The Beautiful Hands of a Priest (Father Anthony Ho)

Fr. Anthony Ho Ting Yiu

When I first came across Father Anthony Ho's blog more than 11 years ago, I found it very unique and interesting and I have been following him on his blog ever since. What is so special about his blog? It is special because it is the blog of a Catholic priest who values his vocation and proudly shares his priestly life with the world. Through his blog, I can find the life of Christ - a life of sacrifice and service that can make a difference in others' lives. Every article in it is written deep from his heart - the heart of a priest who wants to tell the whole how proud he is to be on call all the time to serve the faithful from their cradles to their graves. I don't deny the fact that I envy him because he is living the kind of life that I would love to live but I can't as I am a woman. At the same time, I have been observing him and time really flies - before I realize it, more than a decade has passed. 11 years from then, Father Anthony Ho is still proudly serving God and His people wholeheartedly and although I still envy him, I feel that I must write something about him. What a beautiful experience to be called to a life of holiness and to walk in the footsteps of Christ - nothing can be more meaningful than that. In a way, Father Anthony Ho's life also reminds me of a beautiful poem entitled "The Beautiful Hands of a Priest" written by an unknown author:

The Beautiful Hands of a Priest

We need them in life's early morning,
we need them again at its close;

We need their warm clasp of true friendship,

we seek them while tasting life's woes.

At the altar each day we behold them,

and the hands of a king on his throne

are not equal to them in their greatness;

their dignity stands alone.

And when we are tempted and wander

to pathways of shame and sin,

It's the hand of a priest that will absolve us,

not once but again and again.

And when we are taking life's partner,

other hands may prepare us a feast,

But the hands that will bless and unite us,

are the beautiful hands of a priest.

God bless them and keep them all holy

for the host which their fingers caress,

What can a poor sinner do better than

to ask him to guide thee and bless?

When the hour of death comes upon us,

may our courage and strength be increased.

To see, raised above us in blessing

the beautiful hands of a priest!

Around 1963, Father Crowley of Dunsallagh gave the words of this poem to Tom Linehan and the Clare singer put a tune to it and recorded it in a song. This poem clearly tells us how important our priests are in our lives because we need them from the moment we come into this world until the hour we breathe our last. In today's world, it is not easy to find single, celibate, and devout men who can live the life of Christ and who don't mind working for long hours with low pay to serve God's people. If we can come across one, then he is indeed a great blessing from God. In this article, I would like to share the amazing and wonderful life of a Catholic priest, Father Anthony Ho.

Father Anthony Ho is a Chinese priest of the Archdiocese of Vancouver. His father grew up in Hong Kong and his mother grew up in Macau. They attended Catholic schools and that was one reason why they became Catholics. Father Anthony Ho was born in Hong Kong in 1976 where he attended a Catholic high school run by the Salesians of Don Bosco and that was when he began to consider a vocation to the priesthood. The Salesians of Don Bosco, also known as the Society of Saint Francis de Sales, was founded in 1859 by John Bosco, an Italian priest Saint, and named after the a 17th Century bishop of Geneva, Saint Francis de Sales. With the motto "Da mihi Animas caetera tolle" which means "Give me souls, take away the rest", the society was initially intended to help poor children during the Industrial Revolution. 

Father Anthony Ho's ordination

Father Anthony Ho and his parents and younger sister moved to Canada in 1993. He served as a Catechism teacher and prayer group leader before he attended the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), a polytechnic in Burnaby, where he studied Computer System Technology. In 1998, he entered the Seminary of Christ the King, a beautiful and healthy community to prepare for priesthood, in the Archdiocese of Vancouver. He was ordained a priest on 30 May 2006 at St. Anthony's Parish in Vancouver. His mother died of cancer in 2001 while he was studying to become a priest. Before she passed away, she promised him that the first thing she would do when she entered heaven was to pray that he would become a good priest. 

When asked why he has chosen the Catholic Priesthood, Father Anthony Ho said that he loved the lives of the saints and their writings. His involvement in various religious activities such as altar serving and the Legion of Mary also had  a role to play in helping him to discern his vocation. In a way, he was also attracted to the Catholic priesthood through his devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and to Our Lady.

Father Anthony Ho was an assistant pastor at 3 different parishes for 6 years before he became a pastor. He was a pastor in another parish for 5 years before he was assigned to St. John the Apostle Parish in Vancouver. It is now his 4th year at his current parish. What kind of priest is he? After observing him more than 11 years, my conclusion is, he is the kind of priest who loves his vocation and pours his heart into his parish ministry every moment of his life. In other words, he is not a priest for himself but gives himself  fully and completely to lead and serve us. According to him, helping people to pray and teaching them about faith is a very meaningful thing to do. He enjoys teaching the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) and is especially happy whenever he is preparing to welcome new members into the Catholic Church. As "Father" to everyone, he strongly believes that the duties of a priest is not only to look after the spiritual needs of the faithful but also to reach out to non-Catholics.

The life of a priest is not a bed of roses as there are always lots of things to do in the parish because he is needed all the time by everyone and everywhere. Father Anthony Ho is certainly not an OP (ordinary person) because his hands are always full. He is the one who started the Chinese Mass Community in his current parish. He is also leading several prayer groups and Bible study groups in English and Cantonese. His prayer groups are not just ordinary prayer groups as these are intended to promote the messages of the Divine Mercy and Our Lady of Fatima. And please do not assume that the RCIA is easy to teach as it has to be taught in 3 different languages - English, Cantonese, and Mandarin. As though these are not enough, he is also writing a weekly article for The B.C. Catholic Multimedia Catholic News and giving a short weekly radio talk show on the Sunday Gospel in Cantonese. Wow! Where does he find the time to so so many things? He is truly a most extraordinary man called to an extraordinary ministry!

Father Anthony Ho is not the kind of priest who would waste his time looking for a girlfriend and pestering the Popes to allow him to get married. Where is he going to find the time for that? He is the kind of priest who believes in perfect chastity in priestly celibacy as it enables him to love God and Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament with an undivided heart. According to him, "priestly celibacy is a source of fruitfulness for spiritual fatherhood and that the focus of priests should be on God and souls." How right he is! As what St. John Vianney says, a priest is an alter Christus and he should do what Jesus did. And doing the works of Jesus means that his top priority should be the salvation of souls and not his sex scandal. The unmarried man focuses his life on the Lord's affairs and is concerned with serving the Lord but the married man focuses on the world demands and is concerned with pleasing his wife (1 Corinthians 7:32-33). Sad to say, there are many people who want to become priests but do not understand the role and importance of priestly celibacy. Perhaps they should turn to Father Anthony Ho for advice.

Father Anthony Ho is of the opinion that: "Developing a deep friendship with Jesus in the Holy Eucharist and with Our Lady is the source of happiness and strength for priests. By being faithful to our daily prayer and daily duty, we grow in holiness and bring many blessings to the people." Yes, Jesus and Mary are the source of happiness and strength for priests - not sex, lakefront homes, private jets, luxury cars, and pop music. What the faithful would love to see is a true priest who grows in holiness as he brings them closer to God - not a priest who quits the Catholic Church to get married or embezzles Church money for his personal use.

Father Anthony Ho is a man taken from among men to serve God's people and to lead them to union with God. As a shepherd tends to his scattered flock when he is with them, so I will tend my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they have been scattered when it was cloudy and dark (Ezekiel 34:12). Priests must be joyful and stubborn and do not mind taking risks to seek out those who are most distant from God just as what Jesus has done (Pope Francis). And that is why Father Anthony Ho has devoted himself entirely to his special mission as a priest. The word "entirely" here means "all he has" and not just 30% or 40% because his focus is only on God and souls. 

In this final paragraph, I would like to share a piece of Father Anthony's invaluable advice with the faithful: "A good prayer life and knowedge of the Catholic faith are very fundamental to our spiritual life. Friendship can only be deepened by spending time together and by communicating. So, we must spend time with Christ and communicate with Him each day. Daily prayer is like food and drink for our soul. We need prayer to deepen our friendship with Christ."  That is why he is always busy helping us to deepen our faith and our relationship with Jesus for the salvation of our souls. If only we can have more priests like him, the world would be a much better place for everyone. To those who wish to join the Catholic priesthood, why not seek some invaluable advice from Father Anthony Ho? I am sure you will be inspired by him and become good priests too. Who knows, you may one day change many lives by God's grace!

