Cork Free Presbyterian Church, 10 Briarscourt
(Annex) Shanakiel, Cork, Ireland
Pastor: Colin Maxwell. Email: colin.maxwell@fpcmission.org
The following are the contents of a small 8 page booklet which I have
printed for general distribution concerning the ongoing saga in the
ongoing issue of child sex abuse in the Roman Catholic Church in
Ireland. As the title states, I am looking at the issue from a
Protestant perspective. I have kept it in the easy to read Question and
Answer format.
*********************************
1) CAN YOU DEFINE WHAT YOU MEAN BY THE TERM "PROTESTANT"?
Yes. I do not use it in any denominational way i.e. denoting membership
of any one Protestant denomination or with any political meaning.
It is used to designate one who believes in the doctrines of the
Protestant Reformation i.e. the authority of the Bible alone in all
matters of faith and practice and that salvation is by grace alone,
through faith alone, in Christ alone. This being so, we will introduce
the Bible to these comments.
2) WHAT IS THE LATEST NEWS IN THE LONG RUNNING SAGA OF CHILD SEX ABUSE IN THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH IN IRELAND?
Today's Irish Examiner (18th October, 2002) reports:
"A full criminal investigation into priests at all levels in the
country's largest diocese was demanded last night following fresh
allegations of repeated failures to respond to complaints of clerical
sex abuse .The first name victims want to put on a Guarda inquiry list
is that of embattled Cardinal Desmond Connell who was once again shown
to have shielded paedophile priests under his control."
This follows a Primetime investigation shown last night on RTE
television where no less than 8 individual and rather graphic accounts
of abuse of children by various priests were given. These harrowing
accounts were followed by a discussion panel. Cardinal Connell declined
an invitation to appear on the programme, but appointed two spokesmen
to speak on his behalf. Joe Duffy took up the issue again on today's
edition of the radio phone in show Liveline. It also makes headline
reading in the press.
The details are very harrowing: One priest (now deceased) admitted to
abusing 100 children. When he was exposed as a child molester, he was
moved on and became a chaplain in a hospital where there were young
children and teenagers. Another priest, whom an internal church
tribunal held in 1992 recommended being defrocked, was allowed to
continue as a priest. Subsequently in 1995 he indecently assaulted an
11 year old boy following the funeral of his grandfather.
The Archdiocese of Dublin is Ireland's largest diocese, with 200
parishes. There are currently 450 separate legal accusations. The
diocese has paid out millions of Euro in legal fees, settlements and
treatment for offenders. A leading canon lawyer in the Roman Catholic
Church admitted on Primetime that he believed there was "something
radically wrong."
3) AS A PROTESTANT…ARE YOU SURPRISED AT THESE REVELATIONS?
No. This is just another sad chapter in the history of the Roman
Catholic Church on this island and elsewhere. The only "good thing" is
that they have now come to light and that there are investigative
journalists who no longer fear the Roman Catholic Church but are
determined to do their job and get to the truth. This booklet will give
you an insight into why there will be no surprise on behalf of those of
us who can only view Rome from the outside. You might not agree with
our analysis but it cannot be ignored.
4) HAS THE GENERAL ATTITUDE/MINDSET OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH CONTRIBUTED TO THIS PROBLEM?
We must not operate on the principle of guilt by association and so
blacken the personal reputations of many of the Church of Rome's
"priests", "brothers" and "nuns" who stand innocent in these matters.
Yet, it must be said that the Roman Catholic Church has largely
contributed to its own scandal.
[1] For instance, it is alleged that there has been a holding back of
information from the civil authorities because of the primacy given to
Canon Law over Civil Law. This is a distinction unheard of in the
Bible. Acts 5:29 "We must obey God rather than men" is to be invoked
only when the law would prevent that which is commanded in the Bible
ie. the worship of God or the preaching of the gospel. It cannot be
used to shield those accused of any crime from the civil law.
[2] Again, the Roman Catholic Church has often attacked the Protestant
concept of individualism and contrasted it with its own policy of a
community spirit i.e. where the "good" of the community is to be put
before the individual. This policy has singularly failed Roman Catholic
communities because when abuse victims have come forward, their claims
have been practically ignored in order to protect the whole community.
Often the weakest in that community were being sacrificed for the
greater peace. This created conditions in which paedophiles could work
without much hindrance. We might add that this community spirit was
abandoned when it came to the weekly journey to the Confessional Box
and then a rugged individualism took over.
[3] The belief of the Roman Catholic Church of its own infallibility
along with a monopoly on the thought that "The Church has been around
for 2,000 years and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" has
not helped either. Although no clerical abuser may hide behind the
fatal flaws of the system yet all these distinctives have been building
up like gases, just waiting to explode.
