The Unworthy Priest
by VP
Posted on Saturday August 26, 2023 at 01:00AM in Sermons
"You will find indeed many an unworthy priest who will assure you that he
gives no scandal; but he is greatly mistaken. “Murder will out,” and
the sins of the priest cannot long remain hidden.
Does the unworthy priest love solitude? Does he love study? Do you find
him often in church praying before the Blessed Sacrament? Do you find
him often in the confessional? Why is he so often absent when the
messenger comes for a sick call? Why does he come home so late at night?
Why does he visit that house so often? Why does that light burn so late
in his room? Is he praying, or perhaps card-playing? Why does he sleep
so long in the morning instead of being in the confessional? Why does he
omit Mass so often on week days? Why is he so often nervous and ill-humored? Is he not a little too free and confidential towards certain
persons?
Look at the church, look at the altar, look at the vestments, look at
the sacred vessels – the chalice and ciborium – is everything clean,
decent and orderly? Why does he not begin Mass punctually on Sundays and
holy days of obligation? Why does he so often fail to keep his promises
and thereby disappoint the people? See how he hurries through Mass.
How does he observe the rubrics? Is he attentive and devout? Why is he
so eager for money, and so indifferent when there is question of saving a
soul? (...)
Why does he speak against the Pope, the bishop, and religious? Why does
he jest about holy things? Why does he not show more reverence in
church, and when he carries the Blessed Sacrament to the sick?
Why does he not show more self respect, more priestly dignity and
decorum in society, at fairs, excursions, picnics, and so on? Why does
he make use of words of double meaning, unbecoming hints and jests? Why
does he allow young persons to read dangerous story papers, magazines,
and novels? (…)
These are some of the questions that the people ask; these are some of
the thoughts that flit through their minds. The unworthy priest may try
his best to hid his crimes; but the cloak of hypocrisy cannot hide them
forever. The inner corruption of his heart betrays itself at least at
times. But how terrible is the scandal when the sins of the priest are
no longer a matter of doubt or uncertainty, but a sad and shameful
reality. Who can sum up all the harm that is done by even one bad
priest? (…)
How often must a good priest suffer for the misdeeds of his
predecessors! He may be as generous and disinterested as St. Paul; still
some will accuse him of avarice, of doing everything for money. (…) He
may be reserved and dignified and pure as an angel, yet wicked tongues
will not be wanting to whisper unjust suspicions. (…)
The higher the source of the torrent is, the more rapidly does it rush
into the valley, and the more wide spread is the destruction which it
causes. O God! Who can calculate all the harm that is done, all the sins
that are committed, all the souls that are ruined on account of the
scandalous life of one unworthy priest! Like a mountain torrent, the
scandal rushes on, spreading death and desolation on every side. It
rushes on like a poison flood, bearing death to generations yet unborn;
aye, it goes on in its work of destruction even till the day of doom;
its evil consequences go even beyond the tomb; they live on forever in
hell.
O God! How many yet unborn will rise up on the judgment day against the
bad priest and curse him! If a petty shrub is uprooted and falls, it
harms only itself; but if a might cedar falls, it drags down in its
deadly embrace whatever stands within its reach!
Woe to the world, when the “Salt of the earth” becomes the corrupter of innocence.
Woe to the world when the “Light of the world” becomes an "ignis fatuus",
a wandering light that leads unwary souls into the foul, noisome marsh of sin.
Woe to the world when the shepherd of the flock has become a ravenous wolf!
The unworthy priest loses the friendship of God; he loses the beauty of
his soul; he loses the merit of all his good works. As long as he
remains in sin, his arm is withered; he can merit nothing for heaven.
The unworthy priest is the slave of sin, the slave of the devil; he
heaps sin upon sin, sacrilege upon sacrilege. By his wicked life he
gives scandal and ruins innocent souls.
All this is sad and terrible enough; but the most terrible of all the
consequences of sin is that the unworthy priest becomes hardened; he is
at last struck with spiritual blindness; his conversion becomes almost
an impossibility; and finally he gives way to despair, like another
Judas."
Source: Rev. Fr. Michael Muller, C.SS.R. The Catholic Priesthood, 1885.
