Divine Bleach

What is required is a Divine Bleach
distilled to remove the stains of a soiled church;
The Psalmist cried to be made whiter than snow
As a people cry
       Cleanse us,
       Cleanse us,
       Cleanse us.

Perhaps the Eradicator is there,
Waiting
for the Church to remember the Council:
the laity to be fully welcomed to the Lord's table
so bishops, cardinals can become true shepherds of their flocks
not bound by the robes and cords of power and prestige,
But unbound to serve the people.

The laity with all its gifts of the Spirit
coming forward to grace the church with energy, devotion
as bishops, cardinals,
mindful that they are the least,
know that the first shall be the last.

The innocents have cried, have wept,
the innocents have been traduced
as power and prestige could not hear their muffled cries.

Divine Bleach,
Remove the blood stains,
     the tear stains,
       ALL the stains.

Our children, youth have been defiled
kept their cries stifled, suffocated in a need to protect the Church.

Mother of God!
Protect the Church?

Did the stones of the confessionals weep as the children were told to stay silent?
Did the timber of the liminals moan under such weight of smothered cries?

Divine Bleach,
scour the hearts and memories,
rinse away the silences,
restore our souls.

Let us be whiter than snow;
move us to tears,
purify our souls,
restore our innocence;
let the bishops, the cardinals follow where the laity leads.

Amen

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