The Catholic Church has certianly "screwed up" in the past...?

Question

I know of some examples, such as the Crusades, the Witch Trials, and, more recently, the issues on the east coast regarding exploitation of alter servers. Are there any other examples of times when certian people within the Church have tarnished its image?
I see it as metaphorically related to a rock climber. The Church knows that it has to keep climbing towards excellence, but there's always the danger of falling, and of never knowing your exact way up. Anyone agree?
Finally, anyone understand what my parish bulletin means when it says the Church is "living its way into answers" ?

Answer 1

I always like to remember that the Church:
+ Has always been filled with sinners trying to live as saints
+ Is filled with sinners trying to live as saints
+ Will always be filled with sinners trying to live as saints
until Jesus Christ returns in glory.

Some of us will "screw up." Some of us will fail. Some of us will do horrible and evil things. Some of us will tarnish the Church's image.

But the Church as a whole will continue as the Body of Christ on Earth and be guided by the Holy Spirit.

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

Here is a good book on catholic history that I think will give U tremendous Insight into the history & the Future for the church. It's called Halley's Bible Handbook and is a very good source on the "Early church" and Scriptures. Religion is always trying to "Direct peoples Lives" (have them jump through 'Hoops'), when Christianity (it's Not Religion) is allowing the Holy Spirit & Scripture to "Run the Show". Jn. 14:6 says: "I (Christ) am the 'Way', the 'Truth' & the 'Life', no man enters unto the Father but through Me.", so what more does one need??? John

Answer 3

Oh, there are plenty of examples of misdeeds done by the Catholic church, from the selling of indulgences, to the excesses of the Borgia popes, to the Spanish Inquisition, to the burnings of Protestants by Mary Tudor, to the burnings of vanities by Savonarola in Florence, and so forth.

Re 'Living its way into answers' - I'm guessing that means seeking after God throughout your life, rather than just during church.

Answer 4

Los Angeles Cardinal Mahoney goes way beyond human failure all the way to criminal behavior in the cover up of child abuse. The church is not "climbing towards excellence", but is doing what it always has done...bilking its membership...the same as all organized religion.

The one positive thing I can say about the Catholic church is that it is the prime reason that I'm an agnostic.

Answer 5

The Church has not wavered from its mission to preach the Gospel to the world. However people within the Church have often failed and will continue to do so. The Church has always been made up of various degrees of saints and sinners.

In Christ
Fr. Joseph

Answer 6

Even Jesus had his Judas.

And the old testament is full of the stories of very seriously flawed people who ended up accomplishng great things for God.

God never expected those who belonged to, or who governed his church, to be perfect.

God simply assured us that his grace would be sufficient, that his church would never fail, and that he would never leave it.

That ought to be enough for anyone, but it evidently is not.

Answer 7

Salam
To human is to error. The church and all other organizations of such are human organized and run by humans. Or did you forget?

Answer 8

I agree with what you say :)

The bulletin, hm. Maybe that we will learn from our past to be better and serve Christ in the way that He wants us to.

Also, I think its more so the members of the church that do the wrong things.