You may also like to read FATHER OC LIM - OUR PRIEST LAWYER, Cardinal Robert Sarah: The Christian Priesthood Is in Mortal Danger, WHY POPE BENEDICT XVI CLARIFIES, REAFFIRMS, REINFORCES AND DEFENDS CELIBACY? and From the Depths of Our Hearts: Priesthood, Celibacy, and the Crisis of the Catholic Church. To view the content page of this blog, please click here.

Is the Catholic Church to Blame for Overpopulation in the Philippines?

The Roman Catholic Church is the first and original Christian Church

It has never occurred to me that the Philippines is so densely populated until recently when the Sabah travelers brought the Covid-19 virus to Peninsular Malaysia causing a sudden spike in cases in the whole country at the time when Malaysia was winning the coronavirus war. That was when I started doing some research on this country and discovered the real life stories of its slum dwellers and homeless people. Extreme poverty and overpopulation left them without a choice but to seek for better lives in Malaysia. To date, there are about 800,000 Filipinos living in Malaysia (according to 2013 Philippine government estimates but the accurate number is likely to be much higher given the fact that they have been sneaking into the country almost every day all these years) and the majority of them are illegal immigrants. Although there are many Filipinos in Malaysia, most of them live in Sabah. For years, they have been sneaking into Malaysia to find work but their illegal entry into the country during the coronavirus pandemic has become a serious threat to the country. The Philippines has the highest number of Covid-19 cases in Southeast Asia and the new strain, G614, found in this country, is 10 times more infectious than the original strain, D614, from Wuhan. The recent case of a Filipino man who sneaked into Sabah again on 5 September 2020 via Rat Lanes after being deported to the Philippines on 27 August 2020 is a nightmare for Malaysians because he was the one who started the 'Sea Cluster' in Sabah which, to date, has more than 100 infections. With so many trouble makers like him bringing the G614 strain from the Philippines, many new clusters have been detected in Sabah thus putting the lives of Malaysians at risk. Sneaking in and out of the country via Rat Lanes whenever they like, the Filipinos are potential virus carriers that could make Malaysia's coronavirus war much more difficult to fight. On 1 July 2020, there was only one new Covid-19 case in Malaysia but sad to say, we have 561 new cases today. 

Why are the Filipinos so desperate to come to Malaysia? Why do they keep sneaking into the country illegally even though they know that they are not welcome here and will be deported? The Philippines is the second most populous country in Southeast Asia after Indonesia and the thirteenth most populous country in the world. It has the highest population growth rate in the region and its population is estimated at 109 million as of June 2020. With 4.5 million homeless people, 20 million people living in slums, and 54% poor families, joblessness and poverty are inevitable particularly during the coronavirus pandemic. Overpopulation makes their situation even worse as their crowded and cramped living conditions can easily enhance the transmission of infectious diseases. Overcrowding also makes it difficult for them to have proper washing, cleaning, cooking, and toilet facilities. Surviving on food made of garbage, known as pagpag, is a common practice for those in extreme poverty as it is the daily staple food of the poor but this unhygienic food can lead to malnutrition, stunted growth, and diseases. Given such dire circumstances, it is no wonder why Malaysia has become a lucrative destination for them. Since Malaysians like to employ illegal workers because they are inexpensive, hardworking, and obedient, getting a job here is not a problem for them and they can easily make a decent living. Life in Malaysia can be heavenly as there is no overcrowding here and they do not have to consume pagpag anymore. In actual fact, many of them are living better lives than the unemployed locals. 

Overpopulation and poverty are both inseparable as it is an obvious fact that rapid population growth will result in homelessness, disease, food shortages, water scarcity, and joblessness. Recently, I have been watching videos about homelessness and poverty in the Philippines and it really shocked me to see so many poor slum dwellers and homeless families eating pagpag as their daily meal. Although millions have lost their jobs during the pandemic, procreation still plays a pivotal role in the lives of these people. What is even more shocking is that these families have many children and these innocent children have to grow up lacking in everything only to repeat the life cycle of their parents. Even poor, unmarried teenagers give birth to one child after another although they know that their future is so uncertain. I remember watching a video about a Filipino woman with her 8 children (7 girls and 1 boy) and the younger ones were crying because they were hungry. When interviewed, she said that she would love to have another boy in the family and would keep trying for another son. What's the purpose of having another son when she can't even afford to send the only boy in the family to school? Then there was this video about a Filipino woman and her 12 children living under the bridge - they were so poor that they have never eaten a proper meal in their lives. But why bring so many children to this world to suffer from the day they make their first cry until the day they breathe their last? What kind of future will they have given their destitute circumstances? In one of the videos, it really broke my heart to see a little girl crying while being interviewed because her parents could not afford to buy her the toys that she wanted. Needless to say, no one likes to live in the slums / on the streets and eat pagpag all their lives and the poor do have the choice to prevent this from happening to their next generation. But why do they still choose to bring so many children to this world to suffer the same fate as them? Children are not blessings from God if they have to live their lives in the slums or on the streets and survive on pagpag as their way of life. Poverty can cause a lot of damage to the children as it deprives them of their life chances. 

One cannot deny the fact that the only solution to overpopulation and poverty is population control. To this effect, the Catholic Church has often been blamed for making the country's overpopulation crisis worse because of its opposition to contraception like condoms and birth control pills, abortion, and family planning. According to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, "We are the fastest growing population and I squarely blame the Catholic Church. They think that spewing out human beings by the millions is a gift from God." The question is - are the super baby makers in the Philippines really that obedient to the Church? Needless to say, the commandment, "Be fertile, then, and multiply; abound on earth and subdue it" (Genesis 9:7) has been fulfilled extremely successfully because it is very popular with them. But what about the fifth commandment - Thou shalt not kill? According to the Wikipedia, the Philippines has the highest murder cases in Southeast Asia with 9784 recorded cases as of 2014. Has the Catholic Church ever said that they can kill? And what about the seventh commandment - Thou shalt not steal? Robbery, pick-pocketing and bag-snatching are not uncommon in the Philippines particularly in crowded places and there have been many instances when tourists were killed while being robbed. In January 2017, Philippine policemen robbed and extorted money from three South Korean golfers who went to the Philippines to play golf. In July 2017, a British man, Tarek Naggar, was gunned down outside a bar when he refused to hand over his wallet. Also in July 2017, a New Zealander, Simon Rawlinson, was shot dead at a market and his bag (containing his documents, money, and laptop) was taken by the perpetrators. Did the Pope say that they can rob? My advice is, do not travel alone to the Philippines, be careful with your handbag / wallet and never withdraw cash after dark because tourists are lucrative targets.

When God says, "Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the Earth", everyone is happy to carry out this commandment since the time of Adam and Eve. So when the Catholic Church forbids contraception, abortion, and family planning, there is no problem of obedience. Why? Because these rules are easy to follow - the baby makers don't mind because it is something they want to do anyway and enjoy doing since children are supposed to be blessings from God. But of course God also gives them a brain to think whether they should make lots of babies when they can't even afford to feed themselves. With the brain that God has bestowed upon them, they ought to know that extreme poverty can hurt children and should therefore prevent its damaging impact through various methods of birth control. The question is - why can't they use their brain efficiently to think how not to make babies when they can't afford to give them a decent life? However, when they need money, it seems that there is no need to obey God's commandments anymore and this is also the time they make the best use of their brains. With the brain that God has given them, they can think of many innovative techniques to steal or pick-pocket or even rob from others. They are also becoming more creative with credit card fraud. Why? Because God cannot stop them from making money if that is what they want to do. And of course, when they want to kill somebody, they don't need to obey God's commandments just because they want to do it and therefore must do it. Also, there is no reason why they can't have access to contraceptives when they can have easy access to methamphetamine hydrochloride and marijuana. Although the Catholic Church is against artificial contraception, most Catholics prefer to ignore its teachings about birth control. In the Philippines, contraceptives are legal and are easily available in pharmacies. However, drugs are illegal, more expensive and not as easily available as contraceptives but why is illegal drug use so prevalent in the Philippines? As what Jim Rohn says, "If you really want to do something, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse." So, is it fair to blame the Catholic Church for the rapid population growth in the Philippines? Are the people really that obedient to the Church? Looks more like they are just doing what they want to do irrespective of what the teachings of the Church may be.

