INTRODUCTION
[top picture The Heart of St John Vianney] no, let me let me know
Early in 1966, I commenced my Second Year of Theology in the Diocesan Seminary of
Bombay (now Mumbai), India. As part of the curriculum in Moral Theology, we were
scheduled to do a very intensive and comprehensive study of the Seventh, Eighth and
Tenth Commandments (You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour &
You shall not covet anything that is your neighbour’s) as a proximate preparation for the crucial
examination that would render us eligible for the faculty to serve as ministers of the
Sacrament of Reconciliation (Ad audiendas confessiones)
Very briefly, that particular branch was commonly referred to as “De Iure et Iustitia” – About
Rights and Justice. A right was defined as something that is legitimately due to another. To
take it away without authority or justification, therefore, is a violation of the person’s right
and a breach of the moral law. Framing it graphically, there is an invisible but inviolable
link between a person and a basic right. So a failure to respect and honour the right is
tantamount to breaking that invisible bond and so offending the person and God. Stated
differently, the deliberate flouting of a moral law offends God, the Supreme Law-giver,
and is, therefore, a culpable sin. For instance, each and every human being has a right to
his/her life – a priceless gift that comes from God and God alone. None can take it away
but God. To do so wilfully, violently and maliciously would be tantamount to murder – a
grave crime that violates both the natural and the divine law. Consequently, the perpetrator
must bear the entire brunt of the law – civil, moral and divine.
Similarly, a person has a right to his reputation. Once again, there is an invisible but
inviolable bond between the individual and his/her reputation. As such, we all are duty
bound to respect another’s reputation and to refrain from any word or deed that could
snap that bond and so harm the individual often gravely and irreversibly. For instance, a
very common offence is the sin of detraction, which is the unjustifiable disclosure of
another’s faults and failings to persons who did not know them. Even worse is the sin of
calumny – the deliberate distortion of the truth thereby poisoning the mind of the listener
and so damaging the reputation of another seriously and irreparably.
“O! Beware, my lord, of jealousy;
It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock
The meat it feeds on.”
8 (Othello ac3, sc.3, l.165)
“Cruelty has a human heart,
And jealousy a human face;
Terror the human form divine,
And secrecy the human dress.”
- (William Blake 1757-1827
– A Divine Image, 56:6)
Over the past 50 years, I have observed with both surprise and consternation that while
priests have their pastoral duties, which they sedulously strive to fulfil often in the face of
overwhelming odds, they have little or no claim to either rights or justice. One very senior
priest, who has passed on to his Creator, would jocularly repeat: “A Catholic priest has but one
right – the right to a Christian burial!”
Bound by a solemn promise of respect and obedience, a priest has no alternative but to
comply with the directions of his bishop or superior. Should this be done judiciously and
fairly, the mutual rewards will be manifest and productive. Regrettably not always is this the
case, with the priest coming off the worse only because he is powerless, defenceless and
helpless. For instance, priests have been known to be transferred because of the sinister
machinations and false allegations of individuals, who either did not agree with him or had
a score to settle. What is particularly disturbing in these most unfortunate instances is the
fact that the priest was denied a fair chance to defend himself nor was he even apprised of
the reasons for his sudden and unjust transfer. The woeful and inexcusable assumption has
always been “guilty until proven innocent” – a most reprehensible violation of the natural,
canon and moral laws.
Even more deplorable is the fact that the seemingly ‘errant’ (?!) priest was unilaterally given
a particularly difficult assignment as a punitive measure, harshly and malevolently designed
‘to burst his bubble’ or ‘to pull him down a peg or two’. In some instances the priest was stripped
of his faculties and debarred from offering the Eucharist publicly. [This happened to Padre Pio because of someone else’s jeolosy.] Even after a due
investigation and the vindication of his innocence, the hapless individual was not re-
instated. The opposite of ‘love’ is not ‘hate’, but indifference. And there couldn’t be a
more damaging blow to priestly morale.
As can be expected, the repercussions of such unjust, unpriestly and morally reprehensible
behaviours can have irreversibly injurious results that could range from loss of morale to a
nervous breakdown to a defection from the active ministry and to destructive addictions.
Quite some time ago, for instance, in various parts of the U.S.A., it had been observed that
priests had been dying as a result of automobile accidents. What intrigued the investigating
police was the fact that the recurring pattern, in some cases, was identical – a sole driver
ramming a speeding car on a highway into the concrete pylon of an overhead bridge. The
article bore the intriguing but heart-wrenching caption: Autocide!
