Can We Hope for Holy Bishops?

I'm a regular reader of Fr. Gordon MacRae's website, Beyond These Stone Walls. For those
unfamiliar with Fr. MacRae, he was caught up in the sex abuse frenzy, was falsely accused, refused to plea deal down to a two-year sentence by admitting guilt for what he did not do, and has spent decades falsely imprisoned. Today, Father posted the forward to a book, Hope Springs Eternal in the Priestly Breast, by Australian priest, Fr. James Valladeres. The book includes many details of Fr. MacRae's Gethsemane experience. The plan is to publish the book chapter by chapter as occasional posts on Father MacRae's website.

Today, the Introduction by Fr. Michael Orsi was posted. I met Fr. Orsi years ago at the wedding of one of his former students from Ave Maria Law School, the son of a close friend. Reading his introduction was an interesting re-connection and it has implications beyond the subject of the book. Why? Because it reveals a tragic transformation of bishops, formerly fathers of their priests and good shepherds to their flocks. Instead, many today operate as CEOs who treat their sons like employee-cogs in the diocesan business wheel and the flock as paying customers. 

I had an aha moment reading this:

The present state of affairs has caused mistrust and fear in priest-bishop relationship. The collaboration of a priest with his bishop is vital since he participates in the bishop’s priesthood. Bishops, who are supposed to be fathers, brothers, and friends to their priests, have instead become mere managers with institutional damage control as their top priority. Many priests have dubbed this the Caiaphas Principle. A recent survey in an unpublished dissertation found that most priests do not believe that they can count on the support of their fellow priests in the event of a false accusation, presumably out of fear of retribution from their bishop or from victims’ advocacy groups. This too is extremely dangerous because priests of the diocese form a presbyterate in union with their bishop. It has devastating pastoral consequences.

“Credible evidence,” the nebulous standard used by diocesan review boards, has effectively made priests guilty until proven innocent. This has forced priests to shy away from human interactions, especially expressions of pastoral warmth and concern, which were the hallmarks of Jesus’s public ministry. Now a fatherly touch may be interpreted as a sexual advance or an act of kindness toward a young person misconstrued as “grooming.” As one priest so poignantly stated, “If I meet a woman, I’m having an affair; if I meet a man, I’m gay; and, God forbid, if I’m with a child, I’m an abuser.” In the current climate, any human action of a priest is suspect. Naturally, this has had a devastating toll on the effectiveness of the ordained ministry.

The Dallas charter shifted responsibility for sex abuse to parish priests and laity. The bishops did all they could to exonerate themselves and put all the blame on others. Their action caused Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz to describe them as "this hapless bench of bishops." The impact of the Dallas meeting and the subsequent policy on sex abuse was to damage not only the relationship between the bishop and his priests, but the bishop and his flock. 

Think about all the bishops today crushing the Traditional Latin Mass and sacraments and treating the laity who continue to desire them like lepers or unwelcome step children. In some dioceses the bishops' treatment of priests who want to offer the TLM and the laity, who just want to keep the faith as taught by the apostles, make the evil fairy tale stepmothers look benevolent. The result? A cross between a tragedy and a horror story.

But hope springs eternal. Think of St. Paul, St. Thomas Becket, St. Augustine, Mary Magdalene. Some of the greatest sinners became the greatest saints. Think of our modern converts who abandon evil and embrace good. Bernard Nathanson, who committed thousands of child murders, became an eloquent defender of the unborn.  And so many other abortionist converts. And think of all those, despite the Church crisis, who see God moving and embrace the truth and join the Church. We have much that fosters hope for the future, thanks be to God. 

So let us all thank the Lord today and persevere in hope and, always, in charity. May we pray for our shepherds, especially those who seem intent on undermining the faith. The enemy of God today, may, by the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, be His dearest friend and defender of the faith tomorrow. And may we always persevere in our own friendship with God by His grace.

Can we hope for holy bishops, cardinals, pastors, and popes? Of course! Pray, hope, and don't worry!

Blessed be God forever!