On Cleaning Up the Church

  Much of the talk surrounding the conclave has centered on the idea of "cleaning up the Church," typically in reference either to the curia at the Vatican or the sexual abuse scandals of recent vintage and the bishops (and even Cardinals) who were derelict in addressing the problem. And while I don't dispute the need for significant reforms of procedure and accountability, we should not be naive in the wish that corruption will ever be fully purged from the Church in this world.

   Recall Jesus' parable of the wheat and the tares in Matthew 13, in which the well-meaning servant, who see weeds growing among his master's wheat--planted by an enemy--offers to go and pull up the weeds. The master, however, responds "‘No; lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"

  When we ask, "What will the new Pope do to clean up the Church?" we imply that we are not part of the problem. But if we're honest, we'll admit that there are days when we contribute to the corruption of the Church and compromise her witness with our own hypocrisies. And thank God that in his mercy he tarries until the day when he will sort it all out in his perfect judgment.

   May God grant us the grace to be counted among the wheat when that day comes.