We should start with a simple question: how do you determine whether or not a particular medicine is effective?

If you have the occasional headache and taking half an aspirin once a month doesn’t seem to help, is it the aspirin’s fault?

Or you decide to down the whole bottle with a pint of Jack Daniels and you end up in the hospital, are you there because the aspirin doesn’t work?

Of course not.

You can only judge a medicine when it’s taken according to its prescription.

Due to the effects of humans misusing God’s free will, a whole lotta people have given up on the Catholic Church. And I get it. I really do. After all, some of you have had Catholic neighbors with fourteen kids who terrorized the whole block. Others had Catholic parents who were abusive hypocrites and looked perfect at Mass, but were monsters the rest of the week. Still others had a priest say horrible things to you in a classroom, from the pulpit, or in the confessional. And all of us have heard seemingly countless stories of sexual abuse perpetuated by sick clergy (and other authority figures working for the Church) while others covered it up.

If you’ve been hurt by anyone, in any of these ways, there is no apology I can offer that could be found sufficient, but I offer it just the same. I am so sorry for your pain and suffering. I am also sorry for the twisted view of true Catholicism this has left behind. It is not Catholicism lived according to its proper prescription.

Those who have lived Catholicism according to its prescription are identified with a title we know well: saint.

So, if you read up on Teresa of Calcutta, Francis of Assisi, the Blessed Mother, Augustine, and Therese of Lisieux—and you find them to be repulsive, repugnant, and without worth, then the Catholic Church might not be for you. No argument from me. But if you are moved by their Faith, understand it is the Catholic Faith. And if you are moved by their fantastic service, realize every action was inspired by that same Faith.

Please stop throwing out the medicine because of people who aren’t taking it correctly. I beg you.

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