Saturday, May 1, 2010

Who can Mock the Church


Nicholas Kristof in today's New York Times sheds some disinfecting light on the Catholic Church. He talks about the very real images of God (Imago Dei) that are working around the world to make the Kingdom of God a reality.
The fact is that the Sisters working the Sudan or Bolivia or New Guinea are what Jesus had in mind when he told us to wash each other's feet. I think that if Jesus were alive today he would look at his vicar and vomit. The fact is that it is those who struggle for justice and care for those most marginalized are closest to God.
The greatest Catholics of the 20th Century were those who chose to be with the marginalized; Mother Teresa, Dorothy Day, Oscar Romero, Pope John XXIII, and Charles De Foucould all did this because it was the truth nothing more. But the Church becomes truly evil when it forgets the least of these to protect its power. When it preaches that an institution is more important than the Message it becomes evil and that is what has happened. How many children have been raped? How many good Catholics have had their reputations destroyed and how many people have not been helped because the Church had to pay millions in hush money or judgements? Instead of helping those images of God in Kristof's piece the money instead went to pay off the claims of victims because no one dared say the truth.

1 comment:

Jeremiah said...

Vomit, perhaps, but at "his vicar"? Really? "[H]is"?