I decided about five years before I converted that I wanted to be Catholic. Like G.K. Chesterton, however, it took some time before that actually happened. Mostly it was due to the process that we were in for the establishment of the Ordinariate but also, there were various hoops we had to jump through. It seemed like a long stretch at the time, but it was all worth it.
During those years I had numerous "friends" attack me for "denying the faith" (I guess that they meant "deny the protestant faith" and not "deny the faith of the Christians of the first 1500 years of Church history"). As the attack came, I spent more and more time studying Catholic dogma and the Scriptures. In wanting to learn how to respond to my opponents, I had to know how the Church thinks about things. That was the only way that I could see it possible to be prepared for any questions (and I got some weird ones back then!). That helped me to know the official teachings of the Church on many subjects and thus be able to see how extremely Catholic the Bible actually is (which shocked me back then).
As a result, I was able to take what I learned as a protestant, correct it, refine it, and rework it to be in accord with Catholic teaching. Once I was able to look at the world through "Catholic eyes" I found that the answers in the Catholic Catechisms were making more and more sense over time. It was like having a "rebirth" within a "rebirth". I grew accustomed to responding to arguments against the Catholic faith, even to the point of where now I enjoy it. It is like a mental exercise.
The remarkable thing is that in all of the times that I answered those arguments against the Church (whom I now love and am fully devoted to as the very bride of Christ), I was always trying to prove to people that the one true Church was the Catholic Church. In doing so, I never expected that I would ever have to defend the Catholic faith against some of her own members (especially not against the efforts of some of her clergymen!). Things have changed.
Now I am finding myself having to defend the historic teachings of the Church against the words of not just a poorly catechized layman, but against a number of Bishops! What an odd feeling (especially for a priest) to know that I am supposed to learn from the Pope and Bishops, while finding myself having to refute what they say because it denies certain parts of our faith (thank God that my own Bishop, Steven Lopes, is not one of those that I have to refute).
In this fiasco that we are experiencing, I am sadly aware that I must be respectful and show due honor to those clergymen who are above me in the Church (which is not to say that we do not need to honor those outside the Church who disagree with us). It is quite a difficult thing to honor someone who is encouraging immoral behavior (as with those Bishops today who make it clear that they support the practice of sodomy), but it is possible to do. As God commanded children to honor their parents (regardless of whether they deserve it or not), so also we must show respect to those over us (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:12).
So then, how do you speak about those Bishops (especially Pope Francis) when you disagree with something that they have said or done? Do you "speak evil" of them (as the Scriptures describe it)? Do you insult and tear down, or seek by every possible means to build up? Are you humble in what you say? The Pharisees were always prideful when they spoke of others they disagreed with; we cannot be so. It is not a sin to disagree with a Bishop (and it is required if they encourage sin), but it is always a sin to be hateful or rebellious. I truly hope that you disagree with anyone's encouragement to sin. I also, however, hope (maybe "insist" is a better word) that you do so with the love that Christ says we must show to others (especially when they behave like the enemies of the Church!).
