Catholics in our parishes are raging with anger over priests’ sexual abuse of minors, seminarians, and others. And over bishops covering it up. Our anger over this horrific evil is completely justified. Many would like to do something about it, but are not sure what they can do beyond raging. I suggest we can take action by channeling our anger into determination to pray and work for change and reform.

So let’s channel our anger to:

  • Determine to stay faithful to our calling as Catholics. Resist the temptation to leave the church. In this worst of crises in the US church, the Lord needs us to work with him to resolve it.
  • Determine to pray daily for the healing and recovery of victims who have been sexually abused. And for the repentance, discipline and reform of their abusers and those who covered up the abuse.
  • Determine to do penance for the repair of the damage the scandal has done to the Body of Christ. Choose, for example, a form of fasting that works well for you: each week fast a day or two from food, the Internet, mobile phone, video games, or TV.
  • Determine to do spiritual warfare to stop the abuse and bring the church out of the crisis. The extent of the abuse and corruption is so vast that it must be the manifestation of a diabolical plot. We must use our authority as sons and daughters of God to resist the devil and command him to cease and desist. The prayer to St. Michael the Archangel is one good way to fight.
  • Determine to support our good priests who live daily in the dark shadow of the scandal. Volunteer for service that they will experience as helpful. Look for ways to encourage your local priests. Invite them to join you for coffee or meals. And pray for them by name every day.
  • Determine to ask the Lord to arrange for professional lay people to conduct a full-scale forensic investigation of the abuse, cover-ups and corruption. Pray for the truth to emerge and heal the church’s wounds.
  • Determine to ask the Lord to show you what else you might do to contribute to the cure of the crisis.