UNITED STATES
National Catholic Register
by Mark Shea Sunday, August 26, 2012
A reader writes:
Read some of your blog. I know their are some good people that are Catholics. Just don’t understand why organized religion becomes perverted and the leadership condones the behavior. Wait, I do understand, it’s all about “power over.” The culture of the church is corrupt and sanctions this aberrant behavior. Puts all the good people in such a bad place, don’t you think? The church has had a “power over” relationship with the people for centuries. Watched this in action during Semana Santa in Sevilla about 30 years back. It was a disgusting display of “power over” and yet apologists for the church condone and encourage this behavior.
First, thank you for the acknowledgement that “some” good people are Catholics. I would even go so far as to say most Catholics are good people. That is, we are average schlubs trying to get by in life. As you may recall, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is engaged in a great struggle.” It turns out Catholics are remarkably like human beings and are not more prone to evil than the general population, nor do their IQ levels deviate from the norm for the general population.
Why then, do they remain Catholic when members of their communion do great evil?
Answer: Because Catholic faith does not stand or fall with the moral quality of our bishops. It stands on Jesus Christ. I’m a Catholic because I believe Jesus is the Son of God and that he established a Church as the sacrament of salvation–a Church composed entirely of sinful people–especially me. I don’t place my faith in the personal sanctity of any bishop (though some are very good people and others are, in my view, scoundrels). I place it in Jesus to guide his Church because he is gracious to dunderheads and sinners. There is no option of escaping grave sin in this world. You meet it everywhere, including the mirror. The only option is to stick with Jesus–or not. Some people imagine you can stick with Jesus but ditch the Church. Not possible. Christ is the head and the Church is his body.
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