Conspiracy of Silence

Matthew 16:18 'And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hades will not prevail against it.'

A couple of days ago the people of Ireland voted 'Yes' to gay 'unions'. Hearing and reading about this sparked up so many reactions in me. Maybe it was because it was the Irish that brought the faith to Africa and particularly to Nigeria. The Catholic Church in Nigeria was founded on the struggles and sacrifices of the Irish missionaries. 

Today, however, the church in Ireland has deteriorated so badly that it is not even a shadow of its former self. Years and years of cover up of sexual abuse and the practice of homosexuality by priests and religious have eaten deep into the fabric of the church. And the church's inaction on these matters when exposed and reported have not helped matters. While the leaders of the church have been busy protecting the culprits in the spirit of 'brotherhood', they have wittingly or unwittingly thrown open the gate of the sheepfold and exposed the sheep to wolves. 

It's so so sad what has happened to what used to be a strong catholic nation. But then again, is it surprising? The signs are everywhere and the Catholic Church all over the world is in peril. You don't have to look too far to see, pay attention to your local parish and your diocese. You will see the signs. If you haven't seen, you would have heard. It's actually not even hidden anymore; sexual abuse and molestation of the faithful of all ages including children, introduction of homosexual acts & practices among the clergy and also teaching these things to the faithful. And anyone who is brave enough to report these acts is 'silenced' and the report covered up. No corrective action is taken, the abused are silenced and the perpetrators covered up and allowed to go scot free. 

Why have our church leaders decided to be blind, deaf, dumb and closed? Why this conspiracy of silence? Where are the shepherds Jesus put in charge of the sheep? The instruction was very clear, they are to protect the sheep, even to lay down their life for the sheep. They are to beware of wolves in sheep clothing. Their primary responsibility is to the sheep, not to their fellow shepherds, but to the sheep. Why don't the church leaders get this? Why have they been more interested in protecting the perpetrators, rather than healing the wounds of the hurt and restoring what has been lost? 

On this feast of Pentecost, we pray the Holy Spirit falls afresh on the Catholic Church, the body of Christ and on the faithful. I know that God doesn't sleep and just like in the parable of the wheat and the chaff, he has allowed the chaff to grow with the wheat in the Catholic Church. I know that the time of retribution is near when the chaff will be separated from the wheat. Because the word of God is certain that 'the gates of hades will never prevail against the church'. 

The FAITHFUL need to rise up now and defend the church. Not the catholic followers or the church goers, but the true FAITHFUL. We now more than ever need to stand up for the truth. And we all know the truth, the pure unadulterated word of God. Not the versions spewing out of the mouths of various church leaders, not the various referendums and propagandas being adopted all over the world, but the truth which has been written in our hearts. The FAITHFUL need to rise up and defend the faith. Question is 'Is there anyone with faith left? Have we gotten to the point Jesus spoke about in Luke 18:8 when he said 'But will the son of man find faith on earth when he comes?'

If there are any faithful left, one way we can defend this faith is to kick against the conspiracy of silence. We have to say NO. No to sexual abuse in the church, NO to molestation of children in the church, NO to cover ups of sexual immorality in the church, NO to our shepherds having no care for the sheep and leaving them to be eaten up by wolves. Enough is Enough. And should it be that there are no faithful left, then we can be sure that the words of scripture in Luke 19:40 will come to pass 'I tell you that if these shall hold their peace, the stones will cry out'. 

The church is the bride of Christ and if we do not cherish her like the bridegroom who gave up his life for her, if the shepherds he has put in charge do not look after the sheep, then he is capable of wiping it out as he did in the days of Noah and building afresh.

On this Pentecost day we pray; 'Holy Spirit Lord of Light, visit thou these hearts of thine. Fill our inmost being. Heal our wounds. Renew our strength. Pour thy dew on our dryness. Wash the stains of our guilt away. If thou take thy grace away, nothing pure in us will stay. Bend our stubborn hearts and will. Melt the frozen, warm the chill. Guide the steps that go astray, Amen.