Leaving, or Not

The Church is not perfect. Clergy are not perfect. Laymen are not perfect. If you are in the Church, you are going to be disappointed. This is true for laymen and clergy alike. We sin and hurt each other. The ideal is that every Catholic would be able to stay at his "home parish" for the rest of his life. Sometimes, however, things can happen that cause harm in the Church. Relationships break down and need repair. In the extreme situation, there are times that even after reconciliation it is hard to bring people together, and people will choose to leave a parish.

There are good reasons and bad reasons to leave a parish. In all of the situations I have ever heard of, the number one reason is because a clergyman did something the person did not like. If we are speaking about a clergyman committing grave sin, being impenitent, and the Bishop doing nothing about it (sadly, this still does occur today) then, yes, it might be best for someone to leave. You are supposed to be safe in Church and not have to worry that the priest of the parish is causing spiritual harm.

In the other instances, however, people's disagreement with the priest is not an issue of an actual sin (remember, if the Church has not said it is a sin, then you cannot claim special knowledge that it is so!). It is very often an issue of "I don't like what the priest said or did". Disliking a priest is not exactly a good reason to leave a parish. If what he is doing is harming you in some way (like abusing the liturgy, giving anti-catholic guidance, or failing to care for the flock) then you might very well be obligated to leave (for your own spiritual well being).

Notice, that in all of these things, I often said "might". Unless you are in clear danger, then there is not always an obligation to leave. You may be called to remain and help change things. Those with children are usually the most likely to need to leave. The difference often depends on the specific situation. Make sure that if you are wrestling with this idea of leaving a parish, no matter where it is, that you are not falling into the trap of selfish decision making. If you genuinely do have to leave, then make sure that you are doing so with wisdom, and showing grace; and never, never, stop praying for all those involved (you, yourself, might be the one who needs to repent!).