Unity and Charity

Great post on Bryan Hehir Exposed that contrasts the true meaning of unity and charity in Christ's Church as explained by the Apostolic Signatura with the actions of various individuals running the Archdiocese of Boston.

First - some reflections on Boston:

"...we recapped how faithful Catholics who complained about the scandal of the over-the-top Kennedy funeral were criticized by Cardinal for their “zeal,” and their “attitudes and practices [that] do irreparable damage to the communion of the Church.”  

When Caritas Christi announced a joint venture with Centene Corporation and faithful Catholics complained that it included provisions for referring patients to abortion providers, Cardinal O’Malley responded that anyone who suggested Caritas would ever do anything to promote abortions or participate in actions contrary to Catholic moral teaching was “doing a great disservice to the Catholic Church.”

“ I believe there is much on your blog that is untrue and harmful to individuals and to the Body of Christ.”  He never came up with even one example to back his unfounded claim.

Compare these with the authentic meaning and tradition of the One Apostolic and Holy Roman Catholic Church as explained by Archbishop Burke:

We find self-professed Catholics, for example, who sustain and support the right of a woman to procure the death of the infant in her womb, or the right of two persons of the same sex to the recognition which the State gives to a man and a woman who have entered into marriage.  It is not possible to be a practicing Catholic and to conduct oneself publicly in this manner.”

We find self-professed Catholics, for example, who sustain and support the right of a woman to procure the death of the infant in her womb, or the right of two persons of the same sex to the recognition which the State gives to a man and a woman who have entered into marriage.  It is not possible to be a practicing Catholic and to conduct oneself publicly in this manner.”

One of the ironies of the present situation is that the person who experiences scandal at the gravely sinful public actions of a fellow Catholic is accused of a lack of charity and of causing division within the unity of the Church,” he said.  “One sees the hand of the Father of Lies at work in the disregard for the situation of scandal or in the ridicule and even censure of those who experience scandal.”

Lying or failing to tell the truth, however, is never a sign of charity.  A unity which is not founded on the truth of the moral law is not the unity of the Church.  The Church’s unity is founded on speaking the truth with love.  The person who experiences scandal at public actions of Catholics, which are gravely contrary to the moral law, not only does not destroy unity but invites the Church to repair what is clearly a serious breach in Her life.  Were he not to experience scandal at the public support of attacks on human life and the family, his conscience would be uninformed or dulled about the most sacred realities.

Unity and charity often get confused and abused in the Roman Catholic Church.

In some circumstances, doing nothing is the most uncharitable thing you could do.   

Like doing nothing when somebody hands somebody who is stinking drunk the keys to a car.  Doing nothing puts that person in danger and it puts other people who may on the road in danger.   

It is never charitable to sit back and do nothing when a bishop, priest or lay person is unifying souls to error.

If a priest loads up a parish or a school with lay leaders who are teaching kids how to smoke crack pipes, and you've tried everything you possibly can all the way up to the Holy See,  even though they're doing it in a Church, you get out of Dodge with your children and you testify on your way out the door so that others can be warned about the scandal.  Even though the Bishop or other officials try to to claim you are breaking unity with the Bishop, this is really adding to the spiritual malpractice of the situation.  

When you are talking about a priest or Bishop who is leading souls into error - or setting up his shop with other people who do -- in the world of the spiritual, there is nothing more unethical (even teaching kids how to smoke crack pipes).

They could not possibly see how serious the situation is or they wouldn't do it.

And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna

But some people do see it.  And, being quiet about it is not an option.

Do yourselves a favor and read the whole post at BHE.  Don't miss AB Burke's entire reflection posted in a pdf.