Of some interest to me was a revelation I had before but circumstances at the parish have made its presence to me once again.  One of the deacons conducted a baptismal class in which the six people present, (for four children).  A survey of the class revealed that no one in attendance, with the exception of the deacon, believed in the true presence of Jesus, (body, soul, humanity, divinity), in the Blessed Sacrament.  Since that is something a person must believe in oder to be a true Catholic none of the people at that meeting who want their babies baptised in the Catholic Church are not truly Catholic, (Did I mention none of them go to church?).   

Now even though the deacon was distressed by this he was still going to go through with the baptisms, against Church teaching, putting a crushing burden on these children who have very little hope of knowing the faith.  The deacon was going to do this because he was afraid.  He was afraid because the pastor, who is a very nice person, wants anyone who comes to the parish for baptism to be baptised.  This is really not what the teaching of the Church sanctions.  The deacon was afraid that he would be overruled.  The deacon was afraid of enforcing the truth.

The same thing happened to me when the abortion crazed vice president showed up at mass one Sunday.  I too was afraid. Joe Biden is not really Catholic because Catholicism and abortion are not compatible.  Even though he should not present himself to receive the Body Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus he still does.  Communion should be denied him not as punishment but as an incentive for to conform his public life and actions to the teachings of the Church he claims as his own thus making his soul receptive to receiving the Lord in the Eucharist.  I did not give communion out at that mass but one of the Eucharistic ministers did give Mr. Biden communion.

I was afraid of the bishop taking away my faculties as a priest if I acted according to the truth and refused someone in persistent grave sin and who is a public figure communion.  The truth did not prevail because I was afraid.

That’s NUTS.

Now apply that to the sexual abuse scandal. 

The climate and culture in the Church among the priests of the Church is fear.  Why should any of us fear the truth?  But because of fear of what bishops can and often will do to priests it was safer to ignore the truth, not confront or turn-in sexual predators and turn a blind eye.

That is NUTS too.