5) HAS THERE ALWAYS BEEN ABUSES IN THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH?
Yes. I accept that abuses crop up wherever you have sinful men and
women and even the most Biblical of the Protestant Churches have had
those who took advantage of positions of trust to abuse children.
However, one reason why Rome in particular stands out is her unbiblical
requirement that her clergy remain unmarried. "It is better to marry
than to burn [in lust]" (1 Corinthians 7:9) declares the Bible,
reminding us that "marriage is honourable in all" (Hebrews 13:4) If
Peter was married (Matthew 8:14) and a requirement of a Bishop was that
he be " the husband of one wife" (1 Timothy 3:2) then we must wonder
how the "wisdom" which embraced the later theologians missed the
inspired Apostles.
Sadly history abounds with incident after incident of the gross
immorality which enveloped many monasteries and convents. Here
unbridled nature was often let loose in its rawest form and the results
were simply scandalous. Even Popes were guilty of crimes of immorality.
Alexandria Borgia's (Pope Alexandria VI) claim to fame in this aspect
being well known. Pope Sixtus IV (1471-84) who built the Sistine Chapel
was also notorious in regards to his debauchery. Roman Catholic Bishop
Creighton, quoted by Peter De Rosa in his book The Vicars of Christ
said of this Pope, "He lowered the moral tone of Europe" These are
simple facts stated by Protestant and Roman Catholic alike. The full
history is littered with cases of prostitution, mistresses, child abuse
etc. Sadly there is nothing new in the recent revelations.
6) WERE THERE PROTESTING VOICES IN THE PAST?
Yes. From within the Roman Catholic Institution, some could not remain
silent. One brave voice was that of Jerome Savonarola who preached in
Florence, Italy near the end of the 15th Century. He exposed the
corruption of Pope Alexandria VI who had fathered five children after
he became Pope. Savonarola refused to be bribed with a Cardinal's hat
and continued to "cry aloud and spare not" (Isaiah 58:1) Eventually he
was excommunicated, sent to the Inquisition and then burned alive in
the central square at Florence in May 1498. Of course, there have been
others whose names have been denied a record in history, but they did
raise a voice. Often at great personal cost, they were determined to
bring the truth out into the public domain. This is where truth
deserves to be. No group of men, no matter how privileged they may
think themselves to be, have any right to conceal the facts especially
when the vulnerable are at risk. Today we are thankful for those who
battled in this country against the odds and who have brought these
things to the greater attention.
7) WHY WAS MARTIN LUTHER'S PROTEST RADICALLY DIFFERENT?
If we are to learn the lessons from the past and seek to prevent such
atrocities happening again, at least in such a large scale, then we
must get to the root of the matter. As indicated before, the Roman
Catholic Church has no monopoly on such abuse, but did provide an
environment where such may flourish.
In the 16th Century, Martin Luther, an Augustinian monk, raised his
voice against the Roman Catholic doctrine of indulgences. It greatly
annoyed him that Pope Leo X had arranged for these "sin dockets" (as
the Reformers branded them) to be sold. A man could purchase
forgiveness for his sin even before he had committed it. It does not
take much imagination to see how this system was open to abuse. At this
point, Luther could have been just another Savonarola and make a few
objections on moral grounds. Had he done so, it is likely that his name
would have been largely forgotten today.
But Luther went much further. Luther recognised the Scriptural truth -
and here I paraphrase - that "evil teaching leads to evil living" (1
Corinthians 15:33) Because he was one of the relative few who had
access to a Bible, Luther came to see that many of the basic doctrines
of the Roman Catholic Church were at odds with the word of God.
Naturally, as a good Roman Catholic, this concerned Luther but he was
prepared to put the truth of the word of God before the sake of the
unity and harmony of the Church.
Luther rediscovered the New Testament truth that men do not need the
church to bring them to God…but that Jesus Christ is the "one
God and one mediator between God and men" (1 Timothy 2:5) Because he
recognised that Christ died once and for all upon the Cross (Hebrews
10:10-14) and that there is no more offering for sin (Hebrews 10:18) he
disengaged the whole idea of a special priesthood who would offer up
the literal body and blood of Jesus Christ. He denied that the voice of
the Church was the ultimate authority, but that the Bible alone was to
have the final say. Along with the other central doctrines of the
Protestant Reformation…"founded on the word of God and agreeable
thereto" Luther's actions led to the reformation of the Church. If
corrupt doctrines do indeed lead to corrupt life styles…then
perhaps a getting back to these basic teachings of the Bible would be a
good thing. They are not to be dismissed as the stuff of theologians or
of no relevance. "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs
23:7) Perhaps many of those who have been abusing children within the
confines of the Roman Catholic Church took great comfort in the thought
that there was always the Confessional Box to unload the unbearable
guilt of their sins?