The more common crimes in the Philippines include kidnapping, human trafficking, prostitution, illegal drug trade, and domestic violence. And don't forget that their juvenile delinquents, including those as young as five years old, are already committing some of the most brazen crimes. Did the Catholic Church say that it is alright to commit such crimes? NO. But why are they still doing it? Because it is beyond the power of the Church to stop them from doing things that they want to do. And one more thing, they are particularly creative when it comes to sneaking into Malaysia illegally via Rat Lanes and have discovered many secret lanes for a safe journey to the country. Their brains also suddenly get so brilliant when they want to escape from the temporary detention centers in Malaysia while awaiting deportation. They are therefore not as ignorant as they seem to be and can really think creatively and innovatively when it comes to doing things they want to do. So, let's stop blaming the Catholic Church for the high population growth in the Philippines because the Church cannot control them. 

As we all know, there is a shortage of priests in the Catholic Church throughout the world and the Church is recruiting many young men to be priests. However, the sad truth is, even the Philippines with its overpopulation crisis is facing an acute shortage of priests. Why? Sad to say, their young men would rather live in the slums or on the streets and make babies instead of becoming priests. If the Filipinos are really so obedient to the Church, I am sure there would no shortage of priests in their country. What the Catholic Church needs now are real men who can become real priests and not baby makers as there are too many of them already. But why is it so difficult to find celibate priests who can live the life of Christ? Is making babies really that important? Sometimes, I do wonder how people can make so many babies in the slums and on the streets - I mean do they feel comfortable there? I don't know how they feel but I do feel sad each time I watch videos about their lives. Needless to say, if Catholic priests were allowed to marry, I am sure that all the baby makers who cannot afford to feed themselves and their families would queue up for this 'job' from Luzon to Davao City because they need money to feed their families. Thank God, these kinds of men will never become priests!

To those real men who can become real priests, why not join the priesthood and serve the Church. Life is certainly more meaningful as a priest than making babies in the slums or on the streets. I really pity the children - it is grossly unfair for them to grow up as slum dwellers or street children eating pagpag and watching their parents make babies every day and then repeat their parents' lifecycle when they grow up. Life is meaningless if one's life purpose is to make babies, eat pagpag, and live in destitution. My dear brothers in Christ, let's become real priests and change the world. Let's make this world a better place for everyone. The world needs you. When I saw the boys playing and living on the tombs (in the graveyard) in one of the videos about the Filipinos living with the dead, I was wondering how they could still look so cheerful. If I were one of them, I would have left home immediately to become a priest. I don't want to watch my parents make babies every day and live in an overcrowded space with so many family members. I don't want to eat pagpag every day. I don't want to grow up and make lots of babies and let them live in degrading conditions. I don't want the whole family to starve and suffer with me. I don't want to be a burden to the world. I would rather take up my cross and follow Jesus and live a real and meaningful life and help to ease the burden of the world. As for my dear sisters in Christ, is there any meaning in life if your purpose is to make babies after your first period right up to menopause in degrading conditions? What is the purpose of making babies in the slums and graveyards, on the streets, and under the bridge when you cannot afford to feed them? Why not emulate Mother Teresa and do something for the world? Remember what Jesus said? "I give you my word, there is no one who has given up home, brothers or sisters, mother or father, children or property, for me and for the gospel, who will not receive in this present age a hundred times as many homes, brothers and sisters, mothers, children and property - and in the age to come, everlasting life" (Mark 10:29). 

It should be noted that the Popes have never encouraged Roman Catholics to breed like rabbits, serve pagpag to their children and make them grow up without a proper shelter. As what Pope Francis said after his visit to the Philippines, "Parenthood is about being responsible" and, of course, being responsible means that parents should not have more children than they can afford to feed. Parents have the responsibility to give their children healthy food and not food from garbage dumps. They should not make them live in places that are unfit for human habitation. They must make sure that their children have the best education and help them to become responsible citizens. Since children learn their life lessons from observing what their parents do and their experiences in their environment, parents should provide good examples to their children, let them grow up in a decent environment, and give adequate attention to them. What will the children learn if they have to live in an overcrowded space with their family members and watch their parents make babies every day? What kind of skills will they learn if they cannot afford to attend school and have to master the art of street / slum survival? Will they be healthy eating pagpag as their meal of the day? Since the problems of overpopulation and poverty are the consequences of irresponsible sex and neglectful parenting, it's time for the baby makers to think whether they should breed like rabbits when they don't have a proper  place to live and can't even afford to feed themselves. Needless to say, reducing family sizes is the best thing that they can do for their families. Always remember this - Where there's a will there's a way. Instead of blaming the Catholic Church for overpopulation in the country, perhaps the relevant authorities should make the baby makers understand the meaning and importance of responsible parenthood.

You may also like to read From the Depths of Our Hearts: Priesthood, Celibacy, and the Crisis of the Catholic Church, Cardinal Robert Sarah: The Christian Priesthood Is in Mortal Danger, and SHOULD CATHOLIC PRIESTS BE ALLOWED TO MARRY? To view the content page of this blog, please click here.

References:
1.  Duterte blames Philippine Church for rapid population rise. Union of Catholic Asian News.

2.  Highest in 5 years: 13.1 million families considered themselves poor in Q4. CNN Philippines (dated 23 January 2020).

3.  Crime in the Philippines. Wikipedia.

4.  The Philippines' little delinquents, committing some of the most brazen crimes.

5.  Pope Francis: No Catholic need to breed like 'rabbits'. BBC News.

6.  The New American Bible. Thomas Nelson Publishers.

IF YOU WANT TO GET RICH QUICK, START A CULT

As I was googling for more news about money-hungry pastors recently, I came across a very interesting article entitled 4.5-Year Jail Term for Mosque Thief Shows That If You Want to Take People's Money, Start a Church.. This article is about the 6 members of Singapore's City Harvest church who were convicted of misappropriating $50 million in church funds. Despite the huge amount of money involved, their sentences were lowered to between 7 months and 3.5 years. On the other hand, the man who stole $1900 from a mosque was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison. Netizens were of the opinion that he should have taken $50 million instead of a meager $1900. The moral of the story is if you want to take money illegally, do it wisely such as starting a religion and asking for donations.

This article reminded me of the juvenile detention center where I conducted my doctoral research. I didn't know why I suddenly started thinking of my 12 boys in the detention center after reading this article. How can I forget them? We got along very well and if not because of them, I would not get my Ph.D. Truly, I have learnt a lot from them. Two of them, aged 13 and 14, were brothers. They were very handsome and cute boys, especially the younger one. Why were they apprehended and sent to the juvenile detention center? Because they attempted to steal RM17 from a donation box in a mosque. The two brothers had no pocket money after their father left them and their mother's meager income was barely sufficient to support them. They were so poor that they had to depend on the handouts given to them by their relatives and neighbors. However, their failure to steal RM17 did not allow them to escape criminal liability and both of them had to spend more than one year in the juvenile detention center. Well, there is a world of difference between RM17 and $50 million and I feel even sadder for these two boys now. Is there any justice in this world?

According to Lafayette Ronald Hubbard (13 March 1911 - 24 January 1986), an American science fiction author, "You don't get rich writing science fiction. If you want to get rich, you start a religion."  How right he is! One cannot deny the fact that many of those who started their own religion have become filthy rich today. Do you know that a good speaker who knows how to influence his audience can easily attract a large congregation and brainwash them to give away everything they have including their lives? According to Linda (not her real name), a former megachurch member, "the pastor would tell every existing member to bring in at least two new members to the church every weekend. If they fail to bring in new members, they would be scolded and humiliated. To encourage the people to donate as much as they could, the pastor would brainwash them saying that God would reward those who make generous donations to the church a hundred-fold and that they should downgrade their homes and sell their cars to donate more to the church. During the 'offerings' session, envelopes are used to collect donations from the church members. Those who make large donations are applauded whilst those who give little are strongly encouraged to contribute more. If any of the church members were too poor to make an offering, their group leaders would monitor them closely and persuade them to donate whatever they have. On top of the 'offerings', the congregants are required to give 10% of their income/allowance to the church every month. To monitor their tithing, the congregants are given an envelope and a form to fill up their name, contact number, and the amount of money they are giving. Apart from the compulsory offerings and 10% tithing, the congregants are also required to contribute at least $200 for the building fund. In addition to the donations, it is compulsory for them to buy CDs, not only one, but several copies of the exact same album." Linda's description of the megachurch donations therefore clearly explains how one can get rich by starting a religion.

