A Gift to a Beleaguered Priesthood

Father James Valladares, PhD, a friend to Father Gordon MacRae and this blog, is a priest, psychologist, and noted author from Mumbai, India and Adelaide, Australia.

September 2, 2026 by Fr. James Valladares, PhD

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

— Lao-tzu (philosopher, 604 BC - 531 BC)

Once upon a time . . . early in 1966, I commenced my second year in 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”; and “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 Lawgiver, 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 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. Therefore, 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 if feeds on.
— Shakespeare: Othello ac3, sc.3, 1.165

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 religious superior. Should they be judicious and fair, 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 them 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 and he was not 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 reinstated. The opposite of “love” is not “hate,” but indifference. And there could not be a more damaging blow to priestly morale.

As can be expected, the repercussions of such unjust, un-priestly, and morally reprehensible behaviour can have irreversibly injurious results that could range from loss of morale to a nervous breakdown, to a defection from the active ministry, to destructive addictions. Quite some time ago, for instance, in various parts of the United States, 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 details, in some cases, were 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 exposé, 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]

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.” [2]

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 does not come from enemies on the outside but is born from the sin within.” [3] This is why he confidently launched the International Year of the Priest (2009) in 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, for instance, Pope Benedict XVI emphasized the stringent need for reinforcing fraternal bonds within the 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.” [4]

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 DC, 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 re-dedicate 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.” [5]

In so doing, Pope Benedict XVI was merely reiterating what the Fathers of the Second 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.” [6] 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.” [7]

The current crisis of false and unsubstantiated allegations against innocent priests and religious, therefore, urgently warrants a clear and definite procedure, for the following reasons:

• 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 and provincials have acted unjustly in dealing with priests and religious who have been accused.

• Some priests have become the victims of abuses of power, without being provided with a full understanding or advertisement of their rights. Each and every priest deserves due process of the law when he is accused. [8]

• 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 wished 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.” [9]

• 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.

• When a bishop abuses his power, he is attacking the basis of all human rights and integrity. When used against a cleric, he is attacking 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. By requiring minimally that the accusations be true and giving clerics the right to defend themselves, they are simply upholding the recommendations of both Saint 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 Second 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.” [10]

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1. David Rice, Shattered Vows — Priests Who Leave (New York: William Morrow & Co. Inc., 1990) 16.

2. Benedict XVI, 11 May, 2010. Edward Pentin, “Pope’s In-Flight Briefing with Journalists,” National Catholic Register.

3. Benedict XVI. Op.Cit.

4. Pope Benedict XVI, in Codes, Paul J., Communio in the Presbyterium. Why Priests?‍ ‍Address to clergy of the Diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone, August 6, 2008. Scepter.

5. Pope Benedict XVI. Address to bishops of the United States of America, Washington DC, April 16, 2008.

6. Abbott (SJ), Walter M. (ed): The Documents of Vatican II. Geoffrey Chapman, London, 1967. Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests.

7. Pope Benedict XVI, in Codes, Paul J., Op. Cit.

8. “Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty according to law in a public trial at which he had all the guarantees necessary for his defence” (Article 11, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, General Assembly of the United Nations, adopted on December 10, 1948).

9. Matthew: 20: 25-28

10. Michael Brandon, host of ‘Freedom Through Truth’, and quoted by Fr. Gordon MacRae in “When Priests Are Falsely Accused: Why Accusers Should be Named.”

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Fr. James Valladares, PhD is a diocesan priest of the archdiocese of Bombay in India, where he served for 20 years in the pastoral ministry before immigrating to the archdiocese of Adelaide, South Australia to join his family and serve for the next 26 years. In his ministry, Fr. James served in diocesan parishes, parish schools, and colleges at the graduate level.

Fr. James is a psychologist, who has done his Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate in Psychology, specialising in Counselling  Psychology. He has excelled in preaching, and has always used the words of Jesus as his motivation: “ … that they may have life in abundance.”

Fr. James has written many books, two of which were universally and highly appreciated: Psychology, Religion and Healing; and Hope Springs Eternal in the Priestly Breast, bravely and unequivocally championing the cause of priests falsely and maliciously accused in the questionable pursuit of money.

Readers are urged to read his Research Study published by iUniverse and easily available on Amazon and in any reputed book store such as Barnes & Nobles.

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Note from Father Gordon MacRae: Thank you for reading and sharing this post about priesthood in our troubled time. You may also like these related posts from Beyond These Stone Walls.

Optimism: When Hope Springs Eternal

The Prison of Father Gordon MacRae and Pornchai Maximilian Moontri

A Lesson From Saint Damien of Molokai, Leper Priest

Cardinal Pell … Well, Well, Well …

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.”

Optimism: When Hope Springs Eternal

A decade after the priesthood scandal broke the hearts of many Catholics and the optimism of many priests, Fr. James Valladares reminded us all of the gift of Hope.

