Ongoing Crisis in our Church
by Fred Schaeffer, SFO

Over the years, there have been a number of Polls dealing with Catholics and how they view their Faith, their relationship to their Church, and their relationship to God. As early as 1995, it became evident that only 32% of Catholics believed in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ, one of the core beliefs of Roman Catholics. That figure went down to 30% in 2004. I don't know what this figure is now, in 2006, but with the various ongoing crisis in our Church that came to light, especially, in the past three years, that figure is probably lower. The American Catholic clergy is constantly being accused, by the media in particular, of an ongoing responsibility as far as pedophilia is concerned. Certainly, those responsible should not be protected in any way. But this problem is not just an American problem. I've been aware of pedophilia in the church since the year 1946, when I was taken advantage of by a Catholic brother in the Netherlands at a Catholic boarding school for boys. In 1946 I was just six years old. It chagrins me to recall these events. But I am reminded of it time and time again by recent revelations of similar nature.

Do I blame the Catholic Church? Yes and no. My deep Faith in Jesus Christ and my love for God brings me to prayer, often, where I ask Jesus to forgive the few misguided individuals who perpetrate these misdeeds, that justice may be done. On the other hand, it is sad that the Bishops and other leadership in the Church swept such problems under the proverbial carpet, suggesting that this was only a very small problem, effecting very few young people. The amount of people coming forward in the past three years show us that this is not a small problem. It is an ongoing crisis.

The majority of Roman Catholics are not, themselves, involved in these nefarious activities behind the scenes but nevertheless, these misdeeds, especially those that went undiscovered for many years cause dissent among Catholics, and particularly, sow doubt and distrust of the hierarchy. It is no wonder that so many Catholics have left the Church, or have lost considerable faith in the organized church no matter what its name is. There are people I know who wish nothing more to do with organized religion because of their experiences in their young lives. For twenty years, I too, was away from the Church, but I returned in 1985 because I could no longer justify my lack of Faith for a set of beliefs I once held dear. More than that, I sorely missed receiving Holy Communion, the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ.

Some of my acquaintances opted out of the church, of any church for that matter, in order to live a good life where they determined what would be spiritually healthy or unhealthy for them. Sure, that can be done, if you're one of those astute people who are scrupulously honest with yourself. For many people, leaving their church meant doing everything opposite to the belief-system of the church they left. People seem to leave to make a change, and in my opinion, it isn't always a change for the best. People leave the Catholic church because they say they cannot cope with its strict tenets covering abortion. People leave the Church so they can have sex with whomever or when they want. I am not making this up. People have actually told me this. I remember a lad in his 20's living with a girlfriend, and they left the Catholic Church for another church where they could do this, this and that, which the Catholic Church would not allow. In my opinion, that's running away from God.

I may not agree with every little thing the Catholic church demands of me, but in the big things, I totally agree. I stay in the Church because it is a guiding framework for me, to stay close to our Lord and be able to minister to others. And, as a Secular Franciscan, I am called to build a new, just and fraternal world, contributing to the Kingdom of God, with courageous initiatives and actions in the concrete situations we live in, never forgetting the importance of confident and persevering prayers. I pray for those within the Church who do things that none of us agree with, but with over a billion Catholics worldwide, there are bound to be some wayward souls. It is my hope that those, be they clergy or lay people, who bring irreparable damage to children and young people, be dealt with according to the Law and a much stricter and self-policing Catholic Church.

There still is an immense amount of confusion on the part of many Catholics, since the Vatican Council II took place, why there were so many changes, and why they were just made without laying a groundwork and mostly without further explanation. Is this the reason why so many religious turned away from religious life to rejoin the lay community? Is this the reason for a shortage of priests (although the priest to parishioner ratio is better in USA than in many other countries)? Why did Catholic Education for adults seemingly fall by the wayside? These are questions I cannot answer, but I know there is a deep need for ongoing adult education about the tenets of our Faith because there is much confusion out there.

When Catholics, in conversation, tell me how they've solved the problem of sin in their lives, by believing that "Jesus understands me," or "We're all sinners," it is clear to me that "daily conversion" is out the window. Only we, each one of us, can determine how we wish to worship, what our spiritual limits are, but many times it seems to be away from God, and away from the teachings of the Magisterium. Is the Magisterium such an anachronism, that people are inclined to throw away the very core of Catholic teaching for something less, something easier, that they, in fact, begin to muddle the differences between right and wrong? I hope not. I pray that Catholics remain resolute in their Faith and love God enough to stay with the strict interpretation of the Catholic Faith as set forth by the Holy Father and the Magisterium. Let's not have a German Catholic Church, or a South Korean Catholic Church, or an American Catholic Church. Let us have ONE Catholic Church, based at the Vatican, with our Holy Father at the helm. Let us not be conservative, liberal or whatever Catholic, but let us just be Catholic, and strive to do better each and every day. Make each day count. Repent now, make use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession), promise God we will do better each and every day, love Him more and more by sinning less and less. Then receive Him in Holy Communion, so that His strength, His Grace, may strengthen us for the days to come.

May all active and practicing Catholics who receive Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament at least every Sunday, pray for their clergy, deacons, priests and all in religious life, they may remain obedient to God's commandments, and to Church Leaders, and practice a strict celibate life loving God more and more. Let us also pray that Catholics may remain true to the Teachings of their Church and to those of Jesus Christ.

 Fred Schaeffer, SFO
2/20/2006 rev.