Lying for a Living

I had a child, probably about 8 or 9 years old, look at me with utter disdain the other day. I was in town, wearing my cassock, and he apparently knew I was a Catholic priest. What could possibly drive a child of that age to such hatred? I can only imagine the numerous stories his parents have told him about "evil Catholics" (I pray that his disdain was not because of some real evil that was perpetrated on him by a priest somewhere, but that is also possible).

Priests today have a bad reputation, and it is priests who have caused this. Yet, we should not be surprised considering the lack of faith in many Catholics today. If the laity do not believe what Christ has revealed through the Church, it is because it was priests who first failed to believe. No, people do not always follow blindly, but if the priests are not holding to the truth, how can we expect the people in the pews to do so? There is a passage in the Old Testament where the Lord tells the Hebrews that the world blasphemes the name of God because the Hebrews taught them how! We are doing it again.

Hypocrisy is always ugly, but despite this few people can see it in themselves. I was shocked when it struck me recently that lawyers will argue a case even if they do not believe it. I do not believe I could do that. If I really did not believe that someone was innocent, I cannot imagine what that would be like to try to convince others of it. Yet, when lawyers do this (apparently for the good of their clients) they are essentially lying in order to make money. The moral ramifications of this are hard to ignore.

Statistically speaking, a very large percentage of Catholic priests are in a similar situation to the above mentioned lawyers. They are teaching (at least occasionally) what the Church says, and many of them do not actually believe it. If they did believe it they would not behave the way that they do. They would not abuse the liturgy; they would genuflect to the Sacrament; they would care for their parishioners, etc.

I hear stories frequently of priests who do not really believe the Church's teaching; some used to, but stopped; others never did in the first place. If they do not believe Christ's words, then (according to their conscience) they are lying in order to do their job. They did not get this way overnight. Priests are attacked every day and some fall to those attacks. Their faith is attacked, their spirits are attacked by all kinds of worldly temptations. Those who give in can be seen "by their works" (sheep's clothing easily slips off the backs of the wolves). Pray for your priest; pray that his faith remain strong; pray that he can resist whatever evils may come against him. Your own soul may be at stake!