On a pedestal

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For centuries, the laity has placed the church and its priests on a pedestal. There is nothing inherently wrong with that and even something beautiful in that. What is wrong is what has happened. The church has acted and taught its priests, and many have come to believe and act as if they deserve to be there! It is no longer appropriate to refer to many priests as shepherds, but rather to view them as bosses. That leads us to the current way the church is trying to address the problem of so many people leaving. 

First, there is the get out of jail free card. In a recent homily, the priest must have used the word Mercy over 25 times. The Lord is so merciful that He forgives you before, after and during any transgression. It’s hard to beat that. The Lord’s mercy seems operative even before repentance. In the old-fashioned church, we were taught that the forgiveness of sins depended on sorrow(repentance) and on a firm purpose of amendment. Either God (or the church) changed their mind. Mercy and forgiveness are to be had even if you don’t want it. It’s like breathing air. In fact, if you don’t breathe a tube will be inserted and mercy will be poured in. At this point many will say that’s just my perspective. And they would be right. But one’s perspective is their reality, and if that reality exists in a lot of people then that becomes a group reality, and if that is the case people begin to go where they find a different reality. So, people leave and search for a reality where the flock has a shepherd who adheres to the two great commandments.