We have already begun Holy Week, the most solemn time for Christians throughout the world as we recall the suffering and death of our beloved Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It used to be marked with sacrifices and refraining from enjoyment as we recalled how much our Saviour suffered during His scourging and crucifixion.
No Catholic would ever think of attending the Easter Show or eating hot crossed buns until Easter Sunday because we were still "offering up" our Lenten penances until the 40 days of Lent were over.
And of course no one would dream of going to the Footy or Easter Show on Good Friday - the day Jesus was executed! The day is like another funeral for a loved one - our Lord. We remember His death as if He died on this actual day, so it is marked by reverent silence and reflection and we are grateful to the government for closing the shops and giving us a holiday to mark this special day by participating in spiritual exercises such as Stations of the Cross and Veneration of the Cross ceremonies as well as mandatory Confession to a priest.
But this year it will be different.
The whole "celebration" will be sombre and sober as we reflect on the huge scars that the Church continues to bear because of the "Sins of the Fathers" - the revelation of endemic sexual abuse by members of the clergy. The effect of the scandal of clerical sexual abuse of children can not be understated. The Pope and Bishops and priests are all suffering under the weight of shame that these evil few have inflicted on our family.
Just as Jesus's most painful wounds were inflicted by the indifference of His followers, or their rejection when they called out with the angry mob, "Crucify Him!", and when He was denied by His own Apostles and priests who had shared His last Supper, including the first Pope, Peter.
As Jesus felt the incredible scourges of recrimination by the religious leaders of His time, Jesus again suffers with His church as they witness their leaders' rejection of their sacred vows for the sexual deviance of paedophilia, especially by the men entrusted with their salvific guidance.
The Church is suffering as Jesus' body on the cross being spat upon and laughed at for the crimes inflicted by their priests and religious Brothers, their own! It is a terrible and tragic shame of immense proportions that can only be relieved by a new resurrection.
That resurrection is not going to come about in Australia by an externally directed Royal Commission by government appointed judges. It can only be effected by truly internal reformation and restructuring. I wish that the Catholic people will stop the implosion by overthrowing the current oligarchy that is standing back indifferently to its own communities suffering. Many place their hopes in the ageing Argentinian with his sympathy inspiring one lung and his self-confessed humility. The kissing of babies and handicapped people in front of world wide media should give way to honest acknowledgement that he is NOT the best person to change the Church. Only by allowing the laity to have more say in the running of the Church and encouraging the leadership by women will we ever see a change to the patriarchal, dysfunctional and discriminatory direction of this rapidly becoming anachronistic organisation.
We will give this new Pope Francis six months.
I would love to share the current optimism which is infecting the Church but I can see little so far that would indicate he intends to reverse the downward trends.
He needs to abolish mandatory celibacy if he really wants to significantly restore hope in an institution which is badly in need of resuscitating.
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