The Prospectively Serious Situation: Visualize a parishioner who reports knowledge of grave misconduct within the parish that, if true, could lead to a significant scandal. How should the Pastor proceed?
Jesus anticipated problems within His Church
Matthew 18 is properly described as part of the Ecclesial Discourse, for it institutes the hierarchy and rules for administration of the Church that Jesus would establish.
The process for resolving disputes within the Church is described in today’s Gospel. Jesus lays the foundation: First, confront the offending brother in private and, hopefully, the conflict is resolved; if not, take one or two others along so facts can be established and confronted – and maybe that will settle it; if still unresolved, take it to the church, which will then adjudicate the matter. Finally, if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, treat him like a tax collector or gentile, meaning that it might lead to a restrictive admonishment, or in some extreme cases of unrepentant defiance to excommunication.
Visualizing that Process Today
Imagine two parishioners disagree regarding a very serious conduct matter. Once aware, the Pastor is going to investigate the matter and make a determination regarding who is actually causing the problem. Witnesses will be summoned, and a factual determination made.
The Pastor, having local authority, may then remove certain faculties from the offending parishioner, such as prohibiting or limiting further participation in ministry, or if serious enough and unresolvable, even ban the offender entirely from the community.
What then when the parishioner disagrees with the Pastor’s decision? The parishioner then has a right to a hearing before the Bishop – who, ultimately, as a successor to the Apostles, exercises the final power to loose and bind.
The Process Regarding Excommunication
We can read about a moral abuse in Corinth that St Paul addressed in his first letter to the Corinthians. See 1 Cor 5:1-5. There, the offender was excommunicated by St Paul, as the Apostle with jurisdiction-authority over Corinth. Modernly, as in Corinth, anyone accused of a serious offense that could lead to excommunication retains an absolute right to that determination having to be made by the Diocesan Bishop.
In fact, if the alleged misconduct occurs while in a different Diocese, perhaps while attending a retreat, the visiting individual could be banned from further attendance there by the local bishop, but he cannot be excommunicated by that bishop. Only his own Bishop can excommunicate him, and only after an opportunity to explain the conduct to his Bishop.
Please note that excommunication is not a statement that a person is going to Hell, but a warning that outside of communion, the individual must take action to repent, and so return to the Eucharistic table in good standing. In Corinth, that affected individual repented and was restored to the community.
Due Process is essential in resolving disputes
Jesus instituted a process that restores peace to a Church community by addressing scandal while, providing a forum where the accused member receives notice of the concern and is allowed to be heard regarding it. The individual might subsequently repent or might be vindicated as the established facts might require.
In the United States, the legal system is actually modelled after the same Judeo-Christian principle Jesus established in Matthew 18. What Jesus taught is still the inspiration for American Court proceedings for resolving personal disputes. This is particularly worthy of reflection as the US celebrates 250 years.
The right and opportunity to be heard regarding a complaint is essential to the continued health of a civil or religious community. We, therefore, must pray for its preservation in our Parishes and in our Courts.
