Posted on 05/01/2012 10:21:44 AM PDT by marshmallow
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Ten years after a historic papal response to clerical sex abuse, the Vatican urged priests to strive for greater holiness in their own lives so that they might effectively minister to others and reverse the tide of atheism.
In its annual letter to priests for 2012, the Vatican's Congregation for Clergy focused on Blessed John Paul II's 2002 Holy Thursday letter to clergy, in which the late pope responded to the growing revelations and scandal of sexual abuse of minors by priests.
The congregation's letter also gave priests a guideline for examining their consciences concerning everything from how they celebrate Mass to how well they are living a pure, humble and generous life detached from consumerism.
Signed by the congregation's prefect, Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, and secretary, Archbishop Celso Morga Iruzubieta, the letter was dated March 26 and recently published on the congregation's website.
The letter marks the annual World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests, celebrated in many dioceses June 15 -- the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Priests are entrusted with the task of challenging and helping people become more holy and obey God's will more fully, it said.
"We cannot be sanctified without working on the holiness of our brothers, and we cannot work on the holiness of our brothers unless we have first worked on and continue to work on our own holiness," it said.
Urging others to strive for the "ideal of perfection," it said, "does not mean that we are not aware of our personal shortcomings, or of the faults committed by some who have brought shame upon the priesthood before the world."
While not specifically mentioning clerical sex abuse, the letter said that given the worsening situation reported in the news, priests must take to heart........
(Excerpt) Read more at catholicnews.com ...
One of my Parrish priest’s idea of ‘holiness’ is mentioning during EVERY Homily on how the STATE/FEDERAL(Government) should be involved in everything from Health Care to Job creation in order to be a “good Shepard’ toward the people.
No, I will not switch Churches and Yes, I’ve privately confronted him on his strong lefty leanings.
He avoids me as much as possible and I will do my part in ridding the Church of lefties peacefully as possible.
File that under “well...duh!”
I have heard the same from Protestant Ministers. I heard one giving a sermon about how he advised a former colleague that he could no longer be effective in the job after he had had an extramarital affair. The nature of the work requires one be held to the highest of standards.
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It’s too bad that in the NAB the word “holiness” was changed to “righteous.”
But Holiness is coming back, if just in the Mass. Hang in there and pray for him.
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