In a perfect storm of a decline in morals coupled with the Internet information superhighway, we have an imperfect foretaste of the Last Judgment, where all that is hidden will come to light. Every adolescent indiscretion on Facebook, every inappropriate e-mail exchange, every reported instance of bad behavior may forever be accessible through an unforgiving Internet search engine. The effect on the reputations of individuals is disturbing. The full impact of the dark side of the Internet revolution has yet to be seen.
The public has always had an insatiable appetite for celebrity scandal. But in recent decades, the relentless revelations of the sins of public figures have become so commonplace as to threaten the moral authority of the hallowed institutions of faith and family.
From presidents to priests, from priests to private individuals, no one is exempt from the revelations of television exposés and Internet profiles. The net effect is a fascination with immorality along with an erosion of good morality. After all, the logic goes, if those in authority are unable to practice what they preach, why should we?
The residual public attitudes toward our institutions have become schizophrenic. The reputations of atheistic and pro-abortion institutions that include Hollywood, news media and even major political parties are rarely maligned when one of their own is caught up in a scandal. It never crosses the cultural mind that the institutional accommodation of evil provides the very structure facilitating acts of immorality. But when there is a moral failure of an individual associated with an institution that resolutely opposes immoral behavior, there is an immediate attack on the institution itself.
For example, not only is the hierarchy of the Catholic Church maligned for the transgressions of the clergy (at times justly, as Pope Benedict’s recent pastoral address to the Irish bishops acknowledges), but the relevant teachings of the Church are also mocked. The very remedy is held up for scorn and ridicule. In contrast, the Hollywood and pop-culture legacy of Michael Jackson is exalted despite his moral transgressions. Unlike Church teaching on chastity and celibacy, Michael Jackson poses no threat to a licentious society.
As Catholics we should not be unduly discouraged by the double standard. We know that presidents and priests alike are measured against authentic Church teaching. We also know that none of us can escape the judgment seat of God. The Gospel account of the passion of Christ suggests that the Church, from the beginning, was not hesitant in “coming clean” with respect to the transgressions of the first priests ordained by Christ at the Last Supper. Properly understood, such openness is a pattern that should be normative.
The evangelists carefully chronicled the betrayals of the Apostles. The first collegial act of the first bishops can be found at the time of the arrest of Christ in the garden: “And they all forsook him, and fled” (Mk 14:15). Peter, the first pope, would deny Christ thrice. Judas, one of the Twelve, would betray him. Only John, “the beloved disciple,” would return to join Mary at the foot of the cross.
The evangelists were likewise careful to chronicle the prevalent sins of the time. The scribes and Pharisees were particularly cruel as they tossed the woman caught in adultery at the feet of Jesus for judgment. On Good Friday, the crowds, with shocking unanimity, shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” A cowardly Pontius Pilate washed his hands in innocence as he put to death an innocent man. The Roman soldiers, oblivious to the torment of Christ on the cross, crassly gambled for his seamless garment. Bystanders, fascinated with the horror before them, sneered, “He saved others; he cannot save himself” (Mk 15:31).
If we are conscientious we all can find ourselves somewhere in the account of the passion of Christ. Odds are we will not like what we see. Only a handful of holy women, with Mary and St. John, would stand faithfully and fearlessly to the end. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that, at the Last Judgment, “In the presence of Christ, who is Truth itself, the truth of each man’s relationship with God will be laid bare” (1039). Of course, this includes the virtuous aspects of that relationship with God as well as the vicious. Christ alone through His teaching Church judges the priests, prophets and kings of the world now and forever. But unlike an Internet search engine, the Lord heals a repentant heart.
There is still time to join Mary and St. John with our innocence restored. Let us enter into Holy Week, and not neglect the sacrament of penance.
