Twice this evening we have heard proclaimed these words: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.”

 

In the context of the Chrism Mass where we consecrate the holy oils – particularly the Holy Chrism – it is good to recall that, all of us, we have been consecrated by this oil at our baptism and at our confirmation; that, all of us, we have received the anointing of the Spirit; that, all of us, we have been sent to “bring good news to the poor.”

 

As for the priests whose ministry we celebrate this evening, they have been consecrated a third time with the Holy Chrism when they were ordained and configured to Christ, leader of his Church. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us, “the ministerial priesthood is at the service of the common priesthood. It is directed at the unfolding of the baptismal grace of all Christians. The ministerial priesthood is a means by which Christ unceasingly builds up and leads his Church.” In other words, we have been ordained so that the anointing of the Spirit will work in the hearts of all the members of the Church so that the entire Church will bring the Good News to the poor of all the world.

 

Yet, we must admit that, for the past few months, the Church has not seemed to be much of a herald of Good News. To the contrary, our poor Church seems to find itself often in the midst of controversies that could easily be qualified as “bad news.” Last December, the media reported that the Pope compared homosexuality to environmental pollution. In January, the lifting of the excommunications of four Lefebvrist bishops caused general consternation when one of them turned out to be deeply anti-Semitic. The nomination of an ultra-autoritarian bishop in Austria that same month shook many Catholics of that region. In the first days of March, the drama of a little nine-year-old Brazilian girl, a victim of incest, became front-page news when her bishop announced the excommunications of her mother and her medical team. A few weeks ago, the Pope is said to have stated that condoms make the problem of AIDS even worse in Africa, a statement which raised a chorus of protests throughout the world. Here in Canada, Development and Peace finds itself in the midst of a controversy with pro-life militants. In the face of these events, many members of our diocese have shared their sadness with me, asking me with concern: “What’s happening to our Church?”

 

What to think? How to react? As a pastor, I cannot let this situation go by without trying to shed a bit of light, without proposing a few avenues of reflection, action and prayer. This evening, I would like to share with you my hope, in spite of the difficult passage we are crossing.

 

Let me start by admitting that, indeed, mistakes have been made. In retrospect, some decisions should not have been taken, some opinions should not have been voiced. The Pope had to retract the nomination of that Austrian Bishop. The Vatican Press Office had to correct his words about condoms. The presiding bishop of the Pontifical Council for Life criticized that Brazilian bishop’s intervention. And the Pope himself, in a letter recently sent to all the bishops of the world, admitted that research and communication mistakes were made.

 

I’m not telling you anything new when I remind you that the members of the Church, including its leaders, are fragile and imperfect. However, in a culture of instant communication like our own, their mistakes are immediately broadcast across the globe, so that a press conference hosted by a Brazilian bishop makes the headlines a few hours later in the Canadian Arctic.

 

Like government leaders and politicians, the Church’s leaders are continually under a magnifying glass, observed not only by one person but by the entire world’s population. And human nature seems to be attracted more to mistakes than to good deeds. We quickly pass over acts of nobility, charity, even heroic virtue, to stop and consider at length various acts of meanness, errors of judgment, or lack of sensitivity.

 

« We hold a treasure in earthen vessels, » wrote St. Paul to the Corinthians. Today, this is more than evident. The treasure of the Good News, of faith in Jesus-Christ, dying and rising to make us live in freedom, this treasure is entrusted to fragile, sinful human beings. Fixing our gaze on cracked vessels risks undermining our faith and making us forget the treasure which is ours.

 

So I offer my first suggestion: do not to forget in whom we have put our trust. This evening’s second reading reminded us that Jesus is “the faithful witness, the first-born among the dead, the ruler of the kings of the earth.” He is “the one who loves us, who makes of us a kingdom and a priesthood of God his Father.” “The glory and the power belong to him, not to his Church, nor to any of us individually.

 

The mistakes of an disciple should not lead us to lose faith in the Master. Let us pray the Lord of Life, especially during these Holy Days, to turn to him in these difficult moments: he alone is our trust and our joy.

 

Here is my second finding: we have very high expectations for our religious leaders. We want them to be excellent communicators and teachers, solid in the faith, charitable in their relationships, holy in their lives. I rejoice at this search for excellence, for the Gospel deserves nothing less than true witnesses who not only know how to explain and teach, but how to live and radiate the message of faith.

 

Our disappointment and our bewilderment are therefore understandable whenever our leaders do not attain this level of excellence. Can we then forgive their mistakes? Can we show them a bit of this generosity we expect from them? It seems to me we are sometimes very hard on our leaders, not just those in the Church, but those in the broader society. We often judge severely the slightest error of judgment, the least improper word. Do have the same severity for ourselves?

