Let’s not reject Jesus because of Judas.
Today Fr. Steve prays the votive mass for the forgiveness of sins, wearing violet vestments.
He mentions at the start of his homily Pope Francis’s comment that one of the problems in the recent scandals was clericalism – the feeling that clerics are above reproach. He comments on the breaking news that Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, former papal nuncio to the United States, has written a letter denouncing the homosexual network within the Church and the Vatican and implicating a number of senior prelates, including Pope Francis, in the cover up of the abuse of minors and vulnerable young adults by ex-Cardinal McCarrick.
However, Fr. Steve says he is filled with hope that this apparent disaster will result in a cleansing and purification of the Church and usher in a new era of holiness.
Fr. Steve reads part of the nuncio’s letter, which is so sobering that it is difficult to imagine a worse scandal to befall the Church. In the letter the nuncio urges Pope Francis to resign in order to show an example to other bishops in how to respond to the crisis.
The Lord has allowed this in order to purify his bride, the Church, for Jesus, not the hierarchy, is the head of the Church. The Lord hates how this moment of crisis has harmed us, the flock.
Our response should be one of pursuing holiness in fidelity to the Lord. We must take as our own the words of the first reading, “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
In his post-communion comments Fr. Steve says that this crisis may cause a schism in the Church, but urges us to stay in the bark of Peter, because the Lord is with us.
