Having mentioned a movie yesterday, another one came to mind, but only as a brief illustration. Most people have heard of the story "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (and its multiple remakes). The whole idea of people walking among us, looking like us, but actually being invaders who are seeking to take over, gives just about everyone the creeps. This concept came to mind today as I was reading a few more blog posts and news articles regarding the numerous sexual scandals with clergymen in the Church.
It is a good thing that people are noticing (finally) that the problem is not predominantly pedophilia (though that has occurred) but rather sodomy (euphemistically referred to as "homosexuality"--as though it were only a "condition" or a "state" and not a grave immorality). This realization has helped the Church to focus on the right part of the battle, but we still need to see how to fight it. Seeing now that there have been a number of Bishops who have been implicated in this as well, it makes us wonder how all this happened.
No, I do not think that extraterrestrials have infiltrated the Church, but someone has, and it was hard for most of us to spot because they looked just like us. The difference with the "Body Snatchers" illustration is that I do not think that there was an attempt to "take over" but rather an attempt to destroy. Let us be honest about the facts: if we put it all together, we will have to admit that we have been invaded. Infiltrators have secretly come into the Church (whether communists, atheists, or those under demonic influence, we cannot be certain) and they have allowed evil to spread in such a way that it cripples us. The Church will not fall, but many of her members have.
If one man with extreme sexual compromise has been ordained, then an infiltrator is in our midst; and we have multiples. We cannot say that every single clergyman who fell into sin started it himself; it is completely possible that just a few with wicked intent got in and then were successful in leading others down the path of immorality and cover-up. Regardless of how many "started it" or how many were drawn into it, we cannot deny the fact that there is a breech in the wall and there are men who have been ordained that never should have been.
I struggle with this horrid truth almost on a daily basis lately. "Am I worthy to be God's priest?" "Are my sins enough to disqualify me?" "Could I fall into some grave sexual sin myself?" Any priest who does not ask these questions is not being honest with himself and is likely a bit too self confident (and thus, in more danger of falling). No, the laity should not have to ask these questions of their priests (though I am sure many are doing so today), but if the priests and bishops themselves would have asked these questions long ago (with genuine sincerity) then we would likely have much less problems than we do right now.
I would propose that if there is a crack in the wall, that the wall be fixed. Sort of elementary, I know, but if we do not know what the crack is, we cannot fix it. That is what we should be asking right now: "what is the crack in the wall?" It appears to be the ease with which many pass through the process for ordination. Is it easy everywhere? I assume not, but it is clearly easy in some places for these men who have gotten "caught" recently certainly got through their formation without being found out. I have deep hesitation for sounding like I am attacking a brother priest, and that is not what I am doing, but I am sure that I am not the only priest who asks, "who else is out there and has not yet gotten caught?" Nothing short of a complete overhaul of the process of spiritual formation that deals specifically with sexuality will have any noticeable success at this point.
We have been secretly infiltrated and we must not respond as though this is only a small problem in a few isolated places that the rest of us do not have to worry about. With the sheer numbers of those implicated, we must realize that a concentrated effort was what got us to this point; therefore a concentrated effort must be worked out if we are going to get out of this. This widespread problem is not all coincidental. The effort to get us out of this should not just be to discipline those who did this, but rather to find out how we were infiltrated in the first place; "how did they crack the wall?"
I do not have a solution for this (sorry -- I wish I did), as I do not have enough information even to begin to think it through all the way. Yet if we treat the problem like an isolated set of coincidences rather than a intentional attempt to cause the downfall of the Church, then we will not be seeing who the real enemy is, and what he is doing. Since there is no structure by which local Bishop's conferences can discipline a Bishop, many have called for the Bishops to gather and work on this as a united whole; great idea, as long as they do not try to "fix him" but to "fix what caused the problem in the first place".
Regrouping is difficult, and it takes some humility to do it right. We can certainly go too far, but given the circumstances, it is not as likely as falling short (which we have been doing for generations). It reminds me of the call for a healing process "in head and members" of the late medieval Church. It took the council of Trent to overcome the protestant confusion; what will it take to overcome this one?
