Last week I was in Warrnambool for the National Council of
Priests Conference. 170 priests gathered to learn, share, & deepen our
commitment to our ministry & to the Church. The camaraderie of the
gathering was marred by the scandals that have been broadcast about the failure
of priests who are called to be shepherds. The number of priests who have been
wolves instead of shepherds is very small, and what we see on 4Corners or read
in scurrilous documents often contains only a part of the truth, but the fact
that it exists at all is a scandal. The gathering at Warrnambool demonstrated
the damage that sexual abuse has done to the victims and to the mission of the
Church.
The Church is composed of fallible humans like you and me: We
believe our faith; we believe that God is with us; and we believe that in our
weakest and most sinful moments God's healing presence can transform us into
something greater. To some extent we are all shepherds and bear the burden of
leadership. How do we carry this burden? How do we witness to the Gospel? How
do we demonstrate that 'Christ Jesus came to proclaim peace to those far off
and peace to those near.' God wants to raise up good shepherds, good witnesses,
good role models, for his people. How do we live this ideal?
Many in our world are lost. They look for fulfilment and
happiness in places and activities that can never provide anything but a
passing high, and often at the expense of the dignity and freedom of others. They
are drawn to us, maybe not consciously but naturally, since as Catholics we are
people who declare our sinfulness and need for God's healing. Further, we
acknowledge that we do not have all the answers, but are content to live with
mystery, confident God’s love and support. In short, we are people of hope for
a sceptical world. Hope is our secret weapon that allows us opt move forward
when pessimism engulf many around us.
Each of us is called to be shepherds to varying extents. How
do we answer? How do we cope with our own shortcomings and those of others in
our Church?
Our conference in Victoria assured me of the need to be
clear and honest. It reminded me of how much good there is in our shepherds,
and yet how much damage the few wolves wreak. Ultimately it showed me that we,
the Church built on the apostles, is the greatest force for good in our world
and that we should claim that humbly and honestly.
Homily 22nd July 2012, 16th Sunday in
Ordinary Time, OLQP Broome.
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