Many years ago, when a friend of mine kept pestering me to go to her church, I didn't understand why she suddenly became so persuasive - even more persuasive than the sales representatives that I have ever met. She seemed to be so desperate that she came to my house to drag me to church and even said that she would introduce a doctor to me at her church. Since I was totally uninterested in her church and the doctor in it, I did not give her invitation second thought. All I wanted to do then was to get rid of her because she was so annoying. It took me so many years to realize that she was actually doing what her pastor wanted her to do - to attract new members and hence more donations. Talking about donations, Linda's story (above) clearly describes how clever her pastor is in the art of getting donations. Although he has to spend some money to buy the offering envelopes, these envelopes not only serve as a donation reminder but also an important tool to make the congregants part with their money out of social pressure. Having a group leader to monitor the donors and to persuade them to donate is another effective way to make the congregants part with their hard-earned money. The people are just too shy not to donate when they are pressured to do so. However, Linda's experiences at the megachurch sounds scary to me. I am thankful that the Catholic Church has never pressured anyone to donate money like that.

Many of us would have read about Jim Warren Jones (13 May 1931 - 18 Nov 1978), an American preacher and cult leader, who led his followers into a mass murder-suicide. Also known as the Jonestown massacre, more than 900 individuals died of cyanide poisoning in this incident. Why did they follow the orders of their cult leader, Jim Jones? Why did Jim Jones have such great influence over his followers? Through mind control and brain washing. This infamous and horrific event clearly shows that if the pastor is able to influence the minds of his followers in his favor, they would commit suicide with him. The moral of the story is if  the pastor can brainwash and control the minds of his congregants, they would do anything for him such as downgrading their homes and selling their cars for cash and donating all the money to their pastor. It is nothing surprising if they stand by him and give him their unwavering support knowing that he has misappropriated religious donations and church funds. Why not? Do you know that in certain churches, pastors are treated like Gods?

Caishen, the Chinese God of Wealth

I have been wondering why those who start a religion always prefer to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. If their ultimate intention is to make as much money as they could out of the congregants for their personal benefits, perhaps they should stop using the name of Jesus and the Gospels to profit. In actual fact, apart from Christianity, there are many religions that they can consider and many other subjects that they can preach. They don't even have to call their place of worship a church. Why not call it a temple or an organization? The names such as Prosperity Temple, God of Wealth Temple, Come And Be Rich Temple, Get Rich Fast Organization, or Money! Money! Money! Organization sound equally good, don't they? Why not call themselves 'Gurus' instead of 'Pastors'? If they know how to brainwash and control the mind of their followers, they can still get lots of donations, perhaps more than what they can get from preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For instance, a guru who starts a cult to make quick money should preach about materialism and ask his followers to worship the God of Wealth. It would be meaningless if he preaches about how much Jesus loves us and that He will always be there for us and then ended up embezzling church funds himself. What actually is he trying to preach then? Is he trying to demonstrate that Jesus will be there for us when we take other people's money?

We all know that begging is a lucrative career in Malaysia and beggars have never been arrested for misappropriating funds. Why? Because the money given to them is intended for them. It does not matter how they spend the money because they have never asked the public to give the money to Jesus. So, if the pastor's intention is to keep the donations for himself, why not start a cult and preach about his own ideologies instead of preaching about Jesus and the Gospels? If he could brainwash his congregants, turn them into faithful followers and make them worship him, making it clear that the donations are for his ideologies, then there is no embezzlement. If his followers don't mind giving him money and willingly support his ideologies, then he is free to use the donations to buy condominiums, luxury cars, and invest in a music company if these are his ideologies. There is no need for him to abuse the name of Jesus to build his empire and tarnish Jesus's image with his bad fruit and scandals.

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My dear readers, you may have read Controversial Louisiana megachurch pastor who has repeatedly flouted social distancing by holding in-person services now wants Americans to donate their stimulus checks to evangelists. This pastor has endangered the health of his congregants when he defied stay-at-home orders and repeatedly held large religious services. He also asked the poor to donate their $1200 stimulus checks to his megachurch. Should the pastor ask the poor to donate their stimulus checks when they need money to spend on basics such as groceries and rent? Instead of asking the congregants to donate their stimulus checks (Bantuan Prihatin Nasional) to the churches, the Catholic Churches in Malaysia continued to help the poor, aged, handicapped, and those with medical issues even during the Movement Control Order. Due to restrictions in movements for NGOs, funds were credited into the beneficiaries' bank accounts to help them survive the tough times. How did the Catholic churches do that? Our priests do not invest in condominiums or music companies. They don't live lavish lifestyles. They don't need private jets and luxury cars. They don't have to buy Lamborghinis for their wives. Most of all, they are living the life of Christ (You may also like to read Beware of Greedy, Selfish and Money-Hungry Pastors & FATHER OC LIM: AN IMAGE OF CHRIST THE PRIEST). To view the content page of this blog, please click here.


References:
1. 9 Reasons Why City Harvest Church Was the Devil To Me
2. My unpleasant experience at City Harvest Church after being brought there by a female friend
3. 4.5-Year Jail Term For Mosque Thief Shows That If You Want To Take People’s Money, Start A Church
4.  Kong Hee lives in Sentosa Cove but asked donors to give and downgrade homes
5.  Pastor John Gray Defends Buying $200K Lamborghini for Wife
6.  Controversial Louisiana megachurch pastor who has repeatedly flouted social distancing by holding in-person services now wants Americans to donate their stimulus checks to evangelists

FATHER OC LIM: AN IMAGE OF CHRIST THE PRIEST

The heart of a priest is made for love.
He does so in the manner and
following the example of Christ the
Bridegroom, of Christ who gave
Himself entirely to humanity in love
- Bishop Nicolas Brouwet

The photo above is taken from the Catholic Asian News dated June 1992 which I have kept for 28 years. This issue of the CA News is very precious to me because it tells the story of Father O.C. Lim's beautiful ordination in great detail. That was a beautiful beginning of his journey as a Jesuit priest. Everyone was very happy that day. But 28 years later...

Reverend Father Anthony Lim Ooi Chai (26 Aug 1943 - 5 June 2020), better known as Father O.C. Lim, passed away at Pantai Medical Centre on 5th June 2020. He was admitted to the hospital in early May and had been recovering after surgery. His sudden death was caused by his earlier aortic dissection and aneurysm. His demise came as a shock to everyone. Too sad to be true. I prefer to think of Father OC Lim's beautiful ordination.

When I received news of Father O.C. Lim's death two days ago, I thought that it was a mistake and I could not accept this fact until I confirmed the sad news via the Facebook of St. Francis Xavier Church Jalan Gasing. I kept saying to myself, "He is only 76 and still young. There are many world leaders who are in power in their 80s and 90s. Why can't he stay with us a little longer? I have always prayed that he would enjoy a long and healthy life. Why can't he live past 100? Why is it that good people always die young?" I wanted to write another article about him at that instant but found it difficult to focus on my writing. For the past two days, I wasn't really doing anything at all because I just couldn't do anything. I believe that all those who know or have heard about him would feel the same too because Father OC Lim is not an ordinary man. He is an image of Christ the priest who has clearly proven the meaning, purpose, and importance of the Christian priesthood. Truly, he is another Christ (Alter Christus) who has given himself fully to the people that he has come to serve. In other words, he is a living icon of Christ in our midst.

What is the meaning of "another Christ" (Alter Christus)? According to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, priests are "men taken from among men" which means that they are not the Toms, Dicks, and Harrys that we meet on the streets each day. As representatives of Christ, they have to make the presence of Christ visible to the flock entrusted to their care and in order to do so they have to live the life of Christ themselves. This is clearly stated in the first letter of Peter:

"To the elders among you I, a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and sharer in the glory that is to be revealed, make this appeal. God's flock is in your midst; give it a shepherd's care. Watch over it willingly as God would have you do, not under constraint, and not for shameful profit either, but generously. Be examples to the flock, not lording it over those assigned to you, so that when the chief shepherd appears you will win yourselves the unfading crown of glory" (1 Peter 5:1-4).

