Given the disturbing signs of the times such as in terms of
downright bloodshed all over the land, these and those criminal acts day in and
day out, considering certain faulty understanding of the Catholic Faith in
particular – with all the local Sects apparently being held exempted from the attacks and castigations of
all those involved in the fray and contentions – it might be good and proper to
proffer the following more basic and elementary truths based on reason and
truth. The recall of and attention to
the following short and simple realities are but meant to put things in right
order, to think objectively and thus speak correctly.
In secular parlance, it can be rightly said that there is a
whale of a difference between the Church and Churchmen – some of the more
glaring examples of which are the following:
The Church is a foundation while Churchmen are but members or constituents
thereof. The Church has Christ as her
Founder while Churchmen are but followers of Christ. The Church is universal in reach and constituency
while Churchmen are but here or there.
The Church is more than 2000 years old and counting while Churchmen come
and go but for some decades as a matter of fact.
The Church is holy in Her teachings, holy in her traditions,
holy in her observances – such that She is called and referred to as “Holy Mother the Church” for being holy
in her being, holy in her teachings, holy in her observances. But there are certain Churchmen who either do
nothing or do exactly the opposite of what they are supposed to do. So it is that while as a rule most of them
observe the Commandments and keep their sworn to promises and commitments, it
is not a secret that some of them do exactly the opposite. In other words, quasi innumerable are the
good, exemplary and holy Churchmen.
Truth to say however, there are those who act and live otherwise. So it is that as there was a Judas among the
Twelve Apostles of Christ, such a figure of disgust and distrust still exists
in the Church somehow, somewhere.
Certain key conclusions come to order:
First, those who
are angry at certain Churchmen for speaking the truth, for pointing out what is
wrong, for teaching what is hard to do, let them castigate the former but not
the Church.
Second, those who
are scandalized by what this or that Churchman does or not do contrary to the
dictate of faith and morals, against what is right and proper, let them talk
and act against him but not against the
Church.
Third, those who
insist and perhaps even persist in attacking the Church per se, they better
remember that in due time, for sure they be six feet below the ground while the
Church is still around.
The above few and elementary statements, observations and
conclusions are worth knowing and keeping lest we demonstrate our ignorance by “barking at the wrong tree” – the maxim goes.