8) IF WE FORSAKE THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH …WHERE CAN WE GO?
The statistics are there to prove that there has been a great falling
way from church attendance. Figures that not so long ago topped 90% are
now down to 50% for mass attendance. The Bishop Casey affair in the mid
1990's cracked the dam while the Father Smyth saga put a hole in it.
Roman Catholicism in Ireland is fast becoming more cultural than
religious. Many are forsaking the church of their fathers. It is likely
that this present upturn in events will claim many more.
This is no new thing, because such happened during the Reformation era
of Luther, Calvin and Knox etc. A number of different factors might
come into play here, but one reason cannot be denied…people had
found something else that fed their souls. There were multitudes who
turned away from the Church of Rome and turned to God as He has
revealed Himself in the Bible. Come Sunday morning, they were found
meeting in simple assemblies, singing the Psalms and giving time over
for the clear, undiluted and simple preaching of the word of God with
no elaborate ceremonies or rites.
Today, apart from some exceptions, sadly this is not the case. Many
have lapsed from their Catholicism to embrace other -isms. The Celtic
Tiger has induced many to embrace materialism. The rat race is alive
and well here in Ireland. In such a climate, atheism or its lame sister
agnosticism in its various hues will flourish. The emptiness of such
alternatives to God's word can be seen especially in those occasions
when there is a great public outpouring of grief. Recent events in
England and elsewhere show a people who have no real Bible faith at a
loss to understand why certain things happen. Crumbs of comfort are
often taken in a "God" whose knowledge is couched in the most vague of
terms.
One purpose of this booklet is to call the reader away from that which
is unbiblical - whether it is religion or the secular equivalent - to a
living faith in Jesus Christ. That some have presumed to act in His
name and abused their position does not render the claims of the gospel
null and void. We do not quit using banks because some have allowed
fraudulent matters to go unhindered. There is a clear witness to the
truth of Jesus Christ that is untarnished by scandals such as those now
in the headlines. There are churches here in Cork and elsewhere in
Ireland where the Bible alone is heeded and where sin is not excused,
but dealt with in a most efficient and Biblical manner. For the sake of
your soul, you would do well to seek them out and get to grips with
those big questions in life like "Why am I here? Where did I come from
and where am I going?" sorted out. You need authoritative answers from
the Bible alone.
9) DOES ANY ONE CHURCH CONSTITUTE THE TRUE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST?
It is a claim of the Church of Rome that she and she alone is the one
and only true Church of Jesus Christ. Those of us who are outside her
communion are to be treated as "separated brethren" with our
ordinations to the ministry disregarded as "null and void"
This booklet repudiates this claim. No one denomination can lay
exclusive title of being the "one holy Catholic Church" The Church of
Jesus Christ is not an outward edifice or organisation, but is simply
made up of all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ
our Lord…(1 Corinthians 1:2) The church is the people of God.
Those who have born again into the family of God (John 3:3) not by
baptism, but by the Spirit and by the word of God (Titus 3:5-6/1 Peter
1:23) They might appear under different denominational names i.e.
Presbyterian, Baptist or whatever and even worship in different places
and in different ways, but they are all members of the one body and
that body is the Church of Christ. To claim exclusive right to the
title is to go beyond Bible teaching and brings down the censure of
Christ who rebuked such a sectarian spirit when it manifested itself in
His own disciples (Luke 9:49-50)
10) WHAT SHOULD I DO THIS SUNDAY?
Your best move would be to look out a place of worship where the Bible
is faithfully preached. We are not talking now about 5-10 minute
homily's tagged on at the end of a ritualistic service. Nor do we have
in mind listening to a preacher who, despite his ordination vows,
denies the very Bible he purports to believe. Jumping from the frying
pan into the fire is seldom seen as any great advance.
We take this opportunity to invite you to our church. We are an
Evangelical Protestant Church who preach salvation by faith alone in
Jesus Christ without the merits of good works.(Romans 3:28/Ephesians
2:8-9) We stand for the Bible alone as the sole rule of faith and
practice (2 Timothy 3:16-17) We believe that saving grace is given
freely by God to the undeserving. It cannot (by its very definition) be
bought or earned and it is offered to every man (Isaiah 55:1) We preach
the supremacy of Jesus Christ and proclaim Him alone as the Head of His
Church. (Colossians 1:18)
THE END