To my Roman
Catholic friends suffering through the latest
clergy abuse scandals:
A Compassionate and Hope-filled Word.
1. All of
Christendom mourns with you.
The whole
Christian Church on earth, and in eternity, mourns with you. I mourn with you, and you continue in my
prayers. As also with martyrs, Christian
solidarity means that our hearts break also for the millions of Roman
Catholics, laity and clergy, who are reeling from the latest series of
revelations of sexual abuse, cover-up and scandal amongst the Roman Catholic
clergy. I pray that by God’s grace and
guiding, we may all learn to confess our sins and bring them into the light of
the eternal day, the place where the Holy Spirit promises to shine the
redeeming light of Christ, which alone has the power to make all things
new.
2. Do not
give up Hope.
Speaking of the
redeeming light of Christ: Do
not give up hope. Despair is
half a step from unbelief, but it is also the place of the smoldering wick and
the bruised reed, that is to say, the very place the Savior goes to seek and to
save. God who did not spare His Son, but
gave Him up to save us, is certainly more than ready to lift you up, wash your
wounds, and bring you into His good pastures.
He will not abandon you; this is His promise to you in your
Baptism.
3. Our Resolution to do better is not the Way.
Many are rightly
calling for a return to true holiness, and for the bishops of the Roman
Catholic Church to demonstrate heroic and loving leadership. This is right. All Christians are called to live holy lives.
However, our re-dedication to holy
living, no matter how sincere, will not solve this problem.
St. Paul said Christ Jesus has become to
us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and sanctification,
and redemption, and what he meant is that Jesus is our 100% righteousness,
sanctification and redemption, without any contribution from us. True Christian living, by clergy or laity,
depends not on our efforts, but on our constant connection to and repentant
reliance upon Jesus, who alone can empower us to live more holy lives tomorrow
than we lived today, by the power of His forgiveness.
4. Neither
is our anger the Way.
You are probably angry
at the horrible sins against the most vulnerable that have been revealed. Be careful with your anger. As forgiven sinners, who deserve God´s wrath
but in Jesus have received His mercy, we are called to love our enemies, pray
for their conversion, and leave vengeance to the Lord. Take care not to let your anger turn you
against the only true source of consolation and hope that there is, the
crucified and resurrected Son of God.
5. Consider
what may seem Impossible.
The suspicion that
this problem is endemic in the Roman Catholic Church is by no means
irrational. Nor is it contrary to good
theology. I implore you to consider that
this recurring problem may be due in large part to fundamental theological
errors and contradictions of God´s Word that are officially taught by the Roman
Catholic Church, which compound and multiply the perverse power of human
sinfulness.
6. Understand Suffering under the Gospel:
Finally, be
warned, there is no perfect Christian institution on earth, just as there are
no perfect Christians, only Sinner-Saints.
In and of ourselves we are completely sinful and without hope. But joined to Christ by Baptismal faith, and
strengthened by Him through the Eucharist, we are truly Saints, completely holy
and righteous because God says so, in His Word of Promise. We are pleasing in the Father´s eye simply
and solely because we are covered by the perfect righteousness of Christ, whose
blood washes away all our sin.
Under this
beautiful Gospel, we can face whatever the devil, the world and our own sinful
flesh throw at us, because the Gospel binds us to Jesus, the valiant One who
fights for us. By this pure Gospel, we
are together, united, with the whole Christian Church of every time and every
place, and the Church can never fail, because her groom is Christ, who reigns
forever and ever.
The Peace of Christ and His forgiving love be with you.
Pastor
David Warner
If you would be interested in reading an extended version of
this letter, or if you would like to engage Pastor Warner on this topic, please
go here:
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