Pope Gregory the Great's Warning About Wicked Shepherds
May 30, 2010 by Patrick Madrid
Filed under Patrick's Blog
I read a mainstream media news report this morning about a recent gathering of priests and seminarians in Rome for the purpose of offering “prayers for the victims of clergy abuse and for the healing of the church’s wounds from the scandal over its concealment of abuse.” This is an exceedingly good thing to do, and I hope it will inspire diocesan bishops everywhere to gather their own presbyterates together and emulate this.
THERE ARE SOME ALSO who investigate spiritual precepts with cunning care, but what they penetrate with their understanding they trample on in their lives: all at once they teach the things which, not by practice but by study, they have learned; and what in words they preach, by their manners they impugn.
Whence it comes to pass that when the shepherd walks through steep places, the flock follows to the precipice.
Hence it is that the Lord through the prophet complains of the contemptible knowledge of shepherds, saying, When you yourselves had drunk most pure water, you fouled the residue with your feet; and My sheep fed on that which had been trodden by your feet, and drank that which your feet had fouled Ezekiel 34:18-19.
For indeed the shepherds drink most pure water, when with a right understanding they imbibe the streams of truth. But to foul the same water with their feet is to corrupt the studies of holy meditation by evil living. And verily the sheep drink the water fouled by their feet, when any of those subject to them follow not the words which they hear, but only imitate the bad examples which they see. Thirsting for the things said, but perverted by the works observed, they take in mud with their draughts, as from polluted fountains.
Hence also it is written through the prophet, A snare for the downfall of my people are evil priests (Hosea 5:1; 9:8). Hence again the Lord through the prophet says of the priests, They are made to be for a stumbling-block of iniquity to the house of Israel. For certainly no one does more harm in the Church than one who has the name and rank of sanctity, while he acts perversely. For him, when he transgresses, no one presumes to take to task; and the offense spreads forcibly for example, when out of reverence to his rank the sinner is honored.
But all who are unworthy would fly from the burden of so great guilt, if with the attentive ear of the heart they weighed the sentence of the Truth, Whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea (Matthew 18:6).
By the millstone is expressed the round and labor of worldly life, and by the depth of the sea is denoted final damnation.
Whosoever, then, having come to bear the outward show of sanctity, either by word or example destroys others, it had indeed been better for him that earthly deeds in open guise should press him down to death than that sacred offices should point him out to others as imitable in his wrong-doing; because, surely, if he fell alone, the pains of hell would torment him in [a] more tolerable degree (Regu
la Pastoralis, II).
How refreshing that some of us are pulling our heads out of the sand. It's long overdue!
Now, maybe things will really start to move.
Pope St. Gregory the Great, ora pro nobis!
There are far too many other frailities that our shepherds need to be chidded for, not the least is their entanglement with Godless leftist politics, whether in liberation theology, or the agressive funding with monies (Given to the poor) through ACORN the most pro-abortion/infanticide president. The debacle at Notre Dame, the alignment with the anti-subsidiarity "Obamacare" -it's end of life intrusions (death panels anyone) jailing those who don't buy insurance designed to become the government, the piling on of debt to our grandchildren, the interference in what the catechism says is the business of the laity ( immigration)as well as encoraging the breaking of laws.
They do more harm to their pastoral authority by playing politics and nearly ignoring their mission of fostering the salvation of souls, than is imaginable.
The laity needs to not only pray for them but needs to make demands that they begin to behave as did the apostles that they are called to emulate.
It shows things have been a bit rough in the past too. I remember the revelations of St Bridget of Sweden had some very strong words about corrupt bishops and priests.
I have met so many good holy priests and feel for them in the current climate.
I have to say here in the UK I am saddened by the silence of our bishops and their refusal to support us even when we beg.
There's a rosary crusade set up to get people to say they will pray for their bishop-so I am doing that. I hope it helps me in the forgiveness dept too.