In an explosive expose, David Rice recounts the following gut-wrenching and tragic story:
“There was one old alcoholic priest called in to the chancery office (where the diocese is administered). ‘He
was an ‘alky’, no doubt about it,’ another priest remembers. ‘They call him in; they tell him he’s a no-good
alky.’ ‘You are suspended, removed, get out of the diocese in twenty-four hours. We don’t care where you
go.’ Maybe they just want to scare him. Well, he goes home, puts a shotgun to his mouth, and blows his
head off.” 1
Rev. Dr. Michael Higgins M.A., D.D., D.C.L, is the Executive Director of Justice for
Priests and Deacons and is based in San Diego, CA. On 1st December, 2009, he addressed
1
David Rice. Sha$ered Vows – Priests who Leave. William Morrow & Co. Inc., New York. 1990. p.16
3
a letter informing all that “Since our founding in 1907,Justice for Priests and Deacons has
laboured to protect the canonical rights of clergy and laity.” Fr. Higgins continues: “In a world that
measures success in large numbers, we count it a blessing that we have helped over 800 priests and deacons,
as well as women religious, and several lay people through our dedicated canon lawyers. We continue to
receive phone calls from clergy in the United States and from other countries.” And this is his
prediction: “I foresee that this trend will continue.”
The following candid but heart-breaking letter to Fr. Higgins needs neither an explanation
nor comment:
April 24,
2008
Thank you for
t h e
incredible
service you are
providing to
p r i e s t s ,
deacons and
r eligious. I
h a v e b e e n
ordained for
tw enty fi ve
years and am
t h e o n l y
remaining
member of
my ordination
class still in
p r i e s t l y
ministry, I feel
l i k e t h e
definition of
l a s t m a n
standing . I
have witnessed
several of my
priest friends
and associates
s u f f e r i n g
4
Fr. Higgins adds: “We are the only organization that assists clergy, religious and laity who are in need
of canonical counsel. Often they do not know where to turn when accusations come against them; and their
bishops or provincials keep them at a distance with little information (emphasis mine). As a
consequence, the priest, religious or deacon finds himself in the position of being “presumed guilty
until he is proven innocent.” And that is a terrible injustice and a serious violation of human
rights.”
It is a commonly known fact that the good standing of the Catholic priest is undergoing
serious appraisal in western society. As a matter of fact, in view of the shocking
revelations in the recent past, the Catholic priesthood is being undermined by a series of
forces from both within and outside the Church. Even Pope Benedict XVI spoke of “the
sin within.” Offering the Catholic Church’s strongest statement of fault to date in its
widespread sexual-abuse scandal, the Sovereign Pontiff humbly and frankly confessed:
“The greatest persecution of the church doesn’t come from enemies on the outside but is
born from the sin within.” This is why he confidently launched the International Year of
the Priest in 2009. It was the 150th Year of the death (dies natalis) of the saintly patron of the
pastoral clergy, St. John Marie Vianney. [2009 was also the year that Father Gordon MacRae’s blog was born.]
When addressing the clergy of the Diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone (August 6, 2008), for
instance, our Pope Benedict emphasised the stringent need for reinforcing fraternal bonds
within a presbyterate: “No priest is a priest on his own; we are a presbyterate and it is
only in this communion with the Bishop that each one can carry out his service.”
In this pastorally cogent endeavour Pope Benedict XVI unequivocally emphasised the
crucial role of bishops. Speaking to the bishops of the United States of America in
Washington, D.C. (April 16, 2008), these are the Sovereign Pontiff ’s precise words: “If you
(bishops) yourselves live in a manner closely configured to Christ, the Good Shepherd,
who laid down his life for his sheep, you will inspire your brother priests to rededicate
themselves to the service of their flocks with Christ-like generosity. Indeed a clearer focus
upon the imitation of Christ in holiness of life is exactly what is needed in order for us
to move forward.”
In so doing, Pope Benedict was merely reiterating what the Fathers of the II Vatican
Council did unambiguously state in The Decree on Priestly Life and Ministry: “All priests share
with the bishops the one identical priesthood and ministry of Christ Jesus. On account
of this common sharing in the same priesthood and ministry, then bishops are to regard
their priests as brothers and friends and are to take the greatest interest they are capable
of in their welfare both temporal and spiritual.” In a word, no priest is a priest on his
own; we are a presbyterate and it is only in this communion with the Bishop that
each one can carry out his service.
