Wednesday, August 29, 2018

What are Bishops and Priests Afraid Of?

On the Feast of the Beheading of John the Baptist, I think it is important, at this time in the Church, to ask a simple question:

"What are the bishops and priests that aren't speaking up...what are they afraid of?"


So let's say you are a bishop of some middle-sized diocese.  You don't call evil out because what?  You want a bigger diocese?  Why?  What could that POSSIBLY matter?  Did John the Baptist, the prophet par excellence (all bishops and priests are called to BE prophets)...did you learn to care about "getting a bigger diocese" from St. John the Baptist?

Or maybe you want to be on some committee in the USCCB?  If you play your cards right, maybe you'll get to be  on some committee on the liturgy?  WOW!  That is totally worth NOT being a prophet so that you could land something like that.  I mean if you were on a USCCB committee, then you'd be famous.


And what about priests?  "I'm going to be quiet so that I get a bigger parish assignment"????  Why do you want a bigger parish?  Did you get that from St. John the Baptist?  Did St. John the Baptist say "Be a prophet...UNLESS getting a bigger parish is a possibility....then play it cool and don't say anything...don't rock the boat."

Or maybe, as a priest, you don't speak out so that you can be on the priest council?  Or be in the running for the vicar for clergy?  Or the seminary vice-rector?  Or...gasp...the vicar general someday?  Your mom would then be able to brag at Euchre club about her extremely successful son.

WHO CARES?  We need priests and bishops in the mold of St. John the Baptist..."I don't give a rat's rear end what you do to me.  Your marriage is not a marriage...I'm calling evil for what it is...I'm going to speak truth to power and I could CARE LESS what happens to me."


Worrying about some of the things that bishops and priests worry about is so laughable.  And even worse...it leads to absolutely boring and irrelevant and unprophetic priests and bishops.



"The Beheading of John the Baptist" by Caravaggio

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