Issue 35 The Church March 18,2013

Taking a break from politics today so I can address what I want from the new Pope. Yes I am Catholic, and I want some changes from the Church to make it better in "shepherding the flock."

1) Priests should be able to marry. The sacrament of marriage is to show love for one another and hopefully to usher new life into the world under the eyes of God. While I understand the commitment that the Priests make to the Priesthood is to demonstrate their commitment, are there not other ways of showing it? Are there not other ways to show your dedication toward God? Also, how can a priest aid a couple in marriage if he does not understand marriage himself? Likewise nuns should be allowed to marry if they fall in love. A shepherd cannot be a shepherd if he/she does not know the reasons why the flock moves in the way it does.

2) There should be women priests. I argue the same argument with marriage, a priest (man) cannot hope to understand the mind of a woman. Also, are not women just as capable and dedicated toward their commitment to God? In the past, we were a male dominated society, but now the domination of men has eroded and women are taking control of their own lives. So, let them become priests and let them too shepherd the flock.

3) Priests should have jobs too. So that a priest may understand the daily pressures of the flock a priest, nun, monk, or other member of the clergy should be able to have a part-time job. It will allow them to gain spending money to use for themselves and for the church and its parishioners. They can work on specific days or hours and then come to preach in the church. If a priest is married, this will also help to ease the burden of the Catholic Church in supporting the family.

4) Clean up the church. We have heard of many scandals of priests molesting young children, and to make it worse, covering it up. Part of the reason the new Pope was elected was to root out those who would cover up such a heinous act and those perpetrators who make victims of children. Thus, I propose anyone wishing to become part of the clergy have a background check to identify if they are a potential problem. Likewise, prosecute all those who the church finds to have harmed their fellow man.

I hope our new Pope serves the faith well and continues what his predecessors started. The church should still support scientific study as it did under Pope John Paul II, and reach out to Africa as under Pope Benedict. I want every one of the clergy to know basic medicine to aid the sick and infirm, healthy eating habits to teach them to parishioners who need help getting healthy, exercise techniques to preserve the body, and know how to seek out information through things like the Internet and in the written word to teach the flock how to seek and ascertain information. A member of the clergy is first and foremost a teacher that should follow the lesson passed to us by Jesus "give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime." In short, teach useful skills and impart useful knowledge to parishioners to help them become self reliant in life.

The church has much work to do and has much to change to improve itself and its image. What I say here is what I personally seek from my church, my Catholicism. There can always be a better church that aids mankind in improving themselves so that we may be worthy of entering Heaven and God's embrace, even if the church must forever remain on Earth.