Posted on 06/12/2010 1:15:44 PM PDT by NYer
VATICAN CITY, June 11, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Sin, satanic influence and the toleration of heresy lie at the root of the priestly sexual abuse scandals, Pope Benedict XVI said today. Precisely because it is an institution erected by God to make himself sacramentally "present to all men and women," the devil is interested in destroying the priesthood, he said.
Referring to the line in Psalm 22 ("Your rod and your staff - they comfort me"), Benedict became explicit about the need for the "rod" of discipline to correct errors in the Church.
"The Church too must use the shepherd's rod," he said, "the rod with which he protects the faith against those who falsify it, against currents which lead the flock astray."
"Today we can see that it has nothing to do with love when conduct unworthy of the priestly life is tolerated. Nor does it have to do with love if heresy is allowed to spread and the faith twisted and chipped away, as if it were something that we ourselves had invented."
Pope Benedict spoke today to 15,000 priests at the closing Mass of the Vatican's Year for Priests at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
The priesthood, Pope Benedict said, is not "pleasing to the 'enemy,'" (the devil).
"He would have rather preferred to see it disappear, so that God would ultimately be driven out of the world. And so it happened that, in this very year of joy for the sacrament of the priesthood, the sins of priests came to light - particularly the abuse of the little ones, in which the priesthood, whose task is to manifest God's concern for our good, turns into its very opposite."
With evident personal sadness, the pope again extended his apology to the victims of sexual abuse, saying, "We too insistently beg forgiveness from God and from the persons involved."
This was followed by a promise to "do everything possible to ensure that such abuse will never occur again" by more scrutiny and better formation of those who apply for the priesthood.
Statistics on the abuse scandals have found that the abuse cases are overwhelmingly homosexual in nature and occurred between the 1960s and 1980s, at time in which psychological and theological trends were against excluding men with homosexual inclinations from the priesthood.
Benedict, as Cardinal Ratzinger, was clear with a 2005 document issued from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the office that had oversight on the abuse scandals around the world, that men with such inclinations should not be admitted to seminaries.
Benedict also made more subtle references to the movement from the Church's extreme left wing to open the priesthood to women and to married men. Among the opening lines of his homily, Pope Benedict laid out the nature of the priesthood, saying it is not a matter of mere functionality but a sacramental reality derived from Christ himself.
"The priest is not a mere office-holder," he said, "like those which every society needs in order to carry out certain functions."
Video clip from Rome Reports
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJ_588cHu50
Ping!
*8Referring to the line in Psalm 22 (”Your rod and your staff - they comfort me”), Benedict became explicit about the need for the “rod” of discipline to correct errors in the Church. **
Wow! Loving Pope Benedict XVI for saying this!
A much more accurate to his talk than what the lamestream media gave it — apologizing again.
Pope Warns World's Priests Against "Heresy"
Only for Love: The Sacred Heart and the Priesthood [Catholic Caucus]"
Prayer Vigil gathers 15,000 priests from around the world
Pope: While Church focused on goods of priesthood, Satan tried to tarnish priests
'Never again' says pope on abuse ('We will do everything possible,' pontiff vows)
Year for Priests. "It was to be expected that the 'enemy' wouldn't like it"
Priests Called to [Bring Catholics Back to] Confession as Year Closes
Most Concelebrants in Rome's History (at end of the Year of the Priest celebration)
Cardinal to Priests: Carry On! (Affirms There's No Room for Mediocrity)
Clergy Share Testimonies Onstage (in Rome)
Worldwide Rosary Relay to Offer Prayer for Priests
Pope to World: Close Year for Priests With Prayer
Cardinal to Priests: Feel the Urgency of Mission: International Convention for Priests Begins in Rome
Thousands of priests rally in defense of pope
Priestly Meeting Shows "Beauty" of Celibacy
City Gathers Priests From Around the World (Wednesday through Friday events)
On the Church’s Birthday, Let’s Pray for Our Priests (Archbishop Charles Chaput) [Catholic Caucus]
