Homily - "A problem in the family of our Church"

I am preaching at all the Masses this weekend because we have a family problem to discuss. A problem in the family of our Church -- and that is the problem of child abuse. You've all read the details in the papers and seen it on television. I can't think of a time in my own ministry when there are more questions being raised both from within and from without the Church. I know that many of our young people are being questioned in school by their friends who are not Catholic - "How can you remain a Catholic in a Church that molests children?" I am not sure that our adult friends would pose the question to us as starkly, but they are probably thinking it, and perhaps there are times when we think it as well. And that's why it's important today for us honestly and prayerfully to reflect upon this shocking and terrible reality in our midst, and
I would like to do so around three questions:

What do we know? We know that there are bishops, priests, deacons and others in authority in our Church who have abused children. We know that this is terribly wrong and cannot be tolerated. We know, as well, that the victims of this abuse have been devastated not simply by the abuse, but also by the betrayal of trust by those in positions of authority. We know, as well, that the leadership in our Church has dealt with this problem unevenly, and, at times, negligently. It is important to understand here that this problem is dealt with on the local level.
Therefore, each Bishop and each Diocese has its own approach and policy, and
when you hear of negligence in one particular Diocese, it is important not to imagine that every Diocese approaches it in the same way. There are bishops that have taken a much more aggressive and responsible stance than the worst cases which have been highlighted in the news. But that being said, it is clear that in most Dioceses, the response to both the victims and to the abusers has not been as open and as pastoral as it should be. As a result of this, we as a Church are not simply humbled, but humiliated; humiliated by the presence of abuse in our midst; humiliated because our leadership has responded inadequately. That's what we know.

What does it mean? This is the important question, because we need to turn to the Scriptures and to our own faith in order to interpret what this reality means in our midst. And today's Gospel is very helpful, because the Gospel of Jesus and Thomas tells us something about failure and something about healing. It's an Easter Gospel, but it has a lot to do with failure. Thomas fails to believe. Many of the characters in the Easter story fail. Judas betrays Jesus. Peter denies him and all the disciples at his arrest leave him and flee. What the Gospel is telling us is that failure has been a part of our Church story from the start. A failure to believe, a failure to make the right decisions, a failure to act as we should, therefore, is a reminder to us that what keeps the Church together is not primarily our virtue and our goodness, but God's mercy and God's love. This is important, because all too often we can see our position as Catholics as one of privilege or status. We can see ourselves, perhaps, as better than others. Priests, Bishops, can see themselves as holier than others. This terrible abuse in our midst reminds us that we are, in fact, sinners. That we stand with Thomas and Peter on feet of clay, knowing that it is only God's love and forgiveness that keep us together and keep us alive.

That's what the Gospel tells us about failure. It has been there from the start. But the Gospel also speaks of healing. Thomas needs to change. He needs to be healed, and Jesus insists that if he is going to do that, he must touch his wounds. "Take your finger and place it into my hands. Take your hand and place it into my side." If we as a Church community are going to change and heal, we, too, must touch the wounds of Christ. We must face what is wrong in our midst. This is not a time for excuses, or to pretend that damage has not been done. We must take steps to ensure that we minister to those who are victims, and minister to the abusers as well, seeing that they receive the treatment that they need. It is only by facing what is wrong, by touching the wounds of Christ in our midst, that we can be healed.

The Gospel today speaks of failure and of healing, and then that leads us to the last question: What is our response?

I would say that our response is three-fold. First, we must take steps to protect our children. This is our Church, and although we maintain a deep love and respect for our Bishop, we must demand that clear, open and just policies be put into place to identify those who abuse children, to remove them from their positions and to make sure that both abuser and victim are treated as Christ would treat them. This is clearly what Bishop Pilla is trying to do in the Commission that he has set up which is described in the letter in the bulletin this week, and we need to support him in that effort. But, we also need to demand that such policies are both implemented and followed so that this abuse does not continue to future generations.

The second thing we must do is bear faithfully under the humiliation that we are experiencing. Abuses have come out already, and you can be sure that in the months and years ahead more will be revealed. We, as people of faith, must bear with this humiliation knowing that it can lead to purification. If we face these abuses openly and forthrightly, we can be purified by this experience. I believe as difficult as this has been, that ultimately much good will come from it. These deviations needed to see the light of day, and if we, as a community can bear under the pain of facing them, we will be stronger as a Church.

The third and final response on our part must be to remember the presence of Christ in our midst. Even with the flaws among us, Christ remains with us. Perhaps even more in this time of pain, his presence is visible. We as a community, wounded though we are, must continue to believe, continue to bless, and continue to serve. We must continue to welcome new members into the Church as we did at the Easter Vigil. We must continue to baptize children into our midst as we will do at this liturgy and at the 12:00 this afternoon. We must continue to welcome children to the table of the Eucharist for the first time as we will do next weekend. The life of Christ continues in our midst. We must continue to see that life present in all the faithful members of our community, in parents, priests and bishops who continue to serve the Church with full mind and heart. We must believe that Christ will not abandon us now.

This, then, is my reflection upon the problem that is a part of our family. We know that the abuse is real. We believe that failure has been a part of our Church and that God's love can compensate for it, and that it is only by touching the wounds of Christ that we can be healed. And so we decide today to protect our children, to bear under the humiliation that can purify us and to believe that Christ remains in our midst. This is how I would answer the question, "Why do I remain a Catholic?" Because I believe that, even now, it is in this Church, in this faith tradition, in this local community, that I can still embrace the wounded, yet risen body of Jesus.