How Can We Be Obedient to Sinful Superiors? by Constance T. Hull

By Constance T. Hull, Catholic Exchange, May 9, 2024

Constance T. Hull is a wife, mother, homeschooler, and a graduate with an M.A. in Theology with an emphasis in philosophy. Her desire is to live the wonder so passionately preached in the works of G.K. Chesterton and to share that with her daughter and others. …

Living the virtue of obedience in our age is challenging. With the break down of human institutions—governments, universities, cultural centers, and even and especially the human dimensions of the ecclesiastical Church (even as she retains her supernatural origin and character)—many of us find ourselves asking the question: How can I be obedient when I know things are broken?

Anyone who has served in ministry long enough has found themselves on the receiving end of unjust and uncharitable commands for obedience by priests who are sinning in the process. Over the years, more and more people have come to me for guidance on how to respond in the face of their ill treatment at the hands of priests. These are priests in multiple dioceses, so no one should be wondering who I am talking about. Most priests are not saints, which means their sins and weaknesses are well known by those who serve closest to them. The laity is bound to find themselves in the crosshairs just as much as children experience the sins and weaknesses of their parents. …