The Clearest Sign of a Bad Bishop

About this sermon

"Not every man who carries a crozier is a true shepherd." Support the channel by visiting: https://brianholdsworth.ca/help In John 10, Christ warns that some men entrusted with his flock will act as hirelings: enjoying the position of a shepherd but abandoning the sheep when the wolves arrive. Saints such as Augustine and Gregory the Great applied this warning directly to bishops who seek worldly honours, temporal advantages, or personal security rather than the salvation of souls. So how can Catholics distinguish a faithful shepherd from a hireling? In this video, I consider two revealing tests: whether a bishop’s leadership produces vocations and whether he is willing to defend the faithful when doing so carries a personal cost. The difference between a thriving diocese and a dying one may have far less to do with consultants, strategic plans, and institutional resources than with whether its leaders genuinely believe in God and trust his grace. And when Catholics find themselves under a hireling rather than a shepherd, St. Augustine offers this advice: “Pluck the grapes; beware of the thorn.” TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Not every bishop is a true shepherd 00:38 Christ’s warning about hirelings 01:29 Augustine and Gregory on bad bishops 02:53 The clearest test: priestly vocations 03:38 Why faithful young men avoid some dioceses 04:45 The remarkable example of Wichita 06:55 Adoration versus institutional strategy 08:50 What happens when bishops flee from wolves 09:49 Seeking the approval of the Church’s enemies 11:42 Why some dioceses and parishes thrive 12:35 The difference a faithful priest can make 14:02 What Catholics should do under a bad bishop Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.com Podcast Version: https://brianholdsworth.libsyn.com/