I stood on the corner of a Miami street. Crowds of people surrounded me as we waited for Pope John Paul II to come by in the parade. Everyone was excited for the Holy Father to grace us with his presence. While waiting for what seemed like forever, when he finally rode past us in his popemobile, it was surreal how close he was.
With a papacy that lasted twenty-seven years, John Paul II was the only pope I knew until I was almost thirty years old. I saw him in person when I was in sixth grade, observed his youth days from afar, and wrote a paper on his involvement with current events when I was in college. Years later, I began to appreciate his beautiful theological writings for women, artists, and young people.
When he was canonized a Saint, I thought it was an obvious decision.
Coming to Terms With Imperfection
Recently, I came to a better understanding of the complexities of Catholic Church history, and it rocked my reality. I learned about Pope Saint John Paul II’s decision to kiss the Koran, which remains a controversy to this day, and his noticeable lack of leadership at the time of certain priestly scandals.
While I felt disappointed in him when I learned of some of his actions, I still trusted the Church’s conclusion that he was, indeed, a Saint. That whatever imperfect decisions he made on earth, while on the path to holiness, were worked out between him and the Lord for his salvation (see Philippians 2:12). I also considered the lives of other prominent Saints, who made unsaintly decisions in their lifetime. How could I accept (and forgive) the pride of Saint Augustine, the anger of Saint Francis de Sales, or Saint Paul's persecution of Christians, and not the imprudent decisions of Pope John Paul II?
The same goes for Pope Francis, popular priests, and my favorite Catholic speakers and writers—all of whom are under intense scrutiny to remain holy while also being in the public eye. Putting them on a pedestal and never expecting them to fall from grace is exceptionally unfair and hypocritical.
And yet I know it can be hard to love a Saint so much while at the same time wishing he had done some things differently, especially when we see so much suffering in the Church from his failures.
Love the Saint, Forgive the Sin
In a recent conversation with a friend, we wondered how to respond to people who say, “So-and-so is a Saint but he sinned in his life, or she is now a Saint but she made some pretty bad choices.”
As we talked, I was reminded of a quote from Saint John Vianney who said, “The saints did not all begin well, but they all ended well” (source).
In other words, while we recognize the Saints in Heaven that does not mean they didn’t struggle while on earth. In fact, the Saints imperfectly strived to love God and live His call, just like us. As Catholic writer Father Joseph Esper puts it, some of them even “demonstrated the worst human traits and behavior . . . but with the help of divine grace and through their own honesty, humility, and hard work, they became the best people” (source, ix). Only now, after receiving His merciful purification and redemption, are the Saints perfected in the glorified presence of God.
Father Esper also writes, “Contrary to what many of us usually assume, holiness did not as a rule come easily for the saints; it was an ongoing challenge and struggle, sometimes marked by failures and setbacks” (source, ix). We can lose sight of their struggles and even paint a picture of their lives that leaves out the problems, temptations, and difficulties that they faced.
But the imperfections of modern Saints, or Saints-in-the making, can be harder to forget, and this may require reconciling in our own hearts. That is why when a pope, beloved priest, or favorite Catholic speaker says or does something unholy or sinful—or maybe just not in line with our flavor of Catholicism—we do not always know what to think or how to respond.
And yet, we know from history and experience that the Lord has always chosen the weak and imperfect to bring about His will in the world.
Three Ways to Reconcile Disappointment in Well-known Catholics
Below are three ideas to consider when we encounter someone who disappoints our illusion of them—whether they are already a named Saint in Heaven, the current pope, a popular priest, or any other well-known Catholic.
1) Pray with Scripture
If you feel unsettled about something you heard someone in the Catholic limelight say, especially if it seems contrary to Church teachings, it is a good idea to bring it to the Lord. Entrust it to His care, for the one who said it is under His authority, not ours. A few Scripture verses to consider praying with include:
If your brother sins [against you], go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that “every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.” If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. // Matthew 18:15-17
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength [. . .] You shall love your neighbor as yourself. // Mark 12:30-31
Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. // Luke 6:37
And when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he clearly was wrong. // Galatians 2:11
If your prayer with Scripture inspires you to reach out to the person, do so privately. Share with them what you think may be out of line with Church teaching. They may truly not know they are speaking out of line! It is a great kindness to charitably share with them Church teaching and where what they said may have been confusing.
2) Get to Know the Saints
All the Saints have a past. While some may have had very little sin in their lives, like Saint Joseph, they were not without any sin. Only Jesus and the Blessed Mother are in that category! That is why we can look to the Saints for hope on our own imperfect paths of holiness.
Saintly Solutions by Father Joseph Esper discusses common sins and struggles—like anger, anxiety, argumentativeness, distrust in God, drunkenness, envy, gluttony, gossip, lust, pride, unforgiveness—and shares stories of Saints who also struggled in these areas. This book shows us which Saints to turn to in order to ask for understanding and intercession.
For example, Saints James, John, Basil the Great, and Cyril of Alexandria were known for expressing anger. Before his conversion, Saint John of God was addicted to alcohol and gambling. Saint Vincent de Paul led a slothful life before he dedicated himself to service of the poor.
3) Learn What the Church Teaches
Regarding Church leaders, like a former or current pope, it is a good reminder that Jesus gave Peter the keys to His kingdom (see Matthew 16:19), and out of love for our Lord, it is important to respect the office of the papacy as well as the priesthood. However, popes are also human, as we see in Saint Peter’s own denial of Christ, and not everything that they say or write is infallible. They teach infallibly only in very specific circumstances. This can be tricky to understand, but here is a cheat sheet to help us along.
Ultimately, as with all of God’s children, we are called to love, because “[H]e first loved us” (1 John 4:19). We may not agree with a pope, priest, or popular Catholic writer, but we can choose to be charitable and merciful, as they, like us, are still working out their salvation with the Lord.
Sarah Damm is a regular contributor to the BIS blog. She is a Catholic wife and mother of six children, living in Minnesota. She spends her days running errands, helping with homework, and keeping up with laundry and the family schedule. Sarah loves her faith, coffee, and good books. You can find out more about her here. Read all of Sarah's posts here.
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