While walking my dog we took a stop for rest or for him to just spend some alone time with me sans cats.  I choose to believe the latter. My mind wandered to the priest sexual abuse scandal.  Sadly the sexual abuse scandal is never far from my thoughts. That is probably because not only was I sexually abused myself but also as a priest I work for the entity that is abusive and has always been very secretive about it. I started to think about if things would have been different if the scandal involved only the rapes of women?

While I was walking the dog my answer was yes it would have been very different. But now that I have warmed up after being out in the cold with the dog I fear that the answer is still a big fat, “NO”.  And this is why.  $$$$$$$! The almighty dollar rules. So much of the Church, so many in the Church, not just the hierarchy, have money as their God.  It reminds me a lot of the Nine inch Nails song, ‘God Money’.

Lyrics
God money I’ll do anything for you.
God money just tell me what you want me to
God money nail me up against the wall.
God money don’t want everything he wants it all.
No you can’t take it
No you can’t take it
No you can’t take that away from me
No you can’t take it
No you can’t take it
No you can’t take that away from me
Head like a hole.
Black as your soul.
I’d rather die than give you control.
Head like a hole.
Black as your soul.
I’d rather die than give you control.
Bow down before the one you serve.
You’re going to get what you deserve.
Bow down before the one you serve.
You’re going to get what you deserve.
God money’s not looking for the cure.
God money’s not concerned with the sick among the pure.
God money let’s go dancing on the backs of the bruised.
God money’s not one to choose
No you can’t take it
No you can’t take it
No you can’t take that away from me
No you can’t take it
No you can’t take it
No you can’t take that away from me
Head like a hole.
Black as your soul.
I’d rather die than give you control.
Head like a hole.
Black as your soul.
I’d rather die than give you control.
Bow down before the one you serve.
You’re going to get what you deserve.
Bow down before the one you serve.
You’re going to get what you deserve.
Bow down before the one you serve
You’re going to get what you deserve.
Bow down before the one you serve.
You’re going to get what you deserve.
Head like a hole.
Black as your soul.
I’d rather die than give you control.
Head like a hole.
Black as your soul.
I’d rather die than give you control.
Head like a hole.
Black as your soul.
I’d rather die than give you control.
Head like a hole.
Black as your soul.
I’d rather die than give you control.
Bow down before the one you serve.
You’re going to get what you deserve.
Bow down before the one you serve.
You’re going to get what you deserve.
Bow down before the one you serve.
You’re going to get what you deserve.
Bow down before the one you serve.
You’re going to get what you deserve.
Songwriters: MICHAEL REZNOR
© THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY

Biblically we have that you can’t serve both God and mammon. Michael Reznor gets it whatever his beliefs.  Maybe NIN is more  relevant to kids today than the bible. The bible should still be relevant to priests, bishops and cardinals.  You cannot serve both God and mammon.

That is just one more cog in this wobbly wheel we are calling the hierarchy. (The Church will survive no matter how wobbly that wheel.)  We have a love for power, a love for money, a homosexual current, some form of clericalism, narcissistic personalities, all of these issues, (and probably more), coming together to create a perfect, evil beyond belief, storm, engulfing the Church right now. God is God, I am not, you are not, God has this and will fix the wobble, and all that ails the Church.