everybody this is Bishop Baron I want to
speak to you again about this terrible
crisis we're passing through and the
turds this crisis of sexual abuse and
the countenancing of it by by some
bishops I know I spoke to you a couple
days ago but what's been striking me
recently as the number of people who
seem to be calling for the abandonment
of a church like because of this crisis
it's time for us to leave the church we
simply had enough now can you say this I
totally understand people's feelings I
share them the feelings of anger and
frustration I get it I get it
but can I also suggest I think this is
precisely the wrong strategy at this
moment in the church's life leaving is
not what we ought to be doing what we
ought to be doing is fighting now let me
explain that with a little historical
reference one of my great heroes is
Abraham Lincoln and Lincoln of course
operated politically at one of the most
convulsive times in our national history
when slavery was threatening the very
foundations of American democracy
I mean Lincoln knew from the beginning
of his career that the nation as he put
it you know couldn't survive half-slave
and half-free but he saw more profoundly
to that slavery as an institution was
repugnant to the very principles of
American democracy now we can hear that
in the Gettysburg Address and in a way
it's sad that that's become so cliche
that we all you know memorize it in high
school but let's go back to those words
four score and seven years ago our
fathers brought forth on this continent
a new nation conceived in Liberty and
dedicated to the proposition that all
men are created equal notice he's
articulating the principles that define
American democracy freedom and equality
then he says now we are engaged in a
great Civil War testing whether that
nation or any nation so conceived and so
dedicated can long endure he knew what
was at stake in the war was American
democracy itself
he knew that slavery was a kind of
cancer that would undermine American
ideals now
I said
at the time an option would have been
simply to give up on the American
experiment I'm leaving the country I've
had it this thing is a disaster I'm
giving up but Lincoln wouldn't take that
option in fact he led the country down
the other path toward fighting fighting
for the ideals of American democracy now
can I suggest everybody I think
something similar is at stake right now
the Catholic Church it's great
principles and ideals the Catholic
Church grounded in Jesus Christ the love
of God made manifest in him in his dying
and his rising the Catholic Church in
all of its power and beauty and
perfection is indeed threatened by this
terrible scourge of sexual abuse it is
indeed a blight upon the church it is
appropriate that people feel anger
frustration I suppose the options on the
table leave I've had it
the thing is just too corrupt I'm out of
here but see I want to suggest everybody
that is not what is called for rather
what's called for is the Lincoln option
fighting for the church that we believe
in so powerfully seeing this blight
naming it clearly unambiguously but then
fighting to set things right it's at the
moment for cutting and running it's the
moment for getting into the fight and
you say well okay Bishop I get it but I
mean how do I fight look you fight
through your own righteous anger you
fight by writing a letter so your Bishop
write letter to the Pope you fight by
your very presence at Mass you fight by
keeping people's feet to the fire you
fight by organizing of your fellow
Catholics fight any way you can but you
fight because you believe in the church
you love the church and you realize that
despite this terrible
late it's worth fighting for you know
keep in mind everybody we are not
Catholics because of the moral
excellence of our leaders I mean god
help us if we were we want our leaders
and D we expect our leader to be morally
excellent but we are not Catholics
because of that moral excellence we're
Catholics because of Jesus Christ
crucified and risen from the dead were
Catholics because of the Trinitarian
love of God we're Catholics because of
the mystical body of Christ were
Catholics because of the sacraments
we're Catholics especially because of
the Eucharist we're Catholics because of
the Blessed Mother we're Catholics
because of the Saints even as leaders in
the church fail morally the Catholic
Church remains the mystical body of
Christ the Bride of Christ and she's
worth fighting for
keep this in mind to everybody every
baptized person is priest prophet and
King a couple days ago I talked about
the kingly office I talk now about the
prophetic office when Israel got off the
rails read the Old Testament happened on
a regular basis so this community meant
to reflect the will of God into the
world Israel the chosen people of God
but frequently its leaders failed
frequently as people fell into sin
frequently it fell away from the Torah
and the temple what did God do is he
called forth prophets people like
Jeremiah people like Isaiah people like
Amos and Ezekiel people like Zechariah
aya and they raised their voices
sometimes yes in very angry protests
about these corruptions within within
Israel you're a prophet every one of you
lifts me right now who is baptized into
Jesus Christ is a prophet raise your
voice prophets didn't cut and run
when Israel was in trouble the
prophets spoke out that's that's all of
our responsibility all of us who bear
the prophetic charism you know perhaps a
last thought here I said it a couple
days ago I'll say it again whom will we
fight aim for
we're not fighting primarily to save our
institutions see I'm with my old mentor
Cardinal George of happy memory in the
last talk he ever gave to all the
priests of Chicago he said remember at
the beginning of the church there were
no parishes there were no schools
hospitals institutions there were
evangelists he reminded us there were
Proclaimers of the word but the point
was the churches that depend ultimately
on institutions
we're fighting primarily for that aspect
of the church's life we are fighting for
the victims of these terrible crimes
we're fighting for people who were
sexually assaulted sexually abused if we
cut and run precisely at this
challenging time who will be the
prophetic voice on behalf of these
victims so it's my little critic Oh
everybody Mike my cry from the heart I
get it I get the frustration people feel
I share it but this is not the moment to
abandon the church this is the moment to
fight for the church god bless you all