A comment on the recent revelations
In this homily, Fr. Steve gives a response to the recent news about the unmasking of sexual sin among the clergy and in particular the scandal caused by the behavior of Ex-Cardinal McCarrick who was asked to resign from the College of Cardinals by the Holy Father. Fr. Steve referred to the Church's 2005 instruction to seminaries not to allow men with deep-seated homosexual tendencies to study for the priesthood, which Pope Francis reaffirmed in May. He also stressed that clerics who were pursuing immoral lifestyles cultivated a climate of secrecy and emotional blackmail in order to remain under the radar.
Fr. Steve expressed his desire that the clandestine homosexual dysfunction in the Church’s seminaries would come out into the open, no matter how humiliating. However, despite all this, the hope we still retain is that throughout the Church’s history, the uncovering of evil was always a prelude to a mighty work of the Lord. Fr. Steve also reminded us that the Lord hates sin but loves the sinner. There is always mercy and forgiveness for repentant sinners, but that does not remove the need for justice for the victims of abuse by priests, bishops and cardinal.
A recent article by Ralph Martin is good background reading on this scandal. Dr. Martin is on the faculty of Sacred Heart Major Seminary. The article includes Ralph's spiritual reflections on the scandal, and is very much worth reading.
