Dump the bishops?

Well, Michael Inman was kind enough to respond to my post concerning bloggers who do nothing but complain about and blame bishops. A bit of an embittered response, which seems angry at the fact that I would even suggest that our bishops are an important constinuent of the church, human though they be:

Of course, Alan, we all need to be exhorted to "turn our eyes to the Savior who has redeemed us from whom we receive the Catholic faith", but it's hard to see when your priest is waving a rainbow banner in your face.

So am I to interpret this as you saying that your myopia is so strong that you are not completely capable of turning your eyes toward Christ, and therefore simply berating the hierarchy and acting like you don't need them is the only option left? Isn't that the same thing as not seeing the forest for the trees? Is not grace at work? This is precisely what I am exhorting you not to do. This doesn't help the Church at all. It destroys faith and disintegrates hope. It is a massive sign of despair. It certainly doesn't mean you should pretend problems don't exist, but it does mean you should be loyal to Christ and His Church and trust that He knows what is best for the Church. It doesn't mean you can't raise honest and sincere criticism, but there is a wide difference between doing that in all humility and merely bitching and moaning about how horrible things are and leaving it at that. If your parish is filled with abuse, find a parish where you can be edified. And then pray for the Church. Also ask yourself how God is helping you embrace holiness through all of these trying experiences.

Michael then goes on to say:

And don't place the bishops on the same level as the pope. To imply that the bishops enjoy the charism of infallibity on matters of faith and morals displays either a staggering naivety or just another average Catholic who doesn't know jack about what his Church teaches.

I will look passed the insult for now. What I see here is a small distortion of my statement, coupled with a possibly flawed understanding of ecclesiology. Actually, I never did put bishops at the same level of the pope as though the pope were absolutely no different than they. Nor did I even ever suggest that a bishop enjoys the charism of infallibility apart from the pope.

Rather, I was merely pointing out that, properly understood, the pope is not a super-bishop who expects the other bishops to report to him as branch managers of a company headquartered in Rome. In fact, the pope is a bishop who happens to enjoy a universal primacy and jurisdiction over the universal Church and possesses the charism of infallibility in matters of faith and morals. Also in fact, the bishops do possess an infallibility by virtue of their unity with the Holy See, which they are to exercise for the local church entrusted to them. This makes them vicars of Christ for their local church. Let's see how the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains it, emphasis mine:

894 "The bishops, as vicars and legates of Christ, govern the particular Churches assigned to them by their counsels, exhortations, and example, but over and above that also by the authority and sacred power" which indeed they ought to exercise so as to edify, in the spirit of service which is that of their Master.

895 "The power which they exercise personally in the name of Christ, is proper, ordinary, and immediate, although its exercise is ultimately controlled by the supreme authority of the Church." But the bishops should not be thought of as vicars of the Pope. His ordinary and immediate authority over the whole Church does not annul, but on the contrary confirms and defends that of the bishops. Their authority must be exercised in communion with the whole Church under the guidance of the Pope.

Christ leads the Church, and Christ has given us our bishops. That doesn't mean we get saints, but we do get human beings. We need our bishops, and that, of course, includes the Holy Father. So weigh your doubts about your bishop against the certainty of Christ and pray for your bishop daily. Offer your prayers, good works, and sacrifices for him. Make him a part of your daily reception of communion.

On a personal level, is everything rosy here in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles? :) Of course not, nor it is 100% rosy anywere as long as there are humans in charge. But I refuse to despair the way some have. Like it or not, this is my Church, and this is my local church. And this bishop is my ordinary. Has history ever shown there to be times without some element of turmoil? Not as long as humans have roamed the earth. The world is a muddy place, but that is why we have Christ. I have made an effort to know and work with both my regional bishop and my archbishop. And say what you wish, but I will not let the noxious weeds drag me down from living the Catholic faith in unity with my bishop, the Holy Father and the whole church universal.