July 29, 2026 by Father Michael P. Orsi with an Introduction by Father Gordon MacRae

Introduction

As most of the readers of this blog know, I was sent to prison with a life sentence in 1994 after refusing multiple plea deal offers to plead guilty in exchange for a one-to-two-year prison sentence. I would have been released from prison over 30 years ago had I actually been guilty, or at least willing to pretend so. It is the way more than 90 percent of trials in the United States are resolved in court. Those who gain their sense of Law and Order from the popular TV show of the same name are oblivious to the reality of this. I used to also be oblivious to what is today called “The Trial Penalty,” the implied threat that if you do not plead guilty you will spend the rest of your life in prison.

The first decade of my life in prison was the most painful, but not the only one that was painful. All hope had gone out of my world. The Church had gone out of my world, and took the priesthood with it. By some unknown mercy, I was spared the loss of my priesthood. I was never dismissed from the clerical state, a factor that I clung to as I grasped for any semblance of hope. Toward the end of that first decade, around 2003-2004, it got even worse. What had been a crisis in Boston and New Hampshire exploded onto the national stage and became a cause célèbre for contingency lawyers by the hundreds and scam artists by the thousands to bilk the Church out of more than $4 billion dollars in settlement of claims that never even saw the inside of a court room or heard the gavel of a judge. I wrote of this trend most recently in “Ten Years After The Boston Globe Spotlight Prostituted Journalism.”

As the news footage and newsprint dominated the scandal, I heard from some brother priests of my Diocese, but what I heard was merely condemnation. My Bishop’s office spokesperson, a monsignor who years later would serve his own prison sentence for financial crimes, filled in all the blanks in the public narrative with content about me and the case against me, which was entirely contrived and untrue, and for which he thought with surety that I would never actually see. Further down that deep well of hopelessness, I was alone in my grief.

Around 2000 or so, a celebrated Pulitzer Prize-wining journalist stepped on to the national media stage after quietly performing a forensic analysis of the case against me and its motives and aftermath. Suddenly there was an explosion of hope within me that no matter the outcome, the truth would finally be told on the most potent national stage, The Wall Street Journal.

But then, on September 11, 2001 — in the least of the tragedies of that day — came news that the offices of The Wall Street Journal were destroyed as the Twin Towers in the World Trade Center fell in New York City. Any optimism I had left fell along with them. All the research and content, electronic and otherwise, that had been amassed by Dorothy Rabinowitz, a member of The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board, was demolished. In January of 2002 came word that we would have to start over. I was not certain that I could.

What was supposed to have been written around 2001 became postponed indefinitely. The corrupt monsignor in my Diocese, who wore a second hat as the head of an organization representing insurance companies that moderated settlements, continued his campaign of misinformation, inflating the file of record with falsehood. Then, finally, in 2005 the hammer fell. The Wall Street Journal published its first of several articles under the broad heading, “The Trials of Father MacRae.” Other publications, such as The Media Report, picked up that story and ran with it. Our “Monsignor” fell into silence. A few years later Cardinal Avery Dulles and Father Richard John Neuhaus, along with the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, urged me to write giving birth to Beyond These Stone Walls. My stifled optimism was undergoing a breakout appearance in my heart and soul.

Then the unthinkable happened. A priest and psychologist, a celebrated author in Australia, also took up this story in a magnificent book, Hope Springs Eternal in the Priestly Breast. Father James Valladares, PhD is one of the most courageous and honorable priests I know.

While I was busy writing in prison for a blog the audience of which I could not see, Father Valladares was in Australia reading every word. When his book was published in 2012, I learned with a shock that he had been taking copious notes about my sacrificial priesthood, and he filled a significant number of his pages and chapters with the thoughts of my heart which he revealed. I was stunned, and I knew instantly that all those years of hopelessness were dedicated to the exposition of truth that will long outlive both Father Valladares and me. He gave his book a most hopeful title:

Hope Springs Eternal in the Priestly Breast.

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Note from Father Gordon MacRae: This book is very special. It was not a gift to me, but to the priesthood. I recently wrote to Father Valladares about the status of his research and his book. He very generously gave me the entire book in electronic format so that we could publish his chapters one by one as an occasional post at Beyond These Stone Walls. And so we begin this week with the Foreword to Hope Springs Eternal in the Priestly Breast. The Foreword is brilliant. It was written by Father Michael P. Orsi, then of Ave Maria School of Law in Naples, Florida. It contains the most hope I have seen or heard in a very long time.

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Foreword by Reverend Michael P. Orsi, Ave Maria School of Law

The clergy abuse scandal has posed the greatest threat to the traditional understanding of the Catholic priesthood since the Protestant Reformation. Now, as then, the deadliest attacks are coming from within the Church. In an attempt to ameliorate a system that allowed a small minority of the clergy to violate children and the gross negligence of some bishops who recycled these predators, the American bishops instituted the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People in 2002. It is, unfortunately, doing the Church more harm than good.