Living Icons of Christ
Bishops must rediscover their role as fathers, declares Benedict XVI from Fatima
Catholic recruits and the sex abuse scandal ("there are many who still receive the calling")
Discourse No. 4.1 Pope Entrusts and Consecrates Priests to Our Lady of Fatima
On the Priest's Mission to Sanctify -- Pope Benedict "Be Conscious ofthe Great Gift That Priests Are for the Church"
Registration Extended for Close of Priests' Year
Men of the Same Cloth?: Old Priests vs. New Priests
The Conclusion of the Year for Priests [Catholic Caucus]
Pope Benedict XVI's Rookie Year as a Priest
Benedict XVI Urges Priests to Come to Rome
On the Priest's Mission as Teacher
Holy Week and the Priesthood
THE PRIEST IN THE COMMUNION RITES - Liturgy Prepares for Reception of the Eucharist
An Hermeneutic of Priestly Continuity [Pope Benedict to Congregation for Clergy] Catholic Caucus
Revitalizing Your Priesthood (The Grace of Ars -- about St. John Vianney)
Pope's "Lectio Divina" to Roman Priests (Part 2)
Pope's "Lectio Divina" to Roman Priests (Part 1)
The Seminary as Nazareth: Formation in a School of Prayer [Year of the Priest feature]
The Ministry of Jesus through the Office of the Bishop
Renewed... and Reconciled
100 Prayers For Priests (Catholic Caucus)
Priest Offers 'Ten Things That Promote Vocations' In Honor Of National Vocation Awareness Week
A Time to Praise our Fathers (National Vocation Awareness Week) [Catholic Caucus]
On Praying for Priests (Thoughts from St. Thérèse of Lisieux)
The Priesthood and the Mass
Vatican Aide: Priest Vocations Up in 20 Countries (England and Wales among them)
The Experience of ‘The Call’ (Discerning a Call to the Priesthood or Religious Life)
Priesthood Sunday - October 25, 2009
Health Care Council Letter to Priests, "A Priest at the Bedside of a Sick Person Represents Christ"
A Vocation to Be a Priest?
Do You Appreciate Your Priest? (with a touch of humor)
In India, Holy Orders
A priest’s chalice
Christ for Us: The Year for Priests [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
On Mary, Mother of Priests
Bishop Olmsted on the Devil and John Vianney
Catholic Caucus: Prayer for Our Priests (Year of the Priest)
Benedict reflects on Mary and the priesthood [Catholic Caucus]
The Priesthood — A Priceless Gift
Forming Those Who Form Priests: The Gift of Purity of Heart
Spiritual Mothers of Priests: Your Questions [Year of the Priest]
Eucharistic Season in the Year of the Priesthood
Pope's Address at Audience With New Archbishops: "Carry Deeply in Your Hearts Your Priests"
No Matter What, He Always "Acts Like a Priest" [Ecumenical]
On Priestly Identity
What Can I Do For the Year of the Priest?
The Rosary for the Year of the Priest [Catholic Caucus]
Pope Notes His Goal for Year for Priests
On the Year for Priests
WHY A YEAR FOR PRIESTS?
Curé d'Ars: Model Priest [Year of the Priest]
ZENIT Launches Column on Priesthood
[Justin] Cardinal Rigali on the Year for Priests
Church Being Given Chance to Rediscover Priesthood [Year of the Priest]
Celebrating the Year of the Priesthood
St. John Vianney's Pastoral Plan
LETTER OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI PROCLAIMING A YEAR FOR PRIESTS [Catholic Caucus]
Year of the Priest Letter (Media immediately scrutinize its contents for controversy)
Year of the Priest [Catholic Caucus]
The Year for Priests [Catholic Caucus]
Year of the Priest Begins Friday
U.S. bishops launch website for Year for Priests
Better late than never...
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BUMP
Read this on the blogs a couple of months ago.
“Who is going to save our Church? Not our bishops, not our priests and religious. It is up to you, the people. You have the minds, the eyes, the ears to save the Church. Your mission is to see that your priests act like priests, your bishops, like bishops, and your religious act like religious.” Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, before the Knights of Columbus, June of 1972.
**The priesthood, Pope Benedict said, is not “pleasing to the ‘enemy,’” (the devil). **
God bless our priests now and always.
So now are we going to have a Year of the Laity?
A Year of Evangelization — did that about five years ago — I don’t think it will repeat.
A Year of Elevation (of the Saints)
Place your predictions here! LOL!
A Bishop carries that crozier for a reason! He is supposed to be like a father, applying discipline, when needed. Too bad most of them went too much toward the 'pastoral', and not the 'fatherly' with those abusive priests.
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