“I left my religion (abandoned Mass) a few years ago because my father …”
That's a sentence that I heard from some people, or read on social networks, I don't dare to blame anyone, but I just feel really sad when I hear or read it like that. Humanly speaking, naturally, no one can please everyone, nor can anyone please everyone. Therefore, it is very normal to like one person and hate the other. Priests are human too, so they certainly cannot be liked by 100% of the faithful.Moreover, in relationships on the human level, conflicts, disagreements, frictions, discords, arguments... are also nothing out of the ordinary. In many families, it is parents, spouses, children, brothers and sisters who often quarrel with each other. But being angry with your father, for some reason, even if it's very legitimate, and then giving up your religion is not worth it at all.
Some cases apostate because of seeing or knowing a sinful priest. Although going through a training process of more than 10 years, as well as the consideration of the authorities, before ordination to the priesthood, that does not guarantee 100% of the priests to become perfect and holy. As human beings, including priests, no one is immune from passion, temptation, and sin.Therefore, each priest needs to be aware of his status as "fragile earthenware" in order to live a daily conversion in grace. (I myself am very aware of this). However, priestly vices, vices, stumbles and sins are possible, and it is a sad, regrettable and undesirable thing. But for a sinful priest to decide to renounce his religion, it is not worth it at all.
As Christians, we are called to follow Christ, to the holiness to which we are all called according to our state of life through a life of trust, hope and love, in union with life. of God by participating in the Mystical Body of Christ.
Living a religion is walking on the path of following God to reach the eternal happiness that God has for each of us. Faith is both communal and personal. Faith must be our personal conviction. Therefore, each of us must take responsibility for our own lives. The shining examples, the holy lives of others are the motivation for us to rise up every day. And if because of bad examples, even the bad example of a priest, causes us to turn away from our faith, is that justifiable? There is one very basic thing that needs to be clearly defined: for whom and for whom do we hold the religion? Abandoning religion, who will suffer loss and loss. The gain or loss here is not material wealth, but eternal life, which is the most important thing to think carefully and seriously. P/S: The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is also the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests. Please join us in praying for priests to always live their vocation and dignity according to God's example. Jesus, High Priest.
