The Tragedy of the Roman Catholic Church

Has the Church Outgrown its Scandals and Issues?

Aug 9, 2009

In the 1990s, the Roman Catholic Church was rocked by sex scandals involving its priests and other religious staff. Has the Church recovered from pain?

Has the Roman Catholic Church made reparation and finally put the church sex abuse scandal to rest? And what of the 1980s financial scandals; has that rift been repaired? The list could go on. It has been a tough time for the Church world wide in recent times.

Gallop Polls report that attendance is down among Catholics and that many no longer feel that the Church is deserving of the trust it once owned. Yet, is this the result of scandal or just the result of changes in the human psyche that seem to no longer require adherence to one doctrinal expression of Christianity?

People report attending a variety of churches and prefer to label themselves spiritual instead of religious.

There is no doubt that the scandals that rocked the church when looked at from the perspective of the victims is tragic. Real people suffered real pain because of a few very sick people.

Dishonesty in a financial sense or otherwise is not what one expects from a house of worship. This goes directly against the message of Jesus. Yet, the fact remains that Church history is filled with tragedy involving real people and real events.

The Catholic Church Today

The Roman Catholic Church seems to slip deeper and deeper into conservatism, being one of the last denominations to ordain women, approve birth control and condone divorce. The Church still struggles from the fallout of the scandals of recent years and deserves every ounce of critical shame it has earned over each. Yet, it remains.

Some might suggest that the beauty of the rituals alone bring the people each week. Others may joke that Catholicism is not just something one gives up. It is true that as a faith expression Catholicism with its dogmatic sensibility and its dramatic ritual expressions deeply ingrains itself in the person of its parishioners.

Most importantly however, the Church survives because it is a dynamic expression of faith in a society that lacks faith in anything. Yes, there has been great tragedy and pain and the faithful have the right to question those in authority who were wrong. But the Church is bigger than its tragedies. It is bigger than the petty things committed by men dressed in red that stand as symbols of the religious institution.

The truth of the matter is that the Roman Catholic Church does not belong to those men in their ceremonious dress. It belongs instead to the people who believe in the man called Jesus and who choose to express that belief in a Catholic way. Those are not the people who caused the scandal, although many are the victims. The church survives because those who believe will it to survive based upon that faith that is so strong.

Yes, there is tragedy, but if one looks beyond the institution one sees the hope. This hope is contained in the hearts and minds of faithful, the true owners of the Roman Catholic Tradition.

The copyright of the article The Tragedy of the Roman Catholic Church in Catholic Church is owned by Kathy Schlossmacher. Permission to republish The Tragedy of the Roman Catholic Church in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Aug 16, 2009 8:14 AM

browneg :

Another article that shows that some people just don't get it. The Catholic Church is also a divine institution begun by Jesus Christ. That is the reason it hasn't dissolved after so many years and hardships. I am tired of seeing the "men in red" the targets of ignorant attacks. Check out any institution and you'll see both good and bad people.