- Judge not, lest ye be judged (Matt 7:1; Lk 6:37; cf. Rom 14:10-13).
- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (Matt 7:12; Lk 6:31).
- Don’t put people up on pedestals because sooner or later they will fall off. (I don’t think that’s in the Bible, but it’s still true.)
Don’t be devastated, don’t lose your faith because some (religious) authority—or presumed authority—(priest, nun, parish Director of Religious Education, bishop, theologian, etc.) makes some mistake in action or judgment, makes a false statement (or writes a book of heresy) or abuses his (or her) authority in some way. Even if the error is objective, obvious and impossible to ignore, do not be too quick to judge the person’s interior disposition or degree of culpability (guilt before God).
It has been said (I’m not sure where) that the floor of the lowest pit of hell is paved with the skulls of bishops. That may be true, but I would never presume to say which bishops they might be. I would never want to be a bishop myself because of the responsibility he bears for so many souls. (In fact, I’d say if any man actually aspires to be a bishop or the pope, that alone should be enough to disqualify him.) The reason bishops are more likely than your average layman to wind up in hell is not so much that they may have done so many more evil deeds as that they didn’t do enough to lead souls to God (sins of omission), or that they set a bad example. To whom much (grace) is given, much more is expected.
The office of bishop or pope (or even your humble parish priest) is bigger than the man. The important thing is the office itself, not necessarily the individual holding it at any particular time. Every bishop and pope is a sinner. And yet his office is essential to the work of the Church which must continue to the end of time. So though we may have to suffer from time to time (sometimes for quite a long time) with the deleterious acts and pronouncements of some sinful bishops, yet we must love them and prayerfully support them for (if nothing else) the sake of their souls (and our own), and for the sake of Christ and His Church. (Prudence dictates, however, that, if we are the flock of such shepherds, we look elsewhere to our own education in the faith.)
It is said (I have heard) in courses of moral theology that the office (i.e. duty, purpose) of the Church stops at the threshold of conscience. That being said, it must also be understood that a person’s conscience does not form itself in a vacuum. There are certain universal moral precepts (cf. Rom 2:13-16) to which all men must adhere without exception. A conscience must be well formed in order to serve the purpose for which it was created. What the Church does is propose, not impose. Its job is to propose (preach, present, explain) the truth that is revealed by God to the world (all men and women everywhere). Men and women of good will should listen to and weigh what the Church has to say and apply it to their lives for their own benefit (getting to heaven) and for the common good of society (assisting others to get to heaven). It is up to individual men and women to receive the truth freely and implement it in their lives (by practicing virtue and rejecting vice) and apply the virtues for the good of society (e.g. legislators making positive law that protects the natural rights of all human beings, encourages truth and the practice of virtue and discourages vice).
The Church’s project, her assigned task, is to lead souls to heaven, not to drag them there against their will—that can’t be done anyway, though some over-zealous people do try that approach from time to time. Actual conversion is the work of the Holy Spirit and is a gift that He offers to each person individually in the context of his particular circumstances, which each person is free to either accept (and repent) or reject (and keep on sinning). We cannot force anyone to receive the faith. (A baptism, for example, administered to someone [an adult capable of understanding what it’s all about] without his actual (or at least reasonably presumed, if he is unconscious) consent is invalid.)
Fraternal correction
What is the difference between “passing judgment” on someone and giving a warning to your neighbor who may be sinning? The saying that “if it’s asked for, it’s called advice; if it isn’t, it’s called criticism” applies only narrowly. Sometimes it isn’t criticism even if it’s not solicited. For example, “Hey buddy, your right-rear tire is low on air.” Now while I suppose there might be some who would take offense at such a remark (“What a jerk! Who does he think he is, anyway?! Master Mechanic? He’s criticizing me because he thinks I’m not maintaining my car properly!”), most people would take it in the spirit in which it was given and be grateful for a stranger’s kind observation.
It is possible to make a relatively objective appraisal of another person’s behavior without passing judgment on the inner disposition of his soul (only God can do that). In fact, elsewhere in Scripture (e.g. Matt 18:15-17; Jn 7:24) we are charged to make judgments concerning other people’s sinful activity. However the point of such judgment is not to crush the sinner in vengeance, but to show him the error of his ways and thus show him the way to repentance. This is an act of mercy, an act of true love, concern for another’s salvation and ultimate happiness.
If someone else (be he friend or stranger) sees a problem that I might not see (even if it is a character flaw or personal “blind spot”), I would hope he points it out to me (as gently as possible, of course). Why? Because I recognize that I am human too, I also have feet of clay. I want to be the best person I can be, and so rely on others to help me grow, improve and root out faults. I crave the truth, even if it is the “ugly” truth about myself. I’m man enough to take it. I want to get to heaven!
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