfound desire to walk in holiness in this area or must we depend on an ongoing zealous-ness of the media and prosecutors around the country? In the new environment in which victims are listened to when they come forward, look for many more to be coming forward in the coming months and years.
Keep your eyes on Jesus.
My motto comes from the Word of God: I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection (Phil 3:10). My hope is in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, true God and true man, crucified for my sins, raised from the dead and seated upon his throne. My trust is in God and not in mankind. God will never disappoint me. My hope is in him: Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. (Psalm 25:4-5 NIV)
A priest once told me that, on his first day in the semi-nary, his professor asked them two questions. He asked them, “Will you love Jesus with all of your heart and all of you strength?” The class responded with a resound-ing, “Yes!” Then he asked, “Will you love his body, the Church, with all of your heart and all of your strength? The class responded with similar enthusiasm. The priest teaching the class smiled and said, “As time goes on, you will find out how much harder the second question is than the first.” It is true: the Church is made up of humans and sometimes makes for a “bride” that is wrought with problems and shortcomings. But God has promised to always be with us: “And remem-ber, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Mat-thew 28:20) God has brought the Church through tough times in the past; he will be faithful in this present time. These “scandals” are part of the solution, part of a cleansing of the Church. Pray for a great outpouring of grace and mercy upon the Church, for hearts to be sof-tened, and leaders to seek to walk in holiness.
This certainly seems to be a season that is providing plenty of material to those that want to mock you in your Catholic Christian faith. I find it an excellent op-portunity to point out to such people that sin is precisely the reason that we need a Savior and that Jesus remains unchanged. Use your discussion as an opportunity to point the way to Jesus and the promise of the Gospel.
Greg Trainor is married. Greg and
his wife, Lydia have four children.
Since 1986, they have worked full-
time preaching the Gospel throughout
the United States, the former Soviet
Union, Eastern Europe and Cuba.
Other articles by Greg Trainor:
Holy Spirit Missionary Assoc. Newsletters
Other Holy Spirit Missionary Assoc. webpages:
Heaven is... a place for you! The gospel for Catholics.
The Story of Colors The gospel for children.
Holy Spirit Missionary Assoc. Homepage
