“Pray for Them”
Father Peter Fitzgibbons
August 18 – 19, 2018
It is with a heart full of sadness that I stand before you to talk about the unspeakable crimes of child abuse that occurred over the past 70 years and that were recently discovered in Pennsylvania. The heart of Jesus is breaking, because the stench of satan has entered His Church, and the damage done is untold. As a hospital chaplain, I have seen a lot of “yuck,” but these crimes are sickening on a whole new level and like nothing else.
Please pray for those who are victims. Also, pray for the bishops who are culpably ignorant, complacent, and moral weaklings. Excessive ambition led to their failure to protect the most innocent among their parishioners. There’s an old saying that applies here: You gain esteem by doing esteemable acts.
I recently met an older priest for breakfast. He served at West Point during the Vietnam War and buried many of his cadets. He felt compelled to join the military and later served in Vietnam. Why? It was the right thing to do and it is a fine example of an esteemable act.
In contrast, there are overly ambitious bishops scrambling right now to cover their asses. They have lost sight of their true calling.
Bishops:
• Have you been to hospice to comfort the dying?
• Have you had to tell a family that their loved one has died?
• Have you visited the sick and cared for their souls?
I think we know the answers to these questions; and that is why the most honored title in the Catholic Church is “Father.” You see Christ in us as we serve His Church.
In 1977, when I entered the seminary in Boston and studied for the diocese, it was at St. John’s and not at St. Mary’s which was known as the “Pink Parish.” St. Mary’s was also known for its granola or fruits and flakes even though every seminarian had to take and pass a psychiatric exam.
Some priests are innocent of the charges, and some cannot defend themselves because they have died. Those who are guilty of these horrific crimes should never see the light of day even though the Statute of Limitations has passed.
In reparation, let us pray for the victims. We also need to pray for the Bishops who failed to do the right thing. Finally, we should pray for those guilty of abusing the most innocent among us.
What we cannot do is to let this shake our faith. Remember, the only face of Christ your neighbor may ever see is in you.