Special to the Star-Telegram
At a time that the Roman Catholic Church has suffered scandalous revelations of sexual abuse and is facing lawsuits, monetary losses and humiliation, the call for vocations may sound incredibly optimistic.
“We have every reason in faith to be assured that the Lord will hear our prayers and will give us the priests, deacons, consecrated religious, as well as many, many lay people to bring in the harvest that grows bigger every year,” says Fort Worth Bishop Joseph Delaney.
It is this “reason in faith” that has driven the church for two millennium to overcome internal corruption and external attacks.
Catholics have sought to balance reason and faith — one well-planted foot in this world and another foot in the next — to produce a parade of saints and sinners. The church is home to earth-bound humans seeking to fly like angels.
St. Peter’s church has witnessed the Crusades, licentious popes, inquisitions, the persecution of scientists, apologies for slavery, and tolerance of Nazis and other tyrants.
