Sigh. Unless it was a forced and false confession wrought in the midst of the ever so popular Reid style of interrogation popular among detectives (and that is a possibility, by the way, although I don’t know this, of course), this priest does seem to have admitted all to the police, that he was making babies with a young woman in the rectory, on her 18th birthday, and that, when one was made, he brought her to an abortuary, stayed with her, and paid for the abortion. He’s now in “treatment.” The D.A.’s doing an investigation to see if this started when the young lady was a minor, to see if there are corruption of a minor charges to be imposed. Of course, it’s all over for him as a priest if this turns out to be true. If I were to be charged with such a thing, and I were innocent, I would never agree to go to such “treatment”, though many priests, innocent of whatever charges, have done so as a way, they thought, to prove their innocence. Of course, one can never prove innocence, can one? And one is innocent until proven guilty, right? And even then, we’ve seen other cases, very many in fact, where the priest is wrongfully convicted and then kicked in the face by ecclesiastical superiors just so that they can have a good image for themselves in the media for having distanced themselves from the supposed offender, right? O.K., so, apart from the case itself, about which we know so little, let’s do an examination of conscience about our reaction to these events, supposing the allegations to be true just for the sake of argument…
What are your first thoughts as you read that article and watch that short video on that news website?
While you’re thinking about that, let me help you reflect with another video, the absolutely wonderful pictures for which were supplied by a still-traumatized-years-later post-abortive though now very prolife woman…
So, wow… to repeat the question: What are your first thoughts, having read that article and watched that short video on that news website?
Did your first thoughts go to the priest who went against absoultely everything that the priesthood is about?
Or, did your first thoughts go to the young woman, who is surely horrifically traumatized as all women are by abortion? I mean, to whom does she turn in order to get to know the goodness and kindness of Jesus… another priest? Maybe she has already, I don’t know. But. What. A. Trauma.
Or, were both these thoughts simultaneous?
Or perhaps it is all just too much, so that one is stunned, with no possibility for thoughts about it at all?
For myself, I don’t know what to say, perhaps… all of the above…
What we do know is this, that no matter how great the sin, and sins can be horrific, Jesus can still forgive us, and does — That’s why He came! – but we need, with His grace, which He freely gives, to accept this forgiveness in our lives. Confession and then Communion with Him… That’s the way to go. Always.
I suppose there are many cases we will never know the truth about in this world. Many who are innocent are convicted. Many who as guilty as Satan himself walk free, in this world anyway.
I remember some ten years ago talking to an old priest-friend who was teaching over in the last remaining diocesan seminary on the Irish mainland, commenting that there are so few vocations in Ireland, and that so many are leaving the priesthood. He immediately quipped, as the Irish are bound to do, that many who left should have stayed, and many who did not leave should have left. Yikes!
Look, dear readers, we are all in this together. We have all of us, without exception, crucified Jesus by our sins. And He wants us in heaven. Sure, we can do terrible, terrible things, but His mercy is always stronger than our sin. Otherwise, we make of ourselves little gods in place of Him, right? Strange how false humility about the greatness of our sins can be so full of pride! We really need to let go of our darkness and, in that darkness, note how the light of Jesus is shining upon us, drawing us out of darkness into His marvelous light. We look to the light in the darkness until we are bathed in light, not that we are so much looking to Him, but recognizing that He is drawing us to Himself. That’s what we all need. The goodness and kindness of the Light of Life. And Jesus is just that good. He is just that kind. And He is drawing us to Himself. It’s all very dark, but His light is, how to say it… (sorry for the Star Trek reference…) His light is like a tractor beam drawing us irresistibly to Himself if we but say “Yes” despite all the darkness round about. Yes, Jesus… Yes…
The White House has a webpage dedicated to branches of government which visit, kind of like HAM radio operators notching up another contact. Those are political visits. Just to say, I think my list of visits must be about as ample as the presidents, though for different reasons!
Accompany me, Father George David Byers, S.S.L., S.T.D., as I begin life as a Catholic Priest-Hermit by choice. Holy Souls Hermitage is dedicated to the sanctification of my fellow priests, bishops, deacons & seminarians going through the purgatory of this life or the next. Prayer and sacrifice go up, of course, for both Benedict XVI and the next Successor of Saint Peter. 
How refreshing to see news coverage that was news coverage, not an anti-Catholic slant. We’re called to pray for our priests, not judge them. That parish needs our prayers, as well as the diocese. An attack on the priesthood is also an attack on Jesus in the Eucharist, in His Presence in the most Blessed Sacrament.
This is a very heart wrenching subject. Forgive me Father George but I’m going to rant if you will permit. [Of course!]
I thought God’s forgiveness only applies when the person is repentant of their sin? [The Lord always holds out His love and forgiveness, but you're exactly correct: we must be willing to receive that forgiveness, which means we must repent, which means admitting the sin.] God may give His mercy and forgiveness but don’t we still have to make retribution in union with the Lord for that sin? [Inasmuch as we can. That's one of the aspects of the penance given with the absolution.]