Father OC Lim knew what living the life of Christ meant and need not be reminded by the Popes again and again about the importance of priestly celibacy. As a representative of Jesus Christ, he had the overwhelming responsibility to continue the mission of Christ the Priest by giving himself totally and absolutely to God and the Church. He has renounced everything including that which our society cannot live without - marriage and material things. Given the fact that almost everyone in this world is pursuing money, fame, power and love, only a saint can forgo these necessities of life. Father OC Lim has indeed set a good example for the priests through his act of total self-giving. As the good shepherd, he is truly a reflection of the goodness of Jesus and having him in our midst makes us feel the presence of Christ through him. He is our rare and precious treasure and the faithful will always appreciate his immense unconditional love. The word "love" here does not mean "deep affection for a particular woman" because it has a greater meaning than that in a priest's life. "The heart of a priest is made for love," says Bishop Nicolas Brouwet and "he does so in the manner and following the example of Christ the Bridegroom." According to Bishop Nicolas Brouwet, this is only possible if he can "give himself entirely to humanity in love and his heart is ready to offer itself for all, without exclusivity and without preference. He should be impartial so that he can go to everyone with a free heart, without attachment and this is precisely what the faithful appreciate" (You may like to read Bishop Nicolas Brouwet: The Heart of a Priest Is Made for Love). Yes, Father OC Lim has followed the example of Christ and given himself entirely to humanity in love. He has offered his heart for all, without exclusivity and preference. This is what we call true love.

Once I was dead but now I live -

forever and ever (Revelation 1:18).

Father OC Lim will live forever in our hearts and always be remembered as our hero. This hero will be respected, honored, loved, and greatly missed for years to come because he has sacrificed himself to live the life of Christ for a world in need of salvation. He is a shepherd of souls who has always been there for his sheep. Throughout these years, he has accompanied us especially in the dramatic moments of our lives. He did not live for himself but for the sanctification of the people. He will also be fondly remembered as an advocate for justice and righteousness. Through the sacred priesthood of Jesus Christ, he has at last won himself the unfading crown of glory. May his soul rest in peace.

I am the resurrection and the life:

whoever believes in me,

though he should die, will come to life;

and whoever is alive and believes in me

will never die. (John 11:25).

Let us pray that many more young men would emulate Father OC Lim and become holy priests. To all our Catholic priests who have renounced marriage and material goods to live the life of Christ, the faithful will always be proud of you because every one of you is a living image of Jesus Christ. Do you know that you are our unsung heroes? According to St. Francis of Assisi, the priesthood is a A VOCATION HIGHER THAN ANGELS and if he were to meet a priest and and angel at the same time, he would greet the priest first because the priest is a representative of Christ (You may also like to read FATHER OC LIM - OUR PRIEST LAWYER).


References:
1.  French bishop reflects on priestly celibacy book by Cardinal Sarah, Benedict XVI. The Catholic World Report.
2.  The New American Bible. New York: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
3.  Another Priest for Kuala Lumpur Archdiocese. CA News June 1992.

Beware of Greedy, Selfish and Money-Hungry Pastors

Every priest is a representative of Jesus himself because he has given up marriage and material things for our salvation - it is a vocation higher than angels. 

If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that

thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou

shalt have treasure in heaven: and come

and follow me - Matthew 19:21

Jesus is the ideal priest and we cannot deny the fact that there are many priests following in His footsteps. On the other hand, there are those who are motivated by profit to preach the word of God and use their positions for financial gain. Taking money from the Church or the poor for personal reasons is not uncommon among pastors but why are they doing that?  Aren't they supposed to preach about honesty and integrity? Maybe they do but since it is always easier said than done, they may find it difficult to practise what they preach. Why do pastors embezzle money from the Church and the people who trust them? One reason is that those with insufficient self-control often find it difficult to resist taking money that is easily available to them particularly when they need the money for some reasons deemed important to them. For instance, a pastor with a growing family may feel that he deserves a higher income because he wants to give his wife and children a comfortable life. He may need money to send his children to college and buy them the things that they yearn for such as an iPad, a cell phone or a new laptop. His daughters may want to have branded clothes and his sons may want branded jeans. Let's not forget about his wife as she may be the most expensive one. What about a diamond ring, a Birkin bag or a new Lamborghini for their anniversary? And of course his personal desire for material goods cannot be omitted - why not a Bentley, a private jet, and a million dollar lake front home for himself! Surely life would not be perfect without some luxury vacations that he and his family well-deserved! This is what we call the good life - the kind of life that everyone is yearning for. Needless to say, when these thoughts creep into his mind, he may choose to deviate from the path of righteousness and indulge in financial crimes often at the expense of his church and congregation. After all, being frugal is an awful way to live one's life and those who cannot give up material goods would find a frugal lifestyle hard to live and meaningless. Although many people cannot bring themselves to believe that their pastor could be stealing from the Church or making lots of money from the congregation to fund their spending habits, these occurrences are all too common.

He that trusteth in his riches shall fall:

but the righteous shall flourish as a

branch - Proverbs 11:28

Did Jesus drive around in his fancy cars and live in a luxurious mansion with a swimming pool? How many private jets did he have? Are private jets 'biblical things'? As we all know, Jesus was born as a poor baby, lived as a poor man and died being poor. However, we cannot deny the fact many pastors are living an extravagant lifestyle with expensive homes and driving fancy cars. Some of them even have a few private jets. Can we still say that their life is a reflection of the life of Jesus? Perhaps it is time they reflect on their lives and live frugally to serve God and humanity with a sincere heart.

For the love of money is the root of all evil:

which while some coveted after, they have

erred from the faith... - 1 Timothy 6:10

Do pastors love God or money? Out of curiosity, I googled "pastors embezzling money from the church" and it was not difficult to find this kind of articles as there are lots of them on the internet. In actual fact, after reading these articles, I feel even more thankful to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Cardinal Robert Sarah for their beautiful book on celibacy and their tireless efforts in defending priestly celibacy. Why feel thankful to them? As what our dearest Pope Emeritus says:

If we separate celibacy from the priesthood, we will no longer see the charismatic character of the priesthood. We will only see a function that the institution itself provides for its own security and needs. If we want to take the priesthood in this light... the Church is no longer understood except as a mere human institution. 

What kind of needs? A Lamborghini or a Bentley? A few private jets? A million dollar lake front home or a $1.8 million mansion? Extravagant vacations? According to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI:

Without the renunciation of material goods, there can be no priesthood. The call to follow Jesus is not possible without this sign of freedom and renunciation of all compromises.

How right he is! Without the renunciation of material goods, we will end up having lots of greedy, selfish, and money-hungry priests. How awful! Is the priesthood in mortal danger as what Cardinal Robert Sarah says? Let us pray that the Catholic Church would NOT turn into a money-hungry human institution.

Below is a list of 30 recent cases on the luxury lifestyles and financial matters involving pastors (in chronological order) that I would like to share with my readers. You can click on the titles of each case to read more about it. The articles are dated from January 2019 to February 2020.

1.   Pastor Accused of Stealing Almost $35,000 From Congregation
Former pastor of High Plains Ministry, Donald Lee Reynolds, is being accused of stealing nearly $35,000 from his parish in North Dakota (article dated 14 Jan 2019).

2.   Pastor who bought $200K Lamborghini for wife lives in $1.8M house paid for by church
Pastor John Gray, who leads megachurch Relentless Church and also an associate pastor at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church, bought his wife $200,000 Lamborghini as an anniversary gift. He lives in a $1.8M house purchased by the church (article dated 19 Jan 2019).

3.   Former Trinity pastor pleads guilty to theft
Former Fort Atkinson minister, Rev. Bryan Engfer, has been sentenced to two years on probation for embezzling from his congregation at Trinity Lutheran Church (article dated 22 Jan 2019).

4.  Alph Lukau: A life of luxury behind the ‘miracle’
According to Nairaland Forum, the founder of Alleluia Ministries International, Pastor Alph Lukau, is the richest pastor in the world with net worth of $1 billion. You can also click here to read "The grandiose life of the pastor who 'resurrected a dead man' in South Africa" (article dated 27 Feb 2019).

5.   SC pastor accused of stealing from senior citizens in bank fraud scheme, feds say
Pastor of Greater Faith World Outreach Church, Tony McElveen, has been charged with bank fraud and identity theft (article dated 8 May 2019).

6.   Church bishop who helped parishioner buy a car then stole their details and made £12,000-worth of bogus insurance claims for made-up crashes is jailed for 10 months
Bishop of the Grace Faith Ministries church in Leeds, Charles Motondo, has been jailed for impersonating the voice of a parishioner and making a  bogus insurance claim (article dated 10 May 2019).

7.   Televangelist Pastor Worth $760 Million Flips Out On Reporter, Says He Bought Tyler Perry's Private Jet With Church Funds Because Commercial Airlines Are Full Of Demons
In an interview with Inside Edition reporter, Lisa Guerrero, American televangelist Kenneth Copeland attempted to explain the use of a private jet (article dated 3 June 2019).

8.   Ex-pastor sentenced to 10 years in prison for stealing $800,000 from Texas megachurch
Former pastor at First Baptist Church of Houston, Jerrell Altic, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for embezzling about $800,000 from the congregation (article dated 23 June 2019).

9.   NORTH ZIMBABWE CONFERENCE PRESIDENT ALLEGEDLY EMBEZZLED CHURCH MONIES
The president of Seventh-day Adventist North Zimbabwe Conference, Pastor Albert Mangwende, is under investigation for allegedly swindling more than $20,000 of church funds (article dated 25 June 2019).

10.   When Reverend Lamina steals food for orphans
Reverend Lawrence Lamina, the General Manager of Echoing Hills Village and pastor at the Hope Community Church has been stealing items donated to the home for sale at his private shop. What is even worse is that food items are often left until they get close to the expiry date before these are served to the children (article dated 2 July 2019).

11.   Flint-area pastor accused of embezzling money from 91-year-old churchgoer
Raymond Vliet, pastor of Old Beth-el General Baptist Church in Mt. Morris Township, is accused of embezzling $20,000 to $50,000 from a vulnerable adult. The alleged victim is suffering from dementia and is a member of Vliet's church (article dated 17 July 2019).

12.   Former Pastor Indicted, Accused of Embezzling From Church
Former pastor, James Riley Brown, is accused of stealing $332,000 from Broadmoor Baptist Church to pay his mortgage (article dated 25 July 2019).

13.   Bronx pastor stole more than $631,000 from HIV/AIDS charities
Charity Baptist Church pastor, Rev. Reginald Williams, has been accused of stealing more than $631,000 from HIV/AIDS charity fund to pay for his vacation and extravagant lifestyle (article dated 31 July 2019).

14.   Former Clovis Pastor Indicted for Wire Fraud
Former pastor of Sonrise Church of Clovis, Sherman Smith,  allegedly induced investors including the congregation to give money for the benefit of the church but used the money for personal expenses, for his publishing business and investment in foreign ventures (article dated 29 Aug 2019).

15.   Montana Pastor Pleads Guilty to Stealing $288K From Church
Montana pastor, Kenneth Hogue, has been convicted of embezzling more than $288,000 from the United Pentecostal Church (article dated 30 Aug 2019).

16.   Former Pastor Accused of Stealing Money from Church
A former pastor at New Testament Assembly of God Church near Millville, David Rosenberger, is accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the church accounts (article dated 19 Sept 2019).

17.   Members 'brainwashed' by mega-church into donating thousands
Phil Pringle, the leader of C3 Church, is incredibly rich thanks to the tax-free donations from his believers (article dated 30 Sept 2019).

18.   Helsinki pastor suspended over €100K embezzlement conviction
The Helsinki district court convicted pastor Harri Kekäläinen who served at the city's Pitäjänmäki parish, on charges of aggravated embezzlement. The pastor has appropriated nearly 100,000 euros of church funds for his personal use (article dated 5 Oct 2019).

19.   Former Church Leader Accused of Stealing From Church, Family
Former North Carolina church leader, Kenneth Ray Sullivan, Jr., has been accused of stealing nearly $450,000 from the church and multiple retirement accounts (article dated 9 Oct 2019).

20.   DA: Pastor and Wife among 3 People Accused of Stealing $1 Million from More Than 100 'Incapacitated Individuals'
A Delaware County pastor, his wife and her sister are accused of stealing from more than 100 incapacitated individuals whom they act as guardians to finance their lofty lifestyle and expensive purchases (article dated 21 Oct 2019).

21.   Pastor Pleads Guilty to Stealing Money for Oso Survivors
Former Oso pastor, Gary Ray, has pleaded guilty to stealing church funds as well as money intended for mudslide survivors (article dated 14 Nov 2019).

22.   Harvest Report Shows “Massive…Governance Failure,” Allowing James MacDonald to Misuse Millions
James MacDonald is the founder of Harvest Bible Chapel in greater Chicago. He was allegedly being paid almost a million dollars per year and had access to around a million more. You may also like to read Harvest Bible Chapel allegedly made James MacDonald a millionaire.  (articles dated 22 Nov 2019 & 18 Apr 2019).

23.   Three evangelical pastors paid themselves £450,000 out of church’s charity account
Three pastors of a London evangelical church gave themselves unauthorised payments  totaling nearly half a million pounds while trustees for the Kingdom Life Ministries church's charity (article dated 13 December 2019).

24.   Prosecutors: Pastor stole money from Olivet Assembly of God Church for nearly 6 years
Douglas Hammond, pastor of Olivet Assembly of God Church, is accused of embezzling more than $100,000 from his church (article dated 17 Dec 2019).

25.   Church Members Beat Pastor For Buying Range Rover With Tithe Money
A pastor and his wife were given a thorough beating by church members when they came to church in a new Range Rover (article dated 26 Dec 2019).

26.   Feds: Chicago Pastor Stole from Food Program for Needy Kids
A Chicago pastor, Clarence Smith Jr., is accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from a food program that is intended to feed needy children. According to the federal prosecutors, he also spent $142,000 on a luxury car for himself (article dated 11 Jan 2020).

27.   Former Trenton pastor accused of embezzling from church arrested for theft
Former Trenton pastor, Nathan Clinkscales, is accused of embezzling tens of thousands of dollars from the First Baptist Church of Trenton (article dated 12 Jan 2020).

28.   Pastor indicted on theft charges, accused of stealing from elderly church member
A Memphis pastor, Pastor Frederick Smith of New Life Holiness Church is accused of using the personal information of an elderly church member and running thousands of dollars in charges on credit cards opened in her name (article dated 31 Jan 2020).

29.   Former Quitman Co. educator, pastor accused of stealing more than $50,000 from school system
Former Mississippi educator and pastor, Linder Howze-Campbell, is accused of stealing more than $50,000 from a gifted school program (article dated 31 Jan 2020).

30.   PAMLICO CO: Pastor found guilty of embezzlement, elderly exploitation
Thomas Steele, pastor of New Life Baptist Church in Concord, took more than $120,000 from an elderly woman after her husband's death (article dated 5 Feb 2020).

If you like this article, you may also like to read IF YOU WANT TO GET RICH QUICK, START A CHURCH and  CORRUPT RELIGIOUS LEADERS: PASTORS AND SEX CRIMES. To view the content page of this blog, please click here.



References:
1.   Cardinal Sarah: The Priesthood Today ‘Is in Mortal Danger’, National Catholic Register.
2.   The Bible: King James Version with Apocrypha. Oxford University Press.

Bishop Nicolas Brouwet: The Heart of a Priest Is Made for Love

The heart of a priest is made for love.

He does so in the manner and

following the example of Christ the

Bridegroom, of Christ who gave 

Himself entirely to humanity in love

- Bishop Nicolas Brouwet

In an interview with Monsignor Nicolas Brouwet, the Bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes reflected on the beautiful book about priestly celibacy co-written by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Cardinal Robert Sarah. The interview first appeared online at L'Homme nouveau on 3 February 2020 and was translated by Zachary Thomas for publication at The Catholic World Report on 5 February 2020. According to Cardinal Robert Sarah on his Facebook post dated 4th of February, "The interview of Archbishop Nicolas Brouwet, bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes, perfectly matches the intentions of our book From the depths of our hearts. I want to thank him for the precision and importance of his magnificent reflection."

I have read this heart-touching interview several times and what captures my attention most is the sentence, "The heart of a priest is made for love." The word "love" here does not mean stealing from incapacitated individuals to give his wife a lofty lifestyle or buying his wife a $200K Lamborghini as an anniversary gift. It does not mean stealing from the orphans or taking money from the Church's charity account to give his family a good life. Since all the Toms, Dicks, and Harrys on the streets want to give the best to their wife and children, there is nothing so special about this kind of man. Since his love is only intended for his own family, his congregations cannot feel it. The word "love" certainly has a greater meaning if the priest follows in the footsteps of the celibate Jesus and comes to offer salvation to the world. According to Bishop Nicolas Brouwet, this is only possible if he can "give himself entirely to humanity in love and his heart is ready to offer itself for all, without exclusivity and without preference. He should be impartial so that he can go to everyone with a free heart, without attachment as this is precisely what the faithful appreciate."

The question which arises here is whether a married priest can give himself entirely to humanity and offer his heart for all without exclusivity and preference? Can a married priest be impartial and treat everyone fairly with a free heart, without attachment?" As stated in the Bible, "The unmarried man cares for the Lord's business; his aim is to please the Lord. But the married man cares for worldly things; his aim is to please his wife; and he has a divided mind (1 Corinthians 7:32-33). For a married man, it is always "family first." What does "family first" mean? It means that he is selfish and only cares about his wife and children first. No matter what happens, his priority is always his family. Of course there is nothing wrong being a good husband and father but can the faithful appreciate a family man priest who values his family above all else?

During my college days, I used to visit a home for the  former drug addicts and they told me that their pastor was very concerned about them before he got married. But, ever since he got married, he seldom came to see them. They saw even less of him after the birth of his first child. When I visited the home one Sunday,  my friends also invited the pastor and he brought his wife and child with him. What I saw that day was a family man who kept talking proudly about his wife and baby. Even the  former drugs addicts ended up serving her and the baby! No doubt he is a good husband and father but can the faithful appreciate a family man who is only concerned about his family?

The poor and the simple are not stupid. According to Cardinal Sarah, "Through the eyes of faith, they are able to discern in the celibate priest the presence of Christ, the Bridegroom in His Church." Deep in their hearts, they can feel whether the priest is really there to serve them or is he merely taking advantage of his position to secure himself and his family a good life. Needless to say, it is difficult to discern the presence of Christ in the latter as his heart is only made to love his family.

Bishop Nicolas Brouwet also mentioned that "sometimes priests are reproached for not being part of the world because, not being married, they do not know the realities of life." They are also criticized for not knowing how to love because they are not married and therefore cannot give advise on family matters. However, it should be noted that one does not have to get married in order to know the realities of life and the meaning of love. Similarly, the capability to give advice on family matters does not depend on whether one is married or not. I always give advice to divorcees and single mothers to help them live their lives again but I don't have to be a divorcee or single mother myself to do that. Being single does not deter me from observing the world around me and learning the realities of life from the experiences of others. I also give advice to rape victims (my students) but this does not mean that I have to be a rape victim before I can give good advice. As for the capability to love, may I ask what kind of love can be greater than the love of our celibate priests who have given themselves totally and completely to humanity? Who can love better than our celibate priests who have given themselves entirely to the Church for our salvation?

The celibate priest bears witness to the 

presence of Christ who gives himself 

entirely to the Church, as a husband to

His Bride - Bishop Nicolas Brouwet

Is the life of a married priest a reflection of Jesus' life? Jesus, the celibate priest, prophet and king has offered himself to His Father for our sins and sacrificed his life for humankind because his heart was made for love. Can anyone imagine what would have happened if Jesus had said, "Father, please spare me my life. I want to make a lot of money to give my wife and children a lofty lifestyle. I want to take care of my wife and children. I cannot die on the cross. Family firstlah." If these were his words prior to the crucifixion,  Christianity wouldn't have existed at all.

The Priest is subtracted from the ties

of the world and given to God, and

so from God, he must be available

to others, for all 

- Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

(Source: Cardinal Robert Sarah's FB

Dated 4 Feb 2020)

We all know about Father Damien, the Belgian priest with a heart made for love who volunteered to serve the lepers on the Island of Molokai even though he knew that he would contract the disease himself and die as a leper. Instead of taking over his family business, he entered the novitiate of the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary in Leuven and was ordained to the priesthood on 21 May 1864 in Honolulu. At Molokai, he had to bear with all the unpleasantness of leprosy with the stench of rotting flesh pervading the atmosphere. The lepers salivated, spat on the ground, and coughed constantly but Father Damien did not mind sharing their meals. He even wrote to his brother, Pamphile, telling him that he was the happiest missionary in the world. Needless to say, this is the kind of priest that we will always respect, love, honor and cherish. He had come to serve the world just as Jesus did without exclusivity and preference. Father Damien was canonized a saint by Pope Benedict XVI on 11 October 2009.

Many Malaysians will remember Father O.C. Lim, the eldest son of a very rich man who gave up his five figure monthly income as a lawyer to become a Jesuit Priest. This is what we call "true love" as he has relinquished this material world to serve God and humanity. Who on earth would willingly give up his great inheritance and successful career for the priesthood? Who will exchange his imported car with a second-hand car owned by the Church? How many men would willingly give up marriage to become a priest? Father OC Lim did and this is the kind of priest who will always remain a hero in our hearts. Each time his name is mentioned, we will be reminded of his love for us. Yes, his heart is made for love and we will cherish his love forever.

In this materialistic world today, our celibate priests are our rare and precious treasures. The faithful will always appreciate their immense unconditional love, selflessness and sacrifices. These unsung heroes will always be respected, honored, loved and cherished because they have a heart made for love and we are able to discern in them the presence of Christ.

Many thanks to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Cardinal Robert Sarah for their beautiful book about priestly celibacy. I pray that the Catholic Church will not turn into a profit making human institution for married men who only care about giving their family a lofty lifestyle. If that happens, it is better to stay at home and preach to myself. How scary! No, I don't want that to happen in my lifetime (You may also like to read Cardinal Robert Sarah: The Christian Priesthood Is in Mortal Danger).

References:

1.  French bishop reflects on priestly celibacy book by Cardinal Sarah, Benedict XVI. The Catholic World Report.
2.  Cardinal Robert Sarah's Facebook
3.  The New American Bible. New York: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Cardinal Robert Sarah: The Christian Priesthood Is in Mortal Danger

Photo Source: Cardinal Robert Sarah's Facebook

In an exclusive English language interview, Cardinal Robert Sarah  discusses about his new book, From the Depths of Our Hearts: Priesthood, Celibacy, and the Crisis of the Catholic Church and warned against relaxing the mandatory celibacy rules for priests saying that this would turn the Church into a "mere human institution." According to Cardinal Sarah, "Celibacy is the most obvious manifestation that the priest belongs to Christ and that he no longer belongs to himself. Celibacy is the sign of a life that has meaning only through God and for Him. To want to ordain married men is to imply that priestly life is not full time, that it does not require a complete gift, that it leaves one free for other commitments such a profession, that it leaves time free for a private life. But this is false. A priest remains a priest at all times. Priestly ordination is not first of all a generous commitment; it is a consecration of our whole being, an indelible conformation of our soul to Christ, the priest, who demands from us permanent conversion in order to correspond to him. Celibacy is the unquestionable sign that being a priest supposes allowing oneself to be entirely possessed by God. To call it into question would seriously aggravate the crisis of the priesthood." Cardinal Sarah emphasizes that "If a priest is married, then he has a private life, a conjugal and family life. He must make time for his wife and children. He is unable to show, by his whole life, that he is totally and absolutely given to God and the Church."

What a beautiful defense of celibacy! Needless to say, ordaining married men would only turn the Catholic priesthood into a career option for jobless men and those seeking for greener pastures so that they could provide well for their wife and children. If priestly life is not full time, this would mean that the priest can start his own direct selling business (with the help of his wife) such as selling insurance, household items, cosmetics and personal care products, supplements and nutritional products, clothing, accessories, gifts, books, toys, games, etc.. They can even open their own shops or become real estate agents and make lots of money through commissions. Since many Church members still feel that if they buy things from the pastor, they are doing God a favor, these pastors can become rich in no time and enjoy the best of all worlds. With a family to support, money is never enough, so we can't blame them as it is the dream of every married man to make as much money as he can and give his best to his family. With money, he can buy jewelries and Birkin bags to pamper his wife, give his children the best education, and take his family to their dream vacation destinations every year. For a family man, it is always 'family first' and his main responsibility is to ensure that his wife and children live a comfortable life. And of course this would mean that his "priesthood job" would come second or even third in his life (if he is doing very well in his business at the expense of the Church). With a family to take care of, he would also need lots of free time for his private life so it is also reasonable for him to refuse to work after office hours. After all, his wife may not like it if he does not join the family for dinner and he needs to spend time with his children in the evenings to check their homework. Well, for  a married man, spending time with his family is certainly more important than his "job" and we can't blame him for that. Under such circumstances, can a married priest still remain a priest at all times and show, by his whole life, that he is totally and absolutely given to God and the Church? In his book, From the Depths of Our Hearts: Priesthood, Celibacy, and the Crisis of the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI points out that "priesthood and marriage are not compatible because they both demand an absolute and total gift." Needless to say, a married priest cannot belong entirely to Christ and the Church because he belongs to his wife and children. He cannot 'work full time' because his 'job' cannot fit in with his family commitments. He cannot allow himself to be entirely possessed by God because his wife and children are more important to him than his 'job'. As a husband and father, he has to give himself totally and absolutely to his family!

Here, I would like to provide an example of how a married pastor treats his biological children differently from his "stepchildren" in the orphanage run by his Church. Some of my students come from this orphanage as it is near the school. Although already in their teens, they are much smaller than other children their age. What causes stunted growth? One cannot deny the fact that the most direct cause is inadequate nutrition. These children are also very weak in their studies. One day, when I asked them to write an essay about a birthday party, I had no choice but to write the whole essay on the board with some blanks for them to write about their favorite foods. But, even filling in the blanks seemed to be too difficult for them. For instance, one of them asked me how to say "pisang" in English. When I told her that "pisang" is "banana", she then asked me to spell the word "banana" for her. This was repeated until she filled in all the blanks. The other children from the home are not much better than her but they are all hardworking children (They are already 15 and would be sitting for their Form 3 Examination in a few months time but look more like primary school children). A few of them even said they wanted to run away from the orphanage. The question which arises here is - Would the pastor treat his own biological children in the same way he treats the children in the home? Of course not. His biological children must be given the best of everything. They must have nutritious food, a comfortable life, the best education and parental love because they are the pastor's own flesh and blood. He must put his family above everything and this, of course, is perfectly normal because he is a married man. "I begin to see how true it is that God shows no partiality" (Acts 10:34) but pastors do. If you are interested to know what pastors can do to other people's children, please read Anas exposes Pastor who compels kids to eat poop at his orphanage; Torture Home (3): When Reverend Lamina steals food for orphans; & Feds: Chicago Pastor Stole From Food Program for Needy Kids. Well, do you think they will ask their own biological children to eat poop and bread that had visibly gone bad? Do you think they will sodomize their own children? In a way, these articles also remind us that the things donated to an orphanage may end up in the pastor's shop!

As what our dear Pope Emeritus says, "If we separate celibacy from the priesthood, we will no longer see the charismatic character of the priesthood. We will only see a function that the institution itself provides for its own security and needs. If we want to take the priesthood in this light... the Church is no longer understood except as a mere human institution." And of course this human institution can easily turn into a profit making institution for married men who want to provide well for their family. One certainly cannot deny the fact that there are many out there waiting to profit from this human institution should it become a reality. When this happens, the charismatic character of the priesthood will be eroded by materialism and carnal pleasure. As such there will be no difference between the priests and all the Toms, Dicks, and Harrys on the streets as all these married men have the same purpose - find a good job, make as much money as they can, and provide well for their family. That is why Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI affirms that "without the renunciation of material goods, there can be no priesthood. The call to follow Jesus is not possible without this sign of freedom and renunciation of all compromises." What will happen when the pastors cannot renounce material goods? To answer this question, please read Beware of Greedy, Selfish and Money-Hungry Pastors. This article clearly shows how pastors can make a lot of money from their human institution to satisfy their needs. It is no wonder why there are people trying to delegitimize Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Cardinal Robert Sarah's new book!

According to Cardinal Sarah, "The Church does not belong to us; she is a gift of God. She perpetuates herself through the ministry of priests, who are also a gift of God and not a human creation. Each priest is the fruit of a vocation, of a personal and intimate call from God Himself. One does not decide by oneself to become a priest. One is called by God, and the Church confirms this call. Celibacy guarantees this call. A man can only renounce starting a family and having a sexual life if he is certain that God is calling him to this renunciation. Our priesthood hangs on God's call and on the Church's prayer for vocations." How right he is! Priesthood is a vocation and not an occupation for the jobless men on the streets. It is not a magic money tree for selfish, greedy, and money-hungry men. Those who willingly renounce sex and marriage to become priests are called by God and these are the priests we are proud to have - a rare treasure from God, so valuable, and precious. They do not have any ulterior motives as their heart is made for love and we can feel their selfless love. This was clearly pointed out by Cardinal Sarah when he said, "The poor, the simple, rank-and-file Christians do not demand an end to celibacy! They expect priests to be saints, to be entirely given to God and His Church. They expect celibate priests who incarnate among them the figure of Christ, spouse of the Church." I totally agree with him because each time I meet a celibate priest, I couldn't help feeling that he is another Christ - so saintly and full of goodness, one who really deserves our love and respect. I always feel that celibate priests are heroes because they have given themselves entirely to God and His Church so that they can serve us wholeheartedly. Truly, the celibate priesthood is A VOCATION HIGHER THAN ANGELS and celibate priests are our UNSUNG HEROES. (Please click on these titles to read more about the vocation that places on our priests the heavy demands of Christ's life). On the contrary, those who want to become priests because they want to have the best of all worlds - a wife, children, and a respectable 'job' with lots of money flowing from it are not called by God but by their own selfish desires. Of course we cannot blame those who are pursuing a secure job with a good salary particularly during these hard times but to be frank, I don't feel anything when I meet this kind of pastor.

In this interview, Cardinal Robert Sarah also shared his experience as a young priest at the beginning of 1976 when he was serving the remote villages in Guinea. According to him, "Some of them had not been visited by a priest for almost 10 years, because the European missionaries had been expelled in 1967 by Sekou Toure. The catechists continued to teach the catechism to the children and to recite the prayers of the day. They recited the Rosary. They met on Sundays to listen to the word of God. I had the grace to meet  these men and women who kept the faith without any sacramental support, for lack of priests. I never forget their unimaginable joy when I celebrated the Mass that they had not known for so long. I believed that if married men had been ordained in every village, the Eucharistic hunger of the faithful would have been extinguished. The people would have been cut off from the joy of receiving, in the priest, another Christ. Yes, with the instinct of faith, the poor know that a priest who has renounced marriage gives them the gift of all his love as a husband." What a beautiful experience to witness another Christ in the priest, one who has renounced earthly things and marriage to serve the faithful! That is why the Catholic priesthood is so special. If I were there, I would have burst into tears of joy as I witnessed the love of Christ through him - a hero who has given himself entirely to Jesus Christ. However, I believe the feelings could never be the same if what the congregation saw was just another Tom, Dick, or Harry on the streets, a family man, like the men in their villages, who was just doing his 'job' - a job that provides him with an income to support his wife and children. The faithful who expect priests to be entirely given to God and His Church, certainly cannot experience the kind of  unimaginable joy and Eucharistic hunger mentioned by Cardinal Robert Sarah (above) in the presence of a family man priest. Of course there is nothing wrong with wanting to get a job where he can make money but there is nothing special about this kind of man. If his intention is to earn a good salary and enjoy a measure of job security so as to make life more comfortable for his family, he is nothing more than a church employee who is paid a salary!

You can read the full interview at National Catholic Register. If you like this article, you may also like to read WHY POPE BENEDICT XVI CLARIFIES, REAFFIRMS, REINFORCES AND DEFENDS CELIBACY? To view the content page of this blog, please click here.



References:

1. Cardinal Sarah: The Priesthood Today 'Is in Mortal Danger', National Catholic Register.
2.  The New American Bible. New York: Thomas Nelson Publishers.