 

So this is my second suggestion: to forgive with generosity. Certainly, let us continue to require that our leaders show us the way not only in word but in action; yet let us also accept the fact that they can sometimes slip up. We should then support them with our prayer, our acts of kindness and our encouraging words. Let us express our disappointment, but with kindness and generosity of heart, remembering that they have accepted the ministry of leadership out of love for God and God’s people, in a spirit of service to the community. Obviously, I’m not only thinking of the Pope and the cardinals, but of those who are close to you: your parish priests, your deacons, the lay leaders of various Church projects and programs… and me, your bishop. I know I speak for all the ordained members of our diocesan Church this evening when I say: we would all like to be perfect, for the greater glory of God; but we are all sinners. Don’t stop calling us to perfection, but be patient with our imperfections.

 

A third and final consideration that I want to share with you is how difficult it is to find the information necessary to make an enlightened judgment. Most of the time, we learn these news through the papers, the radio, the television, or the internet’s web. It is in the very nature of these media to seek out what is spectacular or controversial. Rarely do they try to explain or understand an issue in depth. They quote a few words which, when taken out of context, become highly provocative, even shocking. We must also recognize that few reporters possess the time or the required expertise to understand the nuances of the procedures of the Church or of its doctrinal and moral positions. A reporter’s reaction, his or her understanding and personal opinion then become the filter through which the news is reported and repeated. This personal reaction risks becoming that of many readers and listeners.

 

I found myself spending many hours on the internet trying to find the source of these news stories, searching for the original interview or speech in its entirety. Once freed from the reporters’ personal reactions, I was able to do my own analysis of the issues and develop my own judgment concerning these events. My years of study allowed me to better understand the nuances of a given statement or decision. All too often, I found that the media had sometimes misunderstood an intervention; had focused exclusively on a secondary aspect of a speech, thus missing its fundamental meaning; and had not been totally fair to the people involved.

 

Thus, my last suggestion: don’t jump too quickly to conclusions based solely on what you read or hear in the news. Instead, you must do some research in order to get to the source of the event and make your own analysis of the facts, develop your own judgments and form your own opinion. This process is a good one to follow not only when dealing with the Church, but also whenever a n institution or a controversial event is involved. One of the civic responsibilities inherent to democratic societies is that citizens inform themselves of questions and issues. This is all the more true for members of a Church which, it must be said, does not enjoy the media’s favour.

 

Allow me one final thought. The events of the past month have awakened in some the fear that we are moving towards a style of ecclesial life characterized by doctrinal rigidity, intransigence and authoritarianism, more concerned with principles than with often very painful human realities. In other words, some worry that we are losing what was gained during and after the Second Vatican Council: greater openness to the world, greater collaboration in decisions and responsibilities, faith that is more relevant to the concrete life of believers.

 

No doubt some are tempted to idealize the past when faced with the social transformations of our day. They remember churches packed to the rafters at each of the three Sunday masses, the many vocations to the priesthood and religious life, the massive acceptance of Church teaching and Christian values. They worry now about the future, as parishes are emptied, priests become rare and religious non-existent, and society rejects anything the Church would propose as a social project.

 

The anxiety produced by the present times strengthens the temptation to return to the past. However, I deeply believe such a return is neither possible nor desirable. What the Church experienced in the 1950’s depended on what society was like in the 1950’s. This society having disappeared, the Church must live its mission in a new manner. Following Pope John XXIII, I suggest to you that, though the Church’s faith cannot change, the way we live and proclaim this faith must adapt itself to an ever changing world.

 

In this year of Saint Paul, let us remember the great Apostle: how he founded Christian communities where the Gospel was unknown; how he struggled with misunderstandings and strove to overcome divisions within his communities; how he was rejected and persecuted by many. Yet, he never lost hope.

 

Like Paul, in our own way, we must struggle with misunderstandings, while we question the status quo; we must overcome divisions within our own communities, while we strengthen people’s hearts; we must experience rejection at the hands of our society, while seeking comfort in the One who gave his life for us. Like St. Paul, we must hold on to hope.

 

In these days when we celebrate the victory of life over death, let us believe that beyond every Calvary an Easter morning is arising. Yes, we believe that love is greater than hatred, so let not our hearts become embittered nor our spirits discouraged. Our faith is a precious treasure, and our Church, in spite of the limitations of its leaders and members, remains a family of faith, hope and love, gathered by an ever-loving Father around a living Brother, animated by a Spirit of true freedom. 

 

In the midst of an uncertain world, united to all our Christian brothers and sisters, let us celebrate the Paschal feast of Christ. The Spirit of God has entrusted to us a “Very Good News,” to be proclaimed to the whole world. Let us therefore be a people of hope!