Reply To: January 2021: Why should I listen to sinful leaders in the Catholic Church?

[Dan Marcum]

Good question! It reminds me of some statements by Jesus:

The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice. (Matthew 23:2-3)

If [a man] refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 18:17-18)

The reason I listen to sinful people is because the Bible says to. God’s plan allows for wicked men — wolves in sheep’s clothing — to control the positions of power. Sometimes the Church gets saintly leaders as a special gift from God. But corruption, scandal, and even heresy among Church leaders is pretty common too, even among the Church’s leadership.

Scripture foretells that some Church leaders will give bad examples. It also tells us how to react, and it is not by leaving the Church. The only way to heal the Body is to beg for God’s grace as a member of His Body. “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you,’ nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ … If one member suffers, all suffer together.” (1 Cor. 12:21-26)

So let’s not abandon the Body of Christ or ignore its leaders, let’s work together to heal the Body and pray for its leaders!