By Fr. Roy Cimagala<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cVOS estis lux mundi.\u201d That\u2019s Latin for \u201cYou are the\nlight of the world,\u201d words addressed by Christ to his disciples, telling them\nhow they ought to be. (cfr. Mt 5,14 ) Pope Francis used these words as the\ntitle to his Motu Proprio Apostolic Letter that deals with how the Church\nofficials should go about cases of clerical sexual abuses, a screaming scandal\nin recent times. This was released on May 7, 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In that document, the dioceses are asked to propose a system on\nhow to report, investigate, judge and do other actions pertinent to such\ndelicate cases. I am sure that once this system is put in place, there\nwill be more transparency on the part of the Church regarding these\ncases, and hopefully will lessen, if not eliminate these scandals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, that wish may largely be considered as a pipe dream. Man is\nman and whether one is a priest or layperson, a Pope or a farmer, very\nhonorable in stature or not, we should not forget that we are all made of\nthe same stuff. We have the same hormones and libido running through our\nbody, giving impulses and urges, etc., especially during one\u2019s adolescent\nstage when things can get volcanic in intensity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We may have impressive qualities, but let\u2019s never forget that we all\nhave feet of clay. We have a treasure in vessels of clay. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The person who may look like an angel and a virgin during the day\nmay turn into a demon and a maniac in the night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We just have to be realistic about this condition of ours and try our\nbest to do something about it. There\u2019s always hope. God is always in control.\nWhere sin has abounded, God\u2019s grace has abounded even more. (cfr. Rom 5,20)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes, that\u2019s all that we can do\u2014just try and try, struggle like a\ngood soldier. But we actually can do a lot in this department. First, we have\nto understand that especially for priests and bishops, celibacy is a\nmatter of living chastity well, and chastity, in turn, is a result of genuine\nlove that comes from God, and not from the urgings of the flesh, nor the\nmany seductive conditionings of the environment, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This basic equation should be imparted as early as possible in\neveryone, starting in the family which is the first center of formation\nfor all of us, and especially when one starts his priestly formation in\nthe seminaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s hope that parents take this responsibility seriously, especially\nthese days when there are more challenges and issues regarding human sexuality.\nMost likely, parents themselves also need to be given the proper formation\nin this regard by the Church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The seminary formators and spiritual directors should already be proven\nexperts in this area and masters in the virtue of priestly celibacy,\nchastity, and love. Let\u2019s hope that with their mere presence and example,\nseminarians can already get inspired and feel reinforced in their desire\nto live the virtue of chastity in celibacy, a virtue that should spring\nout of genuine love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The formators and spiritual directors should get to know the\nseminarians thoroughly well, and give them the proper guidance. They\nshould try their best to win the confidence and friendship of the\nseminarians so that a candid look into the seminarians\u2019 spiritual life,\nespecially in the area of continence, chastity and capacity for celibacy\ncan be assessed properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The formators and spiritual directors should know whether there is\ngenuine love for God and souls in the seminarians\u2019 heart, or at least know\nhow to help them develop such love. They should know at least the state in\nwhich these virtues are lived by the seminarians, so that the proper\nguidance can be given.<\/p>\n\n\n\n