Priests are people, too.

Who would have thought?

I am truly a fortunate Catholic. Being the sacristan of a bustling Cathedral has many advantages (and a few disadvantages). Some of the disadvantages are as follows: I have to deal with a lot of homeless people. It's not that I think they're scum, it's that I am not sure how to deal with them. I get scared because a lot of them are on drugs or drunk, or angry, or mentally ill. I'm never sure what I'm going to get, so I feel a little nervous. It is always best to treat them with compassion, regardless of their current state.
It's also a bit of a disadvantage to have everyone know who you are, yet you do not know who everyone else is. I am forgetting names all the time, and I see parishioners walking down the street, they wave and say hello, I do the same... but because many people seem to recognize me, I feel some pressure to be extra vigilant regarding my conduct in public; no swearing when I'm with my girlfriends, no poking my guy friends, no picking my nose (well, I suppose that's just common courtesy, whether one works at a Cathedral or not), etc.
It's also a little weird having people ask me for permission to do certain things. I don't mind organizing people and giving directions. It