Editor:
The recent news about the clergy scandal in Philadelphia needs to be looked at from the perspective of the Gospel. Everyone knows the story of how the devil tempted Jesus three times. If we believe in Jesus at all, we need to believe that this is not just a story. Jesus spoke to and about the devil many times. Was he delusional about the devil?
Many people, including some clerics, do not want to talk about the devil, as if he is not real —which is exactly what he wants us to believe. Ignoring the devil starts with ignoring sin. Many of us had experiences where someone involved with religious education told us to forget about sin. If there is no sin, then we do not need to think about how we act or what we do. The devil is smarter than all humans and he weaves his plans over long periods of time. Look at how successful he has been in the last century with the collapse of morality in the entire world. Only the people who do not believe in the devil think that is by accident.
Looking at the clergy scandals, we have to bear in mind that the devil must attack and eliminate those men and women who can do him the greatest damage. A priest can be eliminated just by unfounded accusations, if he loses self-confidence or becomes disheartened. We Catholics cannot fall prey to condemning priests in our minds. The Eucharist, Mass, is our greatest weapon against the devil … no priests, no Eucharist … a simple and effective devil strategy! I am amazed that there aren’t thousands more priests involved in the scandals. It must be the power of their prayer that keeps them out of his grip — and it must be a terrible battle they wage. We need to pray for our priests.
Lay people are not immune to the devil’s work. Consider politicians who put aside their conscience to support abortion and other laws that weaken morality. Do the voters bear some responsibility there also?
Adolf Schimpf
Hanover Township
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