By adhering to the Charter’s provisions, the American hierarchy has unwittingly undermined the Church’s sacramental theology regarding Holy Orders and her ecclesiology, which depends on a priest’s relationship with his bishop. This breakdown has encouraged present-day Modernists, who believe the truth is culturally conditioned and that the Faith is based merely on sentimentality, to try to remake the Church according to their own lights. Intra-ecclesial groups like Future Church, Voice of the Faithful (VOTF), and the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) have subsequently formed, challenging the hierarchical nature of the Church, her infallible teaching on the male-only priesthood, and the Western tradition of priestly celibacy.

A major factor responsible for a large number of the sex abuse cases, according to the 2011 John Jay College of Criminology Report to the bishops, is attributed to the sexual confusion which reigned in society and the Church in the 1960s and 1970s. The teaching of moral relativism and the acceptance of popular psychological theories over traditional theological principles led to the excess of bad behavior during this period. No doubt bad thinking led to bad actions. The lesson is that orthodoxy is necessary for orthopraxis.

The Dallas Charter was a response to the deep regret felt by the bishops for the perverse crimes that had occurred against minors and a recognition that strong safeguards must be in place to protect them. But the remedies that they enacted were influenced by the secular solutions of lawyers and public relations experts, which compromised the Gospel. They do not reflect justice, charity, and forgiveness toward priests. Dangerous procedural measures, such as administrative leave, zero tolerance, and one-size-fits-all policy for accused priests and for punishing malefactors have lent themselves to violations of canonical due process and a mockery of time-tested principles of jurisprudence. This is especially evident when dioceses publish the names of defenseless deceased priests as sex abusers on their websites. But most egregious is the forced laicization imposed on those deemed to be guilty. This action clouds in the popular mind the permanency of the indelible character of Holy Orders conferred at ordination.

The present state of affairs has caused mistrust and fear in priest-bishop relationship. The collaboration of a priest with his bishop is vital since he participates in the bishop’s priesthood. Bishops, who are supposed to be fathers, brothers, and friends to their priests, have instead become mere managers with institutional damage control as their top priority. Many priests have dubbed this the Caiaphas Principle. A recent survey in an unpublished dissertation found that most priests do not believe that they can count on the support of their fellow priests in the event of a false accusation, presumably out of fear of retribution from their bishop or from victims’ advocacy groups. This too is extremely dangerous because priests of the diocese form a presbyterate in union with their bishop. It has devastating pastoral consequences.

“Credible evidence,” the nebulous standard used by diocesan review boards, has effectively made priests guilty until proven innocent. This has forced priests to shy away from human interactions, especially expressions of pastoral warmth and concern, which were the hallmarks of Jesus’s public ministry. Now a fatherly touch may be interpreted as a sexual advance or an act of kindness toward a young person misconstrued as “grooming.” As one priest so poignantly stated, “If I meet a woman, I’m having an affair; if I meet a man, I’m gay; and, God forbid, if I’m with a child, I’m an abuser.” In the current climate, any human action of a priest is suspect. Naturally, this has had a devastating toll on the effectiveness of the ordained ministry.

In Hope Springs Eternal in the Priestly Breast, Fr. James Valladares shows how justice and charity have been violated by some bishops in dealing with accused priests. He examines the pertinent canons that guide the Church’s justice system and finds that these are often ignored or wrongly applied. He provides true cases that highlight the injustice of the process and the agony of priests who have been subjected to the Charter’s draconian mandates.

The Church has incurred tremendous financial losses because of settlements rising from both legitimate and false claims. Her image has been marred by the secular media, which has taken advantage of the crisis. However, we often fail to understand how trivial these are in comparison to the damage done to the priesthood by the enactment of the Charter’s policies. This is the pressing issue that the bishops need to address.

The present scenario reported by Fr. Valladares is dark. Yet, he has surprisingly chosen a title for his book that speaks of hope. For sure, it is a hope based on Jesus’ words to his disciples, “I will be with you always.” Therefore, far from being pessimistic, Fr. Valladares presents the facts with confidence that “the truth will set us free.”

For his hard work, born out of a love for the priesthood and his brother-priests, Fr. James Valladares is to be commended.

Reverend Michael P. Orsi
Ave Maria School of Law
Naples, Florida
Fall 2011

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Related Links

Bogus Charges Against Priests Abound by Rev. Michael P. Orsi for the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights

David Clohessy Resigned SNAP in Alleged Kickback Scheme

Ten Years After The Boston Globe Spotlight Prostituted Journalism Years

Due Process for Accused Priests by Father Gordon MacRae for the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights

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.”