Resisting the Temptations of Donatism

When St. Francis was asked what his brothers were to do about the immoral and corrupt priests and bishops of the 13th century (who make the worst of our current crop look like rank amateurs!), whether they should be avoided or preached against, his answer was to bow and kiss their hands and ask their blessing, for they offer the holy Eucharist for us, giving to us Christ himself.

In the current trials, the deceptive face of Donatism is coming back in fashion. There are groups out there, believing themselves to be Catholic, that are proposing that the Lord does not come in the Eucharist if the celebrant is in some way or other unworthy, and that Absolution by such priests does not absolve. Even reading or listening to the secular news sources, that ugly face pops up. Every bishop who ever mishandled any priestly discipline case by modern standards, no matter how long ago or how corrected since, must go. The teaching of the bishop doesn't need to be listened to if all of the bishop's prudential judgements have not been correct. And even reports of people leaving the Church because, they say, of their bishop's imperfections. Donatism's ugly face peeks out again and again, encouraging doubt and promoting division and schism

If we insist on having only perfect bishops who have only perfect priests, then we will have neither bishops nor priests. For none of us are perfect, all of us have sinned, every single one of us has done spectacularly dumb things, and even the strongest and most faithful of us come equipped with two clay feet. We've had a recent lesson:

"I apologize to all the faithful of this archdiocese which I love so much, to all its people and clergy, for the scandal that has occurred because of my sinfulness. Long ago, I placed that sinfulness in God's loving and forgiving heart, but now and into the future I worry about those whose faith may be shaken by my acts.

The early Church was wise to declare that God can use imperfect instruments to build the kingdom and that the effectiveness of the sacraments does not depend on the holiness of the minister. For me that thought brings some, though meager, consolation. It does not in any way diminish my need to beg forgiveness of all of you."

a lesson both in the importance of resisting Donatism and the need not to use resisting Donatism as an excuse. Our bishops and pastors cannot hide behind any of this to avoid standing straight and speaking their embarrassing truths aloud. And the faithful cannot use any of this as an excuse to go away from The Church, where the bishop is, which Christ has promised to protect, to go out to the howling wilderness where the bishop is not.
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