Christ the Cornerstone

Remaining faithful in spite of the suffering of Christ’s Church

“I would like to present the treasure, which is the life of Christ available in and through the Church. … We do indeed have to look hard at the wickedness in the Church today; but we also have to be clear-eyed about the beauty and veracity and holiness on offer in that same Church. The vessels are all fragile and many of them are downright broken; but we don’t stay because of the vessels. We stay because of the treasure” (Bishop Robert E. Barron in his book Letter to a Suffering Church: A Bishop Speaks on the Sexual Abuse Scandal).

Bishop Robert E. Barron, an auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles and the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, is the author of numerous books and documentary films designed to present the teaching and practice of Catholicism to audiences both within and outside the Catholic Church.

In response to the recent revelations of clergy sexual abuse and its cover-up

by Church officials, Bishop Barron has written a book titled, Letter to a Suffering Church: A Bishop Speaks on the Sexual Abuse Scandal. The bishop describes his book as “a cry from the heart” written “for my fellow Catholics who feel, understandably, demoralized, scandalized, angry beyond words, and ready to quit.”

Bishop Barron is careful to point out that he does not speak for all bishops, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops or the Vatican. “I have no authority whatsoever to do so. I am speaking in my own name, as a Catholic, a priest and a bishop.” The book’s objective, he says, is to urge Catholics not to leave the Church, but to remain faithful in spite of all the suffering and sadness.

Letter to a Suffering Church is worth reading. In its five short chapters, the book places the clergy sex-abuse scandal in its proper historical and scriptural contexts—without ever excusing the reprehensible conduct of those who are guilty of serious crimes and grave sins. The book also provides Catholics who Bishop Barron says may be ready to leave the Church with specific reasons for remaining active members of the body of Christ.

In the fourth chapter, “Why Should We Stay?” the bishop quotes the Gospel of St. John where many of Jesus’ disciples turned away from him. When the Lord asks the disciples who remain if they, too, wish to go away, St. Peter responds, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life” (Jn 6:68). This is the “treasure,” which St. Paul points out is contained in “earthly vessels,” the sinful human beings who carry the Gospel message to the ends of the Earth in obedience to our Lord’s command. “The vessels are all fragile and many of them are downright broken,” the bishop writes, “but we don’t stay because of the vessels. We stay because of the treasure.”

Before outlining his six reasons for staying in the Church, Bishop Barron offers what he calls a rather blunt remark:

“There is simply never a good reason to leave the Church. Never. Good reasons to criticize Church people? Plenty. Legitimate reasons to be angry with corruption, stupidity, careerism, cruelty, greed, and sexual misconduct on the part of leaders of the Church? You bet. But grounds for turning away from the grace of Christ in which eternal life is found? No. Never, under any circumstances.”

Bishop Barron believes that the most recent “explosion of wickedness” in the Church’s long history is yet another example of the devil’s handiwork. At the same time, he believes wholeheartedly that Jesus’ promise that the gates of hell will not prevail against his Church is absolutely true.

To illustrate this fundamental belief in the Church’s indestructability, the bishop shares an anecdote from Church history: The emperor Napoleon reportedly told the Vatican’s secretary of state that he, Napoleon, would destroy the Church. The cardinal responded, “Oh my little man, you think you’re going to succeed in accomplishing what centuries of priests and bishops have tried and failed to do?”

For all his wickedness, the devil cannot ultimately accomplish his evil intent. “God is love,” Bishop Barron says, “and he has won the victory through the cross and resurrection of Jesus.”

In the coming weeks, this column will explore each of the six reasons that Bishop Barron says explain why Catholics should remain faithful to our Church. Let’s pray that all of us baptized Catholics will “look hard at the wickedness in the Church today,” even as we embrace “the beauty and veracity and holiness on offer in that same Church.”

O most holy heart of Jesus, accompany us as we seek to discover, and do, your will! †