Make no mistake: the Church will be changed by this

I have not spoken here about the recent allegations, for many reasons. Chief among those reasons is that others are much more articulate than I, and have access to better resources. I have started an initiative called Agape - women praying for spiritual fatherhood, where hundreds of women are joined in prayer and fasting for the purging, repairing, reforming, and renewing of the Church. We are also inviting people to "Adopt a Cleric" to pray for by name.And if you are my Facebook friend, you know that I have shared and said plenty. My attitude has been summed up in those posts as things unfolded:

• We are hearbroken, but the Lord is most offended of all.
• LET IT BEGIN. And let us remain steadfast.
• Remain firmly and fully IN the Church. For all her flaws and faults, she is still the Bride of Christ.
• At the foot of the Cross remained strong lay women. Let us remain here with Mary, friends.
• What can we do? What we have always been able to do: PRAY. BE HOLY.
• WE are the Church. In spite of some shepherds, WE can be the holiness of the Bride of Christ.
• There are always hypocrites in the Church. DON'T BE ONE.
• A house divided against itself cannot stand. So let us stand UNITED in our desire for TRUTH.
• NO MORE WEAK PRIESTHOOD. Lord, send us SAINTS.
• Often, to be complacent is to be complicit.
• Responsibility for the Church belongs to ALL OF US.
• Remain at peace, support your bishop, pray for truth.
• The Church WILL BE CHANGED by these events. Let's do our part to help it change for the BETTER.
• Pray. And do not let the media define the terms by which we address these issues.
• God only allows evil for the sake of a greater good. Let's pray to be open to that GOOD.
• While it is a time of mourning, it is also a time of great HOPE! Renewal comes after a purge.

 If you have ever doubted the voracity of the Enemy, or the twisted angelic intelligence that works continually against the Church and against each one of us, we now see the evidence clearly. This is much more than a handful of men making "bad choices" - it is a diabolical attack that has systematically drained the Church of her moral authority and obstructed our ability to do what we are called to do: go and make disciples. The devil is having his day, but the victory is already won. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever!Let us continue in our prayer and fasting, humbling ourselves before the One Who only allows evil in order for a greater good to come of it, and Who MAKES ALL THINGS NEW. It is only by the grace of God that a way will be made through the brambles of this confused mess of allegation, hearsay, and frustration. Let us each ask for light and peace, so that we focus on the Lord's will for each of us.