I am quite certain that many of us get frustrated when we are in need of expert advice and we get conflicting information from the experts.
Perhaps the most obvious and recent example of this is the Coronavirus crisis. Some medical experts say wear a mask, others say it doesn't really do anything, some say that the virus lives on surfaces and others say it doesn't. Some say that asymptomatic people are contagious and others say otherwise. It can be quite frustrating!
But this article isn't about the coronavirus or the well intentioned opinions of our medical experts who are doing their very best to help us navigate through this crisis.
Rather, my reflection here is about the same frustration that people have when they ask priests (as "spiritual experts") for advice about critical matters and they get conflicting advice from priests, especially in the areas of morality.
Going back to the analogy of the medical experts, I ask their advice about health related matters because I trust their expertise, their education and their experience, but also because I don't know anything about medicine and I need their help. My knowledge of health matters can be summed up in the idea that pizza and potato chips are bad for you and exercise and salads are good (advice that I should be better about following).
So when people whose knowledge of the faith is comparable to my knowledge of medicine approach priests for advice, one can easily see how frustrated people could get when they receive conflicting information. Now let me clarify, I am not talking about advice on prayer styles or other areas where there are acceptable options. I am talking about matters of faith and morals.
To be specific, I am talking about situations where priests tell people that hell and purgatory do not exist; I am referring to priests who do not give clear direction on moral issues, especially situations involving sin. Often time this questionable advice is given in the confessional, sadly.
There are Catholics who know their faith and know it well, but we need to be honest and humble about this, there are many Catholics who do not know their faith and they rely upon their priests to give them guidance that will help them in their relationship with our Lord and His Church - guidance that is rooted in the teaching of the Church and not their opinion.
It is heartbreaking for me as a priest when someone comes to me and says, "Father, you said this in your homily, in your social media post, or on your blog, but Father so and so said this, what am I to believe."
Here is where the faith is very different from medicine. The Deposit of Faith does not change, it is the faith that has been given to the Church by Christ himself, to His Apostles and their successors and safeguarded by the Holy Spirit who leads the Church. Medicine does change and improve with technology and scientific advancements and so when it comes to the faith, there is a clear reference to which we can point people, it is the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a book that covers what the Church believes and teaches.
So are what people to do?
When people receive contradictory advice from different priests, they should go to the Catechism to see what the truth is, and then make a decision for themselves: do they want to keep asking advice from a priest who would teach something contrary to what the Church teaches or not.
My advice to people in this situation is simple: seek out the priests who are faithful to what is found in the Catechism and stay close to them. They may be imperfect in many areas of their life, but at least they are trying to care for the souls of those entrusted to their care by giving them sound advice based on what the Church teaches and not their own opinion, which contradicts the Church they serve.
It is frustrating, I know...