Something not sitting right with me...

[AMM]

In a sermon/homily this morning, a priest was talking about enemies and how we should love them. Overall, it was a good sermon about Christ's love for us, how we should love those around us, etc. But the priest said at one point that "the priest who molests small children is more in need of Christ's grace and forgiveness than any of the rest of us." Doesn't that go against Paul's statement that we should repeat (and do repeat in the pre-communion prayers) that "I am the chief of sinners"?

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

I’m a major hypocrite myself, because I’m all for throwing pedophile priests into industrial grade sausage grinders!!

 

[~Anastasia~]

In a sermon/homily this morning, a priest was talking about enemies and how we should love them. Overall, it was a good sermon about Christ's love for us, how we should love those around us, etc. But the priest said at one point that "the priest who molests small children is more in need of Christ's grace and forgiveness than any of the rest of us." Doesn't that go against Paul's statement that we should repeat (and do repeat in the pre-communion prayers) that "I am the chief of sinners"?

Yes, we each view ourselves as chief among sinners.

I think the point he was making was probably a different one. If it's about loving people, then one thing to think about in the case of people we may find very hard to love because of terrible sins they've committed - is to remember how badly they need Christ so we may somewhat pity them.

It is after all a very terrible sin they have committed. Offending a child and in so terrible a way as that, and done with such a close association with Christ. Surely they DO need forgiveness in a very serious degree. Put another way - I wouldn't want to be in their shoes (not that my own shoes are clean). So I think it's a way to help us love them, because that can be very hard to do.

 

[Orthodoxjay1]

fascinating I heard a homily on God love and how we are to forgive today, yet nothing of pedophilia, it concerning. It a struggle I get that the priests wants all to repent, yet I want to see pedophiles put in like gulags then shot to put it mildly.

 

[ArmyMatt]

In a sermon/homily this morning, a priest was talking about enemies and how we should love them. Overall, it was a good sermon about Christ's love for us, how we should love those around us, etc. But the priest said at one point that "the priest who molests small children is more in need of Christ's grace and forgiveness than any of the rest of us." Doesn't that go against Paul's statement that we should repeat (and do repeat in the pre-communion prayers) that "I am the chief of sinners"?

probably said that because we have a habit of writing them off as monsters beyond hope.

 

[AMM]

Yes, we each view ourselves as chief among sinners.

I think the point he was making was probably a different one. If it's about loving people, then one thing to think about in the case of people we may find very hard to love because of terrible sins they've committed - is to remember how badly they need Christ so we may somewhat pity them.

It is after all a very terrible sin they have committed. Offending a child and in so terrible a way as that, and done with such a close association with Christ. Surely they DO need forgiveness in a very serious degree. Put another way - I wouldn't want to be in their shoes (not that my own shoes are clean). So I think it's a way to help us love them, because that can be very hard to do.

Oh okay, that's interesting. That makes sense! He listed them after saying a couple other examples of sinful people, and then this was presented as sort of the epitome of sinfulness, or at least that's how I interpreted it, but your explanation seems like a reasonable one.

fascinating I heard a homily on God love and how we are to forgive today, yet nothing of pedophilia, it concerning. It a struggle I get that the priests wants all to repent, yet I want to see pedophiles put in like gulags then shot to put it mildly.

I agree that it can be hard to see some people as bearing the image of God. Definitely something I need to work on.

 

[prodromos]

Jesus said of some people that it would be better that they had not been born at all, something about being cast into the ocean with a millstone tied around their neck. They do seem to fall into a category even more serious than "chief of sinners".
That said, many of the pedophile priests are people who were likely themselves abused by others when they were children. Only God can judge.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

So you’re saying my plan to slingshot them straight into the corona of our sun is out then? I thought my plan was sound!

Jesus said of some people that it would be better that they had not been born at all, something about being cast into the ocean with a millstone tied around their neck. They do seem to fall into a category even more serious than "chief of sinners".
That said, many of the pedophile priests are people who were likely themselves abused by others when they were children. Only God can judge.