Under Attack

We hear about the attacks on the priesthood on a regular basis these days. The worst kind of attack, however, is to destroy a priest's reputation. If someone can make a simple accusation against a priest, it will lead to people doubting. Even if there is no evidence, and the accusation is never proven, doubt will remain. The seed that is planted is evil, and it spreads like cancer.

Even the local diocese where my parish is located has received some recent attacks. I pray the accusations are not true (and I pray for everyone involved, especially my brother priests), but whether they are or not, the devil has accomplished something. He has made people doubt the holiness of Catholic priests. I have no way to speak to someone on the street who sees my cassock and gives me the "stare". Nothing can change a person's mind if they have already declared someone guilty. Guilt by association is a well accepted category (even if it is faulty).

I wish I could declare my own innocence so that I can be available for them if they ever need a priest, but it is virtually impossible. All priests have been tarnished by the actions of a few. Whether they were once good men who fell into a horrible sin, or they were infiltrators who came in for the very purpose of destroying souls does not make a difference. A few more people here in this area are going to be that much less likely to seek a Catholic priest when they are hurting and in need.

So where do we go from here? Priests need to make sure that they are not seen as being unaccountable. They are not "accountable" to the laity in their ministry, but they can certainly be accountable by being cautious in the decisions they make and make it clear that they are intentionally avoiding situations where abuse can occur. They should not be doing anything that can easily be construed as "suspect" behavior. Yes, it is sad that priests need to go out of their way to be seen as innocent, but trust has been lost (regardless of who caused it) and therefore trust must be restored.

This is not truly an issue of getting priests to be seen as "upstanding citizens". I personally do not care whether I am seen as "upstanding" per se. I care whether I can minister to the people in and around my parish. I care whether people are willing to seek out my pastoral care or not. I care that the Name of Christ is not blasphemed by the world because of my behavior.