Religious leaders today, as in all periods of human history, share the same human frailties as everyone else. Their authority can amplify those frailties and sometimes make them harder to recognize or admit. Ordination, theological knowledge, and sincere faith do not remove the need for continuing conversion.
Our ego is not simply vanity. It includes our desire to feel secure, important, competent, and accepted. These are understandable human needs. Trouble begins when protecting them becomes more important than loving God and the person before us.
Today’s reflection verse, viewed in the light of Church history, certainly calls into question how much of Jesus’ own challenge with the Jewish religious authorities crept into the very Church he established. Even a balanced view of what has occurred within the secretive walls of clerical life cannot help but conclude that while things have changed, some things have not.
But the issues many face in the local parish are not simply about priestly accountability; they also concern the accountability of church staff and teachers of the faith who exhibit little of what Jesus taught about loving one another.
All too often, we hear stories of grumpy or authority-driven workers in the vineyard protecting “their” church from behaviors or attitudes they see as not aligning with their view of God or the Church.
This can happen with priestly judgments, such as punishing the faith community by removing the cup from the eucharistic celebration to draw attention to what the priest sees as a lack of reverence for the worship practices they feel need to change within that same community.
Forgiveness, fidelity, repentance, and care for an enemy can be painfully demanding. Jesus asks much of us. The question is whether those teaching these demands also offer understanding, practical assistance, patient encouragement, and their own example.
A priest who teaches forgiveness and then patiently walks with someone wounded by betrayal helps carry the burden. A leader who demands forgiveness merely to silence someone harmed by the institution adds to it.
Catholic teaching places authority within this responsibility of all who serve. Those entrusted with sacred power serve their brothers and sisters for the good of the whole people of God.
The authority given to clergy and lay workers therefore brings a greater obligation to show care, compassion, and mercy to those they serve, as exemplified by the life and teaching of our Lord and Savior. That also applies to those of us in the cheap seats who love to point out their errors.