To my way of thinking, when a priest is involved it seems so much more horrific because you trust this man. [Spot on. This is abuse of office, of power, which is always horrific. This is on a different level, and is more serious than even what you are going to mention next, for the priest is to be totally conformed to Christ Jesus Himself.] But I also wonder if it is any different to be a Mother who calls her 51 year old daughter over for a cup and tea and proceeds to tell her that she tried to abort you. That someone stopped her. She recounts the things she did to try and rid herself of you but conveyed to you her dissappointment that she wasn’t successful the first time and intended to try again. Also, she tells you that she is not sorry that she tried and would do it again if the situation presented itself again. [This is so sad.] You thought this person loved you! You trusted this person all those years! You were her caregiver in her old age. Now she tells you it is her right to kill and she would do it again! [I don't know this situation, but I have quite a lot of experience with the elderly. To have attempted such a thing when young would drive any woman around the bend just an abortion actually accomplished does. This works on a person. There are two ways that she can go, the road of repentance and then offering her anguish as an act of intercession for all, or, with no hope in God, become lost in lonely, hopeless bitterness with oneself, for a lifetime, pushing one to rationalize this, even to the point of making a horrific act of aggression by saying such things in a final attempt at reconciling oneself to the feelings of remorse which just will not let up (because there has been no repentance).] How does an adult daughter not judge her Mother in this case? It is hard to forget that this person, who gave you birth and whom you loved, wanted you dead and said she would do it again! Out and out betrayal… [But, in her desperate, nearing the end of life circumstances, she may be pushing so very hard to prove to herself that no one, not even her daughter, cares for her. She can be showing her worst in order to see her daughter stick to her guns, that is, her faith, still holding out to the mother forgiveness for the taking, if she can take it (see above).] just as this priest betrayed all of us. He also killed [though his case, I contend, is immeasurably worse, immeasurably...] but didn’t this Mother also kill by her desire to kill. [Objectively, yes.] How do you forgive when this reminder is still alive? You look this person in the face and have to call her Mom because biologically she is. [Remember, we all crucified Jesus by our sins, all of us, without exception. We ourselves have to take a long hard look at Jesus on the Cross, hanging in bleeding shreds of flesh, He looking into our eyes... and we have to hold out forgiveness for the taking, regardless of whether the person can take it in...] Whether a priest or a non-priest, the murder of the innocent and the betrayal of trust of the innocent, places these people in the footsteps of Judas. [Remember, Jesus called Judas "friend" in the very midst of the betrayal...]
We can only make an observation of the situation on the facts and actions placed before us. Only God knows what is truly in their hearts and we must not judge but the humanity within rebels against the facts and the actions. We pray for the grace to forgive and must give ourselves over to God in prayer. [We can always judge the exterior actions if we actually know all the facts. Often we don't even know this, but we have to make prudential decision on what we know. For instance, not giving the car keys to a plastered out his mind teenage son is a prudential judgement. You don't know how he got drunk, for someone might have spiked his orange juice, so you don't judge that, for now. You don't give him the keys. You also refrain from judging the soul, for we do not have that clarity, for we do not yet see God in the Face and we have no accurate standard of comparison. But prudential judgements, go ahead!]
There is a lot of evil “out there”. This case with the priest that you cited above is just another evil. I can’t fix the situation….I can’t judge the people…so the only recourse given to me is to pray for them. [This is excellent. Prayer is very, very powerful. If only we knew. We would be praying all the time for everyone. Prayer is so very powerful, even if we think our own prayer is pretty useless. In that case, if we pray, it is more powerful yet, for we are totally relying on the Lord.] It is no wonder we hear of our Lord and Lady’s statues or icons are weeping. Heaven is weeping. I weep for those poor little babies that were butchered and pray that they are at peace with the Lord. I weep for the Mothers and Fathers who allow this horrific butchery and think it’s ok. I weep for the people who do the actual killing and those who allow it to be done. Thank goodness God brings sorrow into some of the mothers’ hearts! That is His mercy. [Yes, it is. Well spoken.]
We have a merciful God…now if only we can have the grace to forgive and be forgiven. Pray for the babies, their parents, doctors, law makers, etc. Pray for an end to abortion!
God bless you all…
[And thank you, Catherine. And may our dear Lord bless you and yours abundantly.]
Thank you for giving me something to reflect on Father. You have been a blessing and a help through a lot of the life situations that I have never been able to speak of before. I am so sorry to burden you but I am also thankful for your kind counsel. I don’t think I will ever understand some things but you are quite right…prayer is very powerful and brings you face to face with God.
As for Michael, he is always close to my heart…and his is a constant prayer throughout my day particularly when there is danger. I found I had dropped my Divine Mercy rosary half an hour ago which has always been a sign for urgent prayer…just before I got the other word from you. I will do as you ask. Jesus is in control. Thank you again and bless you Father George.
Thanks, Catherine!
Catherine, do you think your mother might be suffering from dementia? It changes the personality and the victims often say things they don’t mean.
Daisy! Good call on that. I’ve seen what you mention many times.