Lately, I’ve noticed that it is impossible to read a newspaper or turn on the television without hearing allegations about various incidents of priestly abuse. While many of these crimes were committed several years ago, new allegations of “cover ups” appear on a daily basis. Judging by the online comments that seem to accompany each of these articles, many individuals associate the sinful acts of a very small percentage of Catholic clergy with “The Church”. As a result, they feel justified in criticizing and even leaving “The Church”.
Here is an article that I wrote for the new website, CatholicLane, that reminds the readers that whenever we criticize the Church, we make Satan very happy. While I’m not implying that the devil is responsible for each of these incidents, I can guarantee that he is very happy when someone criticizes or leaves the Church, especially if it results in the loss of a soul!
The importance of praying daily for our clergy cannot be overemphasized, as they are a prime target of the evil one who “is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8). Please read and share this article with your friends and family. Although we were assured by Christ that the Church will not be destroyed (Mt 16:18), the same cannot be said for the souls who separate themselves from her protection!