Commending the praiseworthy work of Justice for Priests and Deacons, Rev. Dr. Michael
Higgins, the Founder and Executive Director, speaks of “a serious weakness in the operation of
the institutional church at international, national and diocesan levels. This is certainly true in the English
speaking world. The overwhelming need to protect the image of the church at the expense of individual
5
rights has done serious harm to priests and their standing in the church and society as a whole. There needs
to be an attempt to find the correct balance between these issues – to protect the rights and dignity of
priests, as well as to protect the people of God.” 2
With forthright courage and pastoral charity, Fr. Higgins unequivocally emphasises the
following inescapable points that merit the urgent attention and prompt action of all
concerned and in the best interests of all priests – diocesan and religious.
• This imbalance has enabled a coalition of forces to join a crescendo of sustained
and damaging criticism of the Catholic Church centred on its Achilles heel of
‘breach of trust’ by a very small number of priests.
• Many of the rights of priests, which are protected by Canon Law, have been
ignored.
• Some bishops/provincials have acted unjustly in dealing with priests and religious
who have been accused.
• Some priests have become the victims of abuse of power without full
understanding or advertisement of their rights. Each and every priest deserves
due process of the law when he is accused. 3
• Such a travesty of justice blatantly contravenes the specific directives of Christ
Jesus, the Eternal High Priest: “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be
great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your
slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for
many.” (Mt. 20:25-28)
• Even Pope Benedict XVI, in addressing the American Bishops, the United Nations
and all educators, spoke about the rights of every human being, a fortiori a priest,
diocesan or religious, to receive respect and justice as well as the need for true
leaders to seek truth if they are to remain faithful to the Gospel.
• Bishops must certainly protect the laity in the diocese, but they must also protect
their priests, diocesan and religious, for these are the men who are the
visible face of the bishop in parishes and other ministries.
2
Rev. Dr. Michael Higgins. Jus5ce for Priests and Deacons. Vol.2, Issue 1, January 2010, p.1.
3
“Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent unOl proven guilty
according to law in a public trial at which he had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.” (ArOcle
11, Universal DeclaraOon of Human rights – General Assembly of the United NaOons adopted on
December 10, 1948.
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• When a bishop shows an abuse of power he is attacking the basis of all
human rights and integrity. When used against a cleric, he is attacking one
of the most defenceless of all people in the church.
• When a cleric is not told who is making the accusations, what the actual
accusation is, when it happened or other vital information, the cleric is
powerless to defend himself or even prove his innocence.
• If there is no effort to ascertain the truth of an accusation or to ask for facts
that are verifiable then the bishops are opening themselves up to false
accusations simply because people are seeking money at the expense of a
defenceless and helpless cleric. Such a false denunciation is a canonical
crime and reparation can be required (Canon 1390 §3)
• Bishops are to be in service to all the people in their diocese. Requiring
minimally that the accusations be true and giving clerics the right to defend
themselves is simply upholding the recommendations of both Blessed Pope
John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. A failure to honour this momentous
commitment cannot but result in a loss of both credibility and moral
authority.
To conclude, the Fathers of the II Vatican Council in the Decree on Bishops (§16) have made
it indubitably clear that “with sympathetic understanding and practical help, bishops
should take care of priests who are in danger of any kind or who have failed in some
way.”
This is particularly cogent in view of a widespread and distressing observation, which is
not without a justifiable foundation: “The Catholic Church has become the safest
place in the world for children, but the most dangerous place in the world for
priests.”
The Eucharistic Adoration Chapel established by Saint Maximilian Kolbe was inaugurated at the outbreak of World War II. It was restored as a Chapel of Adoration in September, 2018, the commemoration of the date that the war began. It is now part of the World Center of Prayer for Peace. The live internet feed of the Adoration Chapel at Niepokalanow — sponsored by EWTN — was established just a few weeks before we discovered it and began to include in at Beyond These Stone Walls. Click “Watch on YouTube” in the lower left corner to see how many people around the world are present there with you. The number appears below the symbol for EWTN.
Click or tap here to proceed to the Adoration Chapel.
The following is a translation from the Polish in the image above: “Eighth Star in the Crown of Mary Queen of Peace” “Chapel of Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at Niepokalanow. World Center of Prayer for Peace.” “On September 1, 2018, the World Center of Prayer for Peace in Niepokalanow was opened. It would be difficult to find a more expressive reference to the need for constant prayer for peace than the anniversary of the outbreak of World War II.”
For the Catholic theology behind this image, visit my post, “The Ark of the Covenant and the Mother of God.”