Generous servers of God’s people
Priests prostate themselves during their ordination ceremony. Photo: AFP
The recent case of a defrocked priest being cleared of rape has reopened the fresh wounds of clerical abuse.
Last year the same priest together with another one were sentenced to six years and five years in jail respectively after being found guilty of sexually abusing minors under their care. Obviously their case has stirred different reactions from various quarters of society.
It is neither my intention nor my competency to pass judgments concerning these sad events. Anyone who has eyes to see, ears to hear and a mind to reflect can easily discern and arrive at his own conclusions about the matter.
However, it is my duty as a priest to encourage my fellow brothers in the ministerial priesthood to persevere in “whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious” (Phil. 4, 8).
As priests, we need to cherish the sacramental grace of the priesthood that we received on the day we were ordained as God’s ministers to serve His flock. Serving wholeheartedly and generously is the bottom line of priestly ministry.
My hospital ministry continually makes me realise how much people who are in distress can, in effect, temper my pastoral service. They show me how to listen and accompany them. They are my teachers who teach me how to serve them better.
After eight years of serving the sick I am becoming aware that St Paul’s advice to the Corinthians is principally a direct counsel to us priests: “Each one must do as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (Cor. 9, 7).
The Bible informs us that Jesus Christ is the exemplar of what it means to be a cheerful giver. It needs both a brave and a cheerful giver to enter into the synagogue of one’s hometown and applying to oneself the messianic programme prophesised by the prophet Isaiah some 500 years before:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has annointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4, 18-19).
Jesus was fully conscious that his mission was that of healing and saving people from every kind of oppression, be it sickness, prejudice, hatred, demonic possession and so forth. He perfectly knew that his liberating way of behaviour would squarely clash with the pharisaic rigidity of his days. Nevertheless He was adamant in carry out His saving work up to the point of offering His life as a ransom for those He generously served: “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (Jn 10, 11).
We priests are called by the Father, sent by the Son and annointed by the Holy Spirit’s power to address any situation of human suffering. Like Jesus, we are commissioned to heal the sick, console the afflicted, feed the hungry, offer hope to the lost and tormented by life’s trials.
People keep coming to our houses because they seek God’s guiding loving care. In us, they behold Christ’s care, perhaps more than we are aware of. Our pastoral responsibility is great indeed.
A Church devoid of its ministers is inconceivable. St John Mary Vianney, the patron saint of priests, said: “Without the priest, the passion and death of our Lord would be of no avail. It is the priest who continues the work of redemption here on earth... What use would be a house filled with gold, were there no one to open its door?
“The priest holds the key to the treasures of heaven: it is he who opens the door: he is the steward of the good Lord; the administrator of His goods... Leave a parish for 20 years without a priest and they will end by worshiping the beasts there. The priest is not a priest for himself, he is a priest for you.”
Generous service defines the moral calibre of us priests.
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Mr Emanuel Farrugia
May 13th 2012, 20:48
Choosing to become a Christian Priest
Choosing to become a Christian Priest is a difficult and extremely personal decision. Generally, those who become priests feel that they have a close connection with God and would like to foster that connection and share it with others. A priest is a person who has the authority to perform or administer religious rites. There are many priests in different religions and all perform the same basic functions for their religion.
A priest has the power to receive the Holy Eucharist, the Holy Mass, to forgive sins, to administer religious rites and sacraments. A priest has the power to administer the Word of God to the church and govern the faithful. A priest may hear confessions and forgive sins. A priest may also give advice to newlyweds or those who are engaged for marriage. A priest may give you advice on living a successful Christian life and guide you towards Christ.
Fr Mario Attard, OFM CAP., it is very important to note the following: WASHINGTON (CNS) -- About 4 percent of U.S. priests ministering from 1950 to 2002 were accused of sex abuse with a minor, according to the first comprehensive national study of the issue. Four percent of priests serving over last 50 years accused of abuse. For more than two decades, the Catholic Church has grappled with a series of clergy sexual abuse scandals and lawsuits. The cases have cost an estimated $2 billion in settlements and have shaken the faith of many of the church’s members.
Emanuel Farrugia [TARXIEN] former student Faculty of Theology UOM
Mrs J. F. Grech
Jun 23rd 2012, 21:47
I am glad that you are a former student in the Faculty of Theology because judging from this comment your theology would be suspect. Nowhere in the scriptures are priests given the power to forgive sins. In fact check out Matthew chapter 9 and the story about Jesus and the paralytic. Why were the Jews so shocked? Because Jesus said, "your sins are forgiven" and the Jews new ONLY God had the power to do this. Only God forgives sins Emanuel. But I imagine that you studied for the most part Church doctrines and not what the scriptures said. They are not one and the same. In fact, many church teachings are not in line with the Holy Scriptures but people do not know this because they do not read them. As for your final paragraph; I do not follow your train of though as it is not linked to the previous paragraphs.
Kurt Waschnig
May 13th 2012, 15:13
Fr Mario Attard says “It is neither my intention nor my competency to pass judgments concerning these sad events. Anyone who has eyes to see, ears to hear and a mind to reflect can easily discern and arrive at his own conclusions about the matter.”
Catholic priests abused and raped children and youth all over Europe, the USA, Canada and Malta.
Two priests were sentenced to six years and five years in jail in Malta.
Children are the weakest members of every society and they must be protected. Everyone will agree.
Fr Attard should have the intention as a Catholic priest to condemn publicly clerical child abuse.
I never read comments or statements of Catholic priests in newspapers.
Especially Catholic priests should have condemned clerical child abuse in the public but it did not happen.
There was a systematic cover up of clerical child abuse and that was wrong. Children must be protected.
It is the moral duty of every human being to raise voice against clerical child abuse or abuse of children not important who commits that gruesome crime.
Nowadays it should be the duty of every priest to protect children and to do everything that clerical child abuse does not occur again.
A safe environment within the Church is absolutely necessary for children.
It will take a long time for the Church to win back credibility.
“We priests are called by the Father, sent by the Son and annointed by the Holy Spirit’s power to address any situation of human suffering. Like Jesus, we are commissioned to heal the sick, console the afflicted, feed the hungry, offer hope to the lost and tormented by life’s trials.”
Nuns and monks of religious orders, priest and the Caritas have done and do an excellent work for the poor, the sick, the needy.
Lot of priests and nuns dedicated their life to the needy. One can only appreciate what they are doing day by day.
Best regards
Kurt Waschnig Oldenburg Germany
e-mail: [email protected]
Alfred Hili
May 13th 2012, 12:22
Child abuse has to be condemned; always. The abuser, whoever that might be, must never be allowed to commit the same crime, once he is caught. To cover up for them will make one an accomplice.
Louise Vella
May 13th 2012, 11:14
Being “generous servers of God’s people”, I expect these “good priests” to find their voices and stand up to be counted. Their silence and inaction regarding the sex abuse scandal by priests and the cover-up by their bishops, gave each of the predator priests even more time to destroy evidence, fabricate alibis, intimidate victims, threaten witnesses, discredit whistleblowers and even flee to other nations. Why don’t good priests speak out for the victims? By keeping silent they collude with paedophile priests by facilitating them in their perversions.
If there any good priests, where are they and why aren’t they trying to help clean up this mess? Did they lose their voice? To this day, the so called good priests still do not speak out about clergy abuse going on within the church’s secret system. Could it be they don’t care what happens to innocent children? Or could it be they too have something to hide?
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