THIS is the big challenge for priests
who, in the person
of Christ through their sacrament of Order, dispense divine mercy to
the Christian faithful. They should see to it that they are neither
too strict nor too lenient, neither giving too much nor too little.
That’s why priests are strongly recommended to pray hard
before hearing confessions and giving spiritual direction, if only to
assume the very mind and heart of Christ himself who is the only one
who forgives. Some pertinent words for this kind of prayer may be the
following:
“Grant to me, O Lord, that wisdom…that I may know how to
judge your people with justice, and your poor ones with equity. Let me
so use the keys of the Kingdom of heaven that I may open to no one
upon whom they should shut, nor close them to any for whom they should
open…Let me be gentle without weakness, severe without harshness…
“Grant me skill to lead them back from sin, zeal in
confirming them in good, diligence in elevating them to better things.
Grant me good judgment in answering questions, correctness in
counseling. Give me light when things are obscure, wisdom when they
are entangled, victory when they are difficult…”
Especially now with the recommendations contained in Pope
Francis’ apostolic exhortation, Amoris laetitia (The joy of love),
priests should be most sensitive to the different conditions people
can find themselves in. they are practically thrown into the many
shades of grey. This task has to start with respecting the different
cultures in the world.
Let me quote some words of the Vatican-issued summary of
the document with respect to this point: “For some questions, ‘each
country or region…can seek solutions better suited to its culture and
sensitive to its traditions and local needs. For cultures are in fact
quite diverse and every general principle…needs to be inculturated, if
it is to be respected and applied.”
And besides respecting the different cultures, priests
also have to consider the various differences of individuals in terms
of temperament, social and economic status, etc. They have to learn to
be “all things to all men to save all,” (1 Cor 9,22) knowing how to
engage different kinds of individuals the way they are while giving
the one message and saving mercy of Christ.
In other words, priests should not just give generic
pieces of advice, delivered indiscriminately to everyone without
giving due consideration to the concrete conditions of the penitents.
This will require a lot from priests who have to know how
to enter into the mind and heart of each individual penitent. And this
requires nothing less than a vital union with Christ, since it is only
through him that a priest can effectively have the proper compassion.
That is why priests have to be properly formed and trained
to at least be able to cope with this challenge. Though they also have
their own temperament and idiosyncracies, priests should be open to
the different kinds of people who approach them begging for mercy.
This is where they are exposed to the very vast field of
grey area of the human condition, where they can find good and evil,
strengths and weaknesses, innocence and malice mixed together. They
should not get lost in cruising this grey area.
Thus, priests should have clear ideas as well as a heart
full of pastoral charity. They have to be tough and sensitive at the
same time but in different respects, focused on what is really
essential but open to all conditions. They have to be father, brother,
friend, doctor and judge to everyone.
They have to be quick to give forgiveness and charity,
just as Christ did with all the sinners, even as they should also map
out some plans to attend to the requirements of justice and truth.
They have to be quick in taking advantage of whatever
saving grace, no matter how slight compared to the negative things in
a given case, to effect some transformation for the better in a
person.
We should not allow the requirements of justice and truth
to stand in the way of divine mercy. In the end, only God knows what
to do for the requirements of justice and truth in a given case to be
fully satisfied.
We know that guilt can always be forgiven and erased with
God’s grace, though the temporal punishments of such guilt may still
stand. In this regard, let us also take advantage of the many
occasions when indulgences can be earned, so that these temporal
punishments can be reduced or even eliminated.
In the meantime, priests should try to enjoy the adventure
of the cruise.
of Christ through their sacrament of Order, dispense divine mercy to
the Christian faithful. They should see to it that they are neither
too strict nor too lenient, neither giving too much nor too little.
That’s why priests are strongly recommended to pray hard
before hearing confessions and giving spiritual direction, if only to
assume the very mind and heart of Christ himself who is the only one
who forgives. Some pertinent words for this kind of prayer may be the
following:
“Grant to me, O Lord, that wisdom…that I may know how to
judge your people with justice, and your poor ones with equity. Let me
so use the keys of the Kingdom of heaven that I may open to no one
upon whom they should shut, nor close them to any for whom they should
open…Let me be gentle without weakness, severe without harshness…
“Grant me skill to lead them back from sin, zeal in
confirming them in good, diligence in elevating them to better things.
Grant me good judgment in answering questions, correctness in
counseling. Give me light when things are obscure, wisdom when they
are entangled, victory when they are difficult…”
Especially now with the recommendations contained in Pope
Francis’ apostolic exhortation, Amoris laetitia (The joy of love),
priests should be most sensitive to the different conditions people
can find themselves in. they are practically thrown into the many
shades of grey. This task has to start with respecting the different
cultures in the world.
Let me quote some words of the Vatican-issued summary of
the document with respect to this point: “For some questions, ‘each
country or region…can seek solutions better suited to its culture and
sensitive to its traditions and local needs. For cultures are in fact
quite diverse and every general principle…needs to be inculturated, if
it is to be respected and applied.”
And besides respecting the different cultures, priests
also have to consider the various differences of individuals in terms
of temperament, social and economic status, etc. They have to learn to
be “all things to all men to save all,” (1 Cor 9,22) knowing how to
engage different kinds of individuals the way they are while giving
the one message and saving mercy of Christ.
In other words, priests should not just give generic
pieces of advice, delivered indiscriminately to everyone without
giving due consideration to the concrete conditions of the penitents.
This will require a lot from priests who have to know how
to enter into the mind and heart of each individual penitent. And this
requires nothing less than a vital union with Christ, since it is only
through him that a priest can effectively have the proper compassion.
That is why priests have to be properly formed and trained
to at least be able to cope with this challenge. Though they also have
their own temperament and idiosyncracies, priests should be open to
the different kinds of people who approach them begging for mercy.
This is where they are exposed to the very vast field of
grey area of the human condition, where they can find good and evil,
strengths and weaknesses, innocence and malice mixed together. They
should not get lost in cruising this grey area.
Thus, priests should have clear ideas as well as a heart
full of pastoral charity. They have to be tough and sensitive at the
same time but in different respects, focused on what is really
essential but open to all conditions. They have to be father, brother,
friend, doctor and judge to everyone.
They have to be quick to give forgiveness and charity,
just as Christ did with all the sinners, even as they should also map
out some plans to attend to the requirements of justice and truth.
They have to be quick in taking advantage of whatever
saving grace, no matter how slight compared to the negative things in
a given case, to effect some transformation for the better in a
person.
We should not allow the requirements of justice and truth
to stand in the way of divine mercy. In the end, only God knows what
to do for the requirements of justice and truth in a given case to be
fully satisfied.
We know that guilt can always be forgiven and erased with
God’s grace, though the temporal punishments of such guilt may still
stand. In this regard, let us also take advantage of the many
occasions when indulgences can be earned, so that these temporal
punishments can be reduced or even eliminated.
In the meantime, priests should try to enjoy the adventure
of the cruise.
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