Years ago I knew a local priest he was an ND Alum and fiercely proud of it, he was known for a tone of speech that just reeked of intellect. I always liked him. He had been particularly kind to me and my then fiancee in a tough spot involving our marriage. His reassurance made our lives easier and I’ve never forgotten it.
About 15 years ago I went to him for advice on a family matter that conflicted with Church teaching. His advice frankly surprised me but he was the priest so I took it. It turned out to be pretty poor advice and I’ve regretted it greatly over the last few years to the point where I felt I needed confession for taking it.
There are times when a Priest can be too empathetic. By looking at a situation from a worldly perspective rather than from the damage of sin a priest can do more harm than good. What must be remembered is that the job of the church is to interdict sin for the sake of the soul. Once one gets in the habit of excusing it then it becomes easier and easier. I would imagine it is a regular temptation that any priest or religious must face.
It reminded me of the UK TV show Cracker staring Robbie Coltrane. There was an episode where a woman due to guilt over an abortion combined with her husband’s frequenting prostitutes set her on a killing spree of hookers. When confronted by the priest she talked about how to tore her to get her abortion particularly since there WAS enough money to support another child if the husband wasn’t spending it on women. The priest interjected that he had been supportive of the decision to abort and the character of the woman said something that stuck with me and still does:
“I didn’t need you to be supportive, I needed you to tell me NO!”
A lot of times in life we know what the right thing is but it is very hard to do it. We don’t want to face the music or the sin in question is one of our favorites, or it involves something we really want badly. The sacrament of confession allows us both the Sacramental support of Christ in resisting sin but gives us the human reinforcement of the priest to keep us in the right direction. If one goes regularly that reinforcement is even stronger.
Saying no to oneself is one of the most difficult tasks a person has. When the church helps one do this it is a source of sanctifying grace. When it chooses to go with the flow for the sake of ease it not only harms the person in question it harms the entire body of Christ.
This is why this type of thing is so bad. Temptation is always around us, it is the Church’s job to help us resist rather than take the easy way out (giving in). As Christians we owe it not only to ourselves but to others to help resist things we know are wrong no matter how much they might feel right at the time. At times it can be a rough duty, but as we must carry it.
That is the difference in a nutshell between the narrow path and the wide one.
Choose wisely!
Update: Miss Attila Gets it.
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