The perception of Church

     In my post around 9/11 I quoted the message of the Holy Father to Archbishop Dolan of the U.S. Catholic Bishops' Conference and the people of America.  It was a message of solidarity and compassion.  I received a comment that basically said that the Catholic Church has no moral basis to comment on the sins of others when they are so caught up in their own sinfulness.  The author was referring to the sexual abuse scandal.  I've heard that many times over ... that the Church has lost her right to speak out with any moral authority.

     Our Holy Father is in Germany on a State Visit.  At a Mass in Berlin's Olympic Stadium the other day, the Holy Father spoke of the decline of religious practice, Mass attendance, and the marginalizing of faith in German society (but it also applies to all of us).  He said that one of the problems is that people mistakenly see only the outward form of the church and consider it merely as another organization in a democratic society.  It needs to be seen also in a broader sense as a communion of life with Christ, a living, vibrant family made up of sinners and saints..

     The Church does contain flawed and bad members, as does every group.  That should not be the case, but as Paul reminds us, the faith has been placed in "earthen vessels".  That is not to make an excuse ... rather it is to state the obvious.  The Holy Father said "if only these negative aspects are taken into account, then the great and deep mystery of the church is no longer seen."  The church then is no longer a source of joy or of hope.  When our notion of a "dream church" falls short, dissatisfaction and discontent begin to spread.  That does not take away our right to challenge or question the church as institution, but it does require us to see ourselves as part of the church and renew our mission.

     When the church goes through troubled times we need to take comfort and strength in the closeness of Christ, repent of our sinfulness and frailty, and with forgiveness embraced, be reconciled and move forward.  For me, one of the proofs of the gift that the church is to the world, is that despite our failings and foolishness at time, the church continues to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel and offer Eternal Life.