Father Jim Dane’s homily August 26, 2018



Father Jim Dane’s homily August 26, 2018

This Sunday the homily is a little different as I want a record of what I preach  It will be read.  However, I will not be at the pulpit as a sign of the openness we need in the church.  We do not hide behind the ambo or the law we need to be open to one another in every way possible.  I apologize to those who heard some of this last week at the church you attended.

The last few weeks we have been reflecting on John Chapter 6.  The first week was the multiplication of the loaves and fishes which fed over 5000 people.  I had planned on ending with the feeding of our community at mass.  Since then the news has been filled with the reports of Theodore McCarrick, formerly a cardinal, who abused seminarians and others, and the grand jury report from Pennsylvania I need to talk about some of these things.

Pope Francis, Archbishop Rodi, Carl Anderson (Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus), and others have published letters and press statements in response to these reports.  In today's gospel many walk away and I am afraid the same will happen due to the latest news reports.  Actually it is not the reports that have caused the problems, but sinful actions of the shepherds of the church.  Many of you think of bishops and priests as our shepherds.  On Wednesday we read from Ezekiel 34:1 - 11.  Some quotes from that reading include "Thus says the Lord God:  Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been pasturing themselves.  Should not shepherds, rather pasture sheep?"  "You did not strengthen the weak... nor bind up the injured.... You did not bring back the strayed nor seek the lost, but you lorded it over them harshly and brutally.  So they were scattered for lack of a shepherd.... My sheep were scattered over the whole earth, with no one to look after them or search for them.  "thus says the Lord God: I swear I am coming against those shepherds.  I will claim my sheep from them and put a stop to their shepherding my sheep so that they may no longer pasture themselves. I will save my sheep...  For thus says the Lord God: I myself will look after and tend my sheeps."

We must report important things to the proper authorities.  Sometimes what is reported are mistakes, not evil, such as when I forgot to honor and mention fathers on fathers day and the archbishop and myself both received emails.

A couple of examples:  My sister taught at a Catholic school in the late 70's and early 80's.  She was in charge of religion class for the eighth grade preparing for confirmation.  She would ask the parochial vicar to come talk to the class about confirmation, but he always refused.  The young people in her class would joke about one of the students seeing his girl friend before school.  The girl friend actually turned out to be the priest.  Later when my sister told my dad he said "Never repeat something like that, because a priest would never do such a thing."  Later this case made national news when the young man tried to kill the former priest.  My dad then apologized  to my sister.

I have also had two women come to me who as adults, one a very young adult,  were seduced by priests.  The response by other priests was that each of these women   were crazy and were lying.  If they were crazy or if they were seduced were these not the least of our sisters and should not they be considered Christ who is present in the least of our brothers and sisters?  

We must listen to accusations and we must not call accusers crazy.  Also do not think of them as liars until investigations occur.  Have there been some priests accused falsely? Yes, but far more have been rightly accused. 

Some conclusions:

Report all suspected abuse.  Every diocese in the U S has some sort of reporting system.

1) Respect.  Those in authority need to earn the respect of those they are serving.  Abuse and cover-up shows a lack of respect. We do need to show respect for those in authority once they have earned it.  Parents respect teachers and be open to the idea that most teachers are trying to help your children.  Sometimes teachers are dealing with students who have learned no discipline at home.

Each of us need to respect others.  Some examples of lack of respect are littering including trash and cigarette butts, not respecting others on teams other than your own, respect those who have different political ideas than your own.  Football brings out a lot of disrespect for others.  That is why I am not as interested in football as much as I once was.

We have to believe winning and being number one is not the most important thing, but giving our best effort and being gentlemanly is the Christian way.

2) Responsibility.  We have to take responsibility for our sinfulness and mistakes.  This is one of the problems with cover-up of abuse by some of the bishops.  One person said that since we have to confess our sins they should have to confess their sins publicly.  Some of these sins are abuse and cover-up.  If a few bishops would resign it might help Catholics believe in the authority of bishops again.

3) Holiness.  Clergy cannot lead the flock to holiness unless they seek to be holy themselves.

The church is not an institution, but a community of believers.  We are called to be holy.  Please pray for your bishops, priests, and deacons that they may be holy servants of God and his people.

All of us need to have faith in God, the hope that through his sinful clergy God will be present in the Eucharist and they will lead the faithful to Christ,  and that each person in the church   will be holy and through their respect, responsibility, and love will bring Christ to the world.

Archbishop Rodi has asked us to offer prayers for victims of abuse and reparation for our failings as a CHURCH the weekend of September 8-9, 2018.

I end this by apologizing for any hurt the church has caused you, as I am the official representative of The Catholic Church here at St. Thomas by the Sea.

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