Untitled - Saints' Books

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142 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
morality among his people, says St. Bernard. 1 Should
a secular mistake the way, he alone is lost; but when a
priest errs, he shall cause the perdition of many, par
ticularly of those that are under his care, says the same
St. Bernard. 2 The Lord ordained in Leviticus that for
the sin of a single priest a calf should be offered, as well
as for the sins of the entire people. From this Innocent
III. concludes that the sin of a priest is as grievous as
the sins of the whole people. The reason is, says the
Pontiff, that by his sin the priest leads the entire people
into sin. 3 And, long before, the Lord himself said the
same: If the priest that is anointed shall sin, he maketh the
people to offend." Hence, St. Augustine, addressing priests,
says, not close heaven: but this you do if you give
to others a bad example to lead a wicked life." Our
Lord said one day to St. Bridget, that when sinners see
the bad example of the priest, they are encouraged to
commit sin, and even begin to glory in the vices of which
they were before ashamed. 6 Hence our Lord added
that worse maledictions shall fall on the priest than on
others, because by his sinful life he brings himself and
7
others to perdition.
1 "
Pauli,
2 "
Misera eorum conversatio plebis subversio est." In Conv. S.
s. i.
Si quis de populo deviat, solus perit;
verum principis error multos
involvit, et tantis obest, quantis praeest ipse." Epist. 127.
3
Unde " conjicitur quod peccatum Sacerdotis totius multitudinis
peccato cosequatur, quia Sacerdos in suo peccato totam fecit delinquere
multitudinem." In Consecr. Pont. s. i.
4 "
Si Sacerdos qui unctus est, peccaverit, delinquere faciens
5 "
populum." Lev. iv. 3.
Nolite eis ccelum claudere; clauditis, dum male vivere ostenditis."
Ad Fratr. in er. s. 36.
6 "Viso exemplo pravo Sacerdotum, peccator nduciam peccandi
sumit, et incipit de peccato, quod prius reputabat erubescibile, gloriari."
7 "
Ideo ipsis erit amplior maledictio prae aliis, quia se vita sua
perdunt et alio." Rev. 1. 4, c. 132.