One of the reasons the Roman Catholic Church has not acted more aggressively to end the rapes and sexual assaults of children and young people by clergy members is because they believe suffering brings a person closer to God. (The more spiritually-oriented believe this; for many bishops and other higher-ups, the church is simply a business.)
When I received a letter from the bishop apologizing for the assault I experienced by a priest in his diocese, the bishop said, "You have suffered much." The statement felt less like an apology than a compliment. Like, you have earned a jewel for your crown, my child.
So when I found this story in an article about Mother Teresa's charity, I felt it was applicable to the clergy sexual assault crisis.
Even patients in unbearable pain were refused strong painkillers, not because the order did not have them, but on principle. `The most beautiful gift for a person is that he can participate in the suffering of Christ,' said Mother Teresa. Once she had tried to comfort a screaming sufferer, `You are suffering, that means Jesus is kissing you.' The sufferer screamed back, furious, `Then tell your Jesus to stop kissing me.'......
Indeed. Let's sit back and let the hierarchy enjoy the Jesus kisses for awhile, as they wrestle with a world far less willing to accept their abuse than in generations past.
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