Another Letter to Alberto Cutié

Almost two years ago, in this same newspaper, I published an article addressed to Alberto Cutié, a former priest of the Catholic Church who has devoted himself to speaking ill of it. Today I am writing again to ask this gentleman to respect Our Holy Catholic Church and Catholics throughout the world: first, because he is no longer part of it; and second, because he has no moral standing to criticize a Pope like Benedict XVI or to hurl slanders and insults at our priests. Last week he was invited onto Ismael Cala’s program on CNN, titled “Road to the Conclave.” People expected specialists on the subject, and the conclave was the last thing they talked about. On Twitter many Catholics voiced their displeasure and asked for respect.

How long will more than a billion Catholic faithful throughout the world keep paying the consequences for a few unfaithful abusers who make up less than 1% of priests? And the worst part is that these are priests who are already dead or very old. Every time CNN does a special on this subject, the images it shows are all in black and white. How long will they stay stuck in the past? Why don’t they talk about the great work Benedict XVI did bringing the truth into the open, asking forgiveness for those men’s sins and leaving very strict rules on the matter?

We don’t understand the determination of some media to invite people who come armed with lies and things from the past to attack the Church. According to those channels or programs, it would seem there is no faithful, happy, young Church devoted body and soul to serving God and others. Well, let me inform you that this is the vast majority, but for some media it is never news! Today the Catholic Church has a young generation, very well formed by the great Benedict XVI and by his bishops and priests around the world: Catholic young people ready to defend their faith and their values without fear. I advise you to look on YouTube for the many wonderful videos these young people have made to thank the man who was their Pope, Benedict XVI.

As for Mr. Cutié’s other obsession, that priestly celibacy must end because he supposedly receives letters from priests who want to marry, I can tell you that my experience has been the complete opposite. Every time I write about priests, or about the wonder of priestly celibacy, dozens of priests have written to me (some ordained for 50 years), happy to have been faithful to their vocation; and, better still, hundreds of seminarians have written to me (from Venezuela, Rome, Spain, Argentina, Colombia, Peru and elsewhere), happy in their vocation and asking for my prayers so that they may always be faithful. Many happy nuns have also written, asking me please to write an article about what it means to be a nun. I owe you that one, my dear sisters! I recommend that those who attack priestly celibacy so much read my articles published in this same newspaper: “Did You Know This About Our Priests?” (http://www.eluniversal.com/opinion/110323/sabian-esto-de-nuestros-sacerdotes) and “Why Do We Need Priests?” (http://www.eluniversal.com/opinion/120530/para-que-hacen-falta-los-sacerdotes).

I want to quote our dear Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino, who in a priestly ordination homily here in Caracas called on priests to value and protect the treasure of celibacy with conduct that is always upright and dignified and with an intense spiritual life. We must live to the full, as Jesus did, love for the Father and for humanity, he said; it is in that light that our consecration to the Lord and to the Church in priestly celibacy, a treasure received from the Lord himself, is understood and lived with joy, faithfulness and abundant fruit. With these wonderful words from a Cardinal who has been faithful to God and to his flock with the total gift of his life, I take my leave, asking for many prayers for him (he is already in Rome for the Conclave) and for all the other cardinals who will take part in electing the new Pope.

In the end, after all these scandals caused by people unfaithful to the Church and by the sensationalism of some media, the Church will go on until the end of time, because Christ is its Head. As someone wrote to me on Twitter: “Don’t worry, they’ll just be a news story, but the Church will go on. I’ve just come back from church, and there were hundreds of young people going to confession.”

And to finish, I’ll just say: very good times are coming for our Holy Catholic Church! Those of us who have been working within her for years are already tasting them. And very soon (with this new Pope, who will come with great vigor and strength to run alongside so many young people) we will reap thousands upon thousands more fruits for the glory and honor of our beloved Jesus Christ, who founded his Holy Church so that it might live following his Way and his Truth forever and ever. Amen.