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.

The Beautiful Fishing Town of Kuala Besut in Terengganu

Welcome to Kuala Besut

The small fishing town of Kuala Besut

Samudera Hotel - a great place to stay during my visit to Kuala Besut

When I was a lecturer in a tertiary institution in the state of Pahang, I used to travel to the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia for work purposes. My favorite place is, of course, the beach overlooking the South China Sea because staring at the sea always fills my heart with peace and happiness. I feel refreshed, renewed, and energized as though the sea has the power to take away all my fears, worries and stresses. The beauty and serenity of the beach at sunset also makes me feel the meaning and purpose of life. The fact that the sea has healing powers is nothing new and I am sure that anyone walking on the beach will feel the same too.

One of my favorite places is Kuala Besut because I like to be beside the seaside. Kuala Besut is a beautiful coastal town in Terengganu on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. This small fishing town is situated next to the South China Sea where the Perhentian Islands lie. The word "Perhentian" means "to stop by" as this was one of the places where the Vietnamese boat people landed in the 1970s. Today, the Perhentian Islands have become one of the top tourist destinations in Malaysia. Popular tourist activities on the Perhentian Islands include swimming, fishing, scuba-diving, boat-riding, canoeing, snorkeling, camping, and jungle trekking.

As the main gateway to the Perhentian Islands, Kuala Besut has become a popular tourist attraction in Malaysia. With its "fresh from the sea" seafood, pristine sea view, peaceful environment, souvenir shops, and budget hotels, many tourists are attracted to this cheap holiday destination. Many of them prefer to stay a few days in this peaceful town before they cross over to the Perhentian Islands.

With Kelantan at its border, the residents in Kuala Besut seem to be more Kelantanese than Terengganuan and therefore the Kelantanese dialect is still the most spoken dialect among the locals. However, many of them have no problem conversing with tourists in English even though they have low English proficiency as English is a compulsory subject in Malaysian schools.

The pristine sea view of Kuala Besut

An ocean breeze puts the mind at ease (Unknown)

To escape and sit quietly on the beach - that's my idea of paradise (Emilia Wickstead)

Every time I stand before a beautiful beach, its waves seem to whisper to me: If you choose the simple things and find joy in nature's simple treasures, life and living need not be so hard (Psyche Roxas-Mendoza)

The beach is not always a place, sometimes it's a feeling (Unknown)

The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the imagination and brings eternal joy to the soul (Robert Wyland)

Why do we like the sea? It is because it has some potent power to make us think things we like to think (Robert Henri)

I believe in the sea curing all bad moods. I believe in the waves wiping away worries. I believe in seashells bringing good luck. I believe in toes in the sand grounding my soul (Unknown)

 

The sea lives in everyone of us (Robert Wyland)

Ferry / speedboat services are easily available from Kuala Besut Jetty, the nearest jetty to the Perhentian Islands. Kuala Besut Jetty serves as host to several popular ferry / speedboat operators and these include Aina Holiday Sdn Bhd,  Barracuda Holiday Sdn Bhd, Perhentian Trans Holiday Sdn Bhd and De Penarik Beach Travel & Tour Sdn Bhd. A boat ride from Kuala Besut Jetty to the Perhentian Islands, passing through the South China Sea, takes about 35 mins to an hour. Those planning to make a trip to the Perhentian Islands ought to check the weather forecast before leaving as the ferry / speedboat services are affected by the monsoon season due to heavy rains.

Kuala Besut Jetty

Tourists who enjoy eating and drinking can get a taste of the seaside cafes and restaurants with spectacular sea views. Those who wish to bring back mementos and souvenirs can do their shopping at the many souvenir shops around the town. The shops, restaurants and cafes are within walking distance from the jetty.

Souvenir shops in Kuala Besut

A Seaside Food Stall

A Seaside Cafe

A Seaside Restaurant

A Burger Stall on the Beach

My Rasa Cafe

There is an outdoor children's playground at the beach - an adventurous and exciting play space where the children can run, jump, climb and swing.

Children's Playground at the Seaside

Taking a bus to Kuala Besut is very convenient as there are many express buses going to Kuala Besut particularly from Kuala Lumpur. One of the main bus operators providing this service is Perdana Express. The Kuala Besut Bus Terminal is located near the Pasar Tani around 1 km (10-20 minutes walking distance) from the Kuala Besut Jetty. Below are more photos of this beautiful fishing town.

The District Fisheries Office

Typical homes in this town

The Public Toilet of Kuala Besut

A Peaceful Evening Walk in KLCC Park

At the children's playground in KLCC Park - sometimes I like to feel like a child again. Why? Rediscovering the child in me makes life simpler, happier and less stressful.

Built in 1998, the KLCC park is a lush 50-acre urban public park located at Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur. Designed by the late Roberto Burle Marx, the world-renowned Brazilian landscape architect, the park was intended to provide greenery to its surrounding areas particularly the Petronas Twin Towers (the tallest twin towers in the world). At the base of the iconic Petronas Twin Towers  is Suria KLCC, one of the best shopping malls in Malaysia. With its 1900 indigenous trees and 66 species of palms, the KLCC Park is a perfect place for evening stroll in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the city. Its calm environment makes it a great place to clear the mind and a tonic to relief the stresses of modern living. Operated by KLCC properties, maintenance of the place is good and I always enjoy my evening walks during those beautiful hours between the end of the day and the beginning of night. One cannot deny the fact that there are many health benefits of walking as studies have confirmed that walking can help to reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, memory impairment, and even some forms of cancers. Even older adults who are suffering from some kind of mobility deficit can benefit from a regular walking program as it helps to maintain their muscular efficiency.

The KLCC Park

Sometimes, when I am too tired to walk, I would just sit and look for some peace and tranquility while waiting for the sunset. Sunset is a time for reflection as it reminds me that the day is coming to an end and makes me think of how I should make good use of my time the next day. It is also the time when I ponder the meaning and purpose of my life and ask myself whether I have done enough. Why wait for the sunset in KLCC Park? Studies have confirmed that regular exposure to greenery can heal the mind, reduce the risk of psychological problems, lower the levels of stress hormones, and improve emotional health. This is what we call the healing power of nature.

Jogging Track and Footpath. The jogging track is covered with EPDM, ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber, a type of synthetic rubber for safety and comfort.

Park Shelter

A beautiful view from the jogging track and footpath

Beautiful Indigenous Trees

A beautiful view of KLCC Park

 A place full of greenery

A small waterfall

The various species of palm trees

Nice Greenery View of this Urban Park

One of the KLCC Park's greatest attraction is the 10,000 sq ft  man-made Lake Symphony with its two fascinating musical fountains displaying over 150 unique programmed animations in a magical performance of sound and water at the esplanade outside Suria KLCC. The fountain showtimes are at 8 pm, 9 pm, and 9.45 pm daily. There is a 43-meter elevated bridge cutting across this lake which provides an amazing view of the park and the Twin Towers. The various amenities in this park include a well-equipped 2-acre children's playground, wading pool, 1.3 km jogging track, shelters, benches, patterned footpaths, and sculptures. The park is opened from 7.00 a.m. to 10.00 p.m. daily and admission is free. Since it is easily accessible via LRT, transport is never a problem and there is no need to worry about peak-hour traffic congestion.

The Children's Playground

Wading Pool

A view of the Petronas Twin Towers from the wading pool.

Whale and Dolphin Fountains

Lake Symphony

The elevated bridge cutting across the lake

Lake Symphony in KLCC Park with Fountains

Outside Suria KLCC

A view of the Petronas Twin Towers from Lake Symphony