Proving Our Allegiance to the Lord

Just over a week ago the supposedly Catholic governor of the state of Washington signed into law legislation requiring Catholic priests to violate the Seal of the Confessional in some cases; if they fail to report to the authorities certain crimes mentioned by penitents, they can now be sent to jail. This harsh new law does not apply to privileged information shared with other professionals, such as attorneys or counselors, but only to Catholic priests. The reality, of course, is that any Catholic priest who reveals the sins he heard in the confessional is automatically excommunicated from the Church; he is supposed to endure civil penalties, prison, or even death rather than violate the secrecy of the Sacrament. The ultimate example of this duty was given in 1393 by the priest and martyr St. John Nepomucene; the king of Bohemia had him executed when he refused to reveal what his queen had confessed to him.

This new law in Washington State is a direct attack on religious freedom and on the rights of the Church; similar legislation has been proposed in Delaware, Vermont, and Montana. Could such a law be implemented here in Michigan? Not yet; it would never make it through our state House of Representatives. However, if such a law were passed, I believe our current governor would happily sign it, and our current state attorney general would eagerly look for opportunities to enforce it—a statement I make based on their history of anti-Catholic bias.  

For instance, our governor was shown in a video mocking the Eucharist, and the attorney general filed a lawsuit against a Catholic school in St. Johns, a town about fifteen miles north of Lansing, simply for refusing to teach gender ideology, while also using the word “bigots” to describe faithful Catholics. Moreover, I’m told that Archbishop Weisenburger expects that when the attorney general releases her report on clerical sexual abuse, it will contain very little new information, but will be presented as if her office had uncovered previously-unknown crimes—simply as a way of scoring cheap political points at the Church’s expense.

Under the previous presidential administration, the FBI labeled traditional Catholics as potential domestic terrorists and planted undercover informants in church congregations, even as it refused to investigate the more than 400 acts of vandalism and religious hatred committed against Catholic churches; also, the former president—while calling himself a devout Catholic—tried to force Catholic doctors to conduct transgender surgery on children as young as age seven (though this was overturned in court). Thankfully, our current president has issued an executive order forbidding any form of anti-Christian bias by the federal government—but there’s no guarantee this pro-religion policy will remain in place once he leaves office. If anyone thinks I’m crossing the line by speaking of politics from the pulpit, my response is to refer to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which states in n. 2246, “[it is part of the Church’s mission] to pass moral judgments even in matters related to politics, whenever the fundamental rights of man or the salvation of souls requires it.”

The Fourth Sunday of Easter, is customarily called “Good Shepherd Sunday” because the Gospel is taken from chapter 10 of St. John’s Gospel, in which Jesus refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd. All Catholic bishops and priests are expected to follow Christ’s example of courageous service and self-sacrifice, protecting the flock from this world’s dangerous wolves, even at the expense of their own lives. In some ways, these dangers are greater now than ever before in our lifetimes—but as long as we trust in the Lord, we have nothing to fear.

The theme of standing firm in the face of persecution comes through very clearly in the readings. The Acts of the Apostles (13:14, 43-52) describes how Paul and Barnabas encountered violent abuse while preaching the Gospel, even to the point of being persecuted and forcibly removed from town. The vision of heavenly worship given in the Book of Revelation (7:9, 14-17) includes a vast multitude who had survived a time of great distress—that is, they suffered because of their faith in Jesus. Our Lord warned His followers this would happen—but in speaking of His sheep, He promises in the Gospel that “they shall never perish” and that “no one can take them out of [His] hand.”

The Church observes Good Shepherd Sunday as the World Day of Prayer for Vocations.  Not only did we have more priestly vocations in the past; when I entered the seminary in 1973, and when I was ordained in 1982, it was easier to be a priest than it is now. There were many more priests available for parish ministry, and the sexual abuse crisis had not yet created an atmosphere of fear and suspicion. Tragically, most accusations of clerical sexual misconduct have proven to be authentic—but not all. Guilty priests must be, and are being, held accountable for their crimes. However, there are more than a few instances in which innocent priests have been falsely accused: sometimes due to mistaken memories, but also due to a personal vendetta, or a desire to extort money from the Church—a process often aided by ambitious politicians and greedy trial lawyers. If I had the time, I could give you many examples of this. Guilty priests will face a severe judgment from God for failing to imitate Christ the Good Shepherd—but so will those who knowingly accuse the innocent.

I’ve heard there are seminarians today who fully expect that at some point in their priesthood they’ll be removed from ministry as a result of a false accusation, but are still choosing to persevere in their vocation. If so, this is an example of true heroism and commitment—one that will be increasingly required not only of seminarians, deacons, priests, and bishops, but of all Catholics. Our society has entered a post-Christian age in which traditional moral and religious values are no longer respected or taken for granted; if we put our faith into practice, we will become counter-cultural, making ourselves targets for hostility, ridicule, and abuse—even if, for the time being, our religious freedom is legally protected. It’s very appropriate that the Church celebrates Good Shepherd Sunday even as we celebrate the election of Pope Leo XIV—but, no matter how wise and holy he may be, one man alone cannot successfully oppose the prince of this world or overcome the evil schemes and assaults of the devil’s human servants. All of us must become more aware of, and involved in, this ongoing spiritual war. Speaking up in defense of our faith, vigorously resisting any efforts to restrict our religious freedom, promoting and encouraging more vocations to the priesthood and religious life, praying for everyone experiencing persecution and everyone involved in ministry, and actively seeking to discover and carry out God’s will in this regard, are vitally important responsibilities that fall upon each one of us—now more than ever before.

In this ever-intensifying war between good and evil, it’s never been a question of which side will win, but rather, which side we’ll be on. Neutrality and religious indifference are no longer an option. Jesus says, “I know My sheep, and mine know Me”—and the time has come to prove to Our Lord that we truly are members of His flock.