1.
When grotesque sins emerge in the life of the Church, people inevitably ask, “Where is God in all this?” Answer: God is in the purge. The fact that purges keep happening is ample evidence of the fact that God wants the Church to return to holiness.
— Fr. Kevin Staley-Joyce (@KevinSJoyce) August 17, 2018
2. Ramesh’s piece.
3. Ed Mechmann: Calling Sin by Its Real Ugly Name
4. Chad Pecknold in the Wall Street Journal: “Healing will not begin until the episcopate reveals to the world what true repentance looks like, and makes that repentance visible”
5. From the bishop of Albany, N.Y.:
I am praying for you … I know that this news is making you angry, disgusted, confused, and perhaps unsure about how — or whether — to hang on in faith and support of the universal Church. What I want to say to you today is please don’t lose hope. Not only because I want to affirm your deep faith in God as it is so critically challenged and your relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but because I need you, our Church needs you – and our Lord needs you.
What we are seeing is a terrible failure of leadership. Not all bishops and priests bear the same responsibility but, until we can do the painstaking work of identifying the culprits and correcting the systemic flaws that hid and shielded evildoers instead of innocents, a cloud of distrust and suspicion hangs over all in leadership, I am ashamed to say. Some may be afraid of the truth, but we needn’t be. The truth is beautiful: it sheds light and dispels evil. We have nothing to fear from the truth. And we must demand nothing less. To behold our crucified Lord, remembering the graces that flow from his wounded side, has never seemed more vivid or relevant, as the sign of hope we look toward. Together we can get to the bottom of this and discover the goodness of God’s grace, renewing our wounded Church, so beautiful in each and every one of you, praying and working together.
It is a time to prune the vine. Jesus is close to us. I have heard it said, in fact, that the vinedresser is never closer than when he is pruning the branches. Yes, we need to stay together, supporting and helping one another to bring about a spiritual renewal and a purifying change. We have made significant progress in recent years, but much lies ahead. As I said in a statement two weeks ago, lay people are essential to the solution our Church seeks, and I mean that. Those are not just words; that is my true and deep belief.
6.
At Mass this morning, I just felt heartbroken at all that is going on, so I prayed, “God use me as a healing element, however You want. I want to be totally available to be used by you to rebuild Your church, which is very broken.” Please pray for us religious Sisters.
— Sister B 🐝 (@sisterb24) August 17, 2018
7.
Today a young woman discerning religious life said when I asked how she’s doing: “My faith will not be broken! I just think of Mary at the cross. This makes us want to work even harder to purify the Church. A whole new generation of saints are coming.” I was stunned, humbled.
— Fr. Matt Fish (@matthewjfish) August 16, 2018
8.
IMHO every “Catholic commentator” should pray for Catholic school teachers, campus ministers, principals, social service workers, & priests who are on the front lines of evangelization, ministry & catechesis & are now de facto representatives/spokespersons of this mess.
— Elise Italiano (@eliseitaliano) August 17, 2018
9. R.I.P.– and thank you.
10.
“Only truth and virtue can offer a center of resistance against turbulent and degraded passions.” St. Augustine, #CivDei 9.3
— C. C. Pecknold (@ccpecknold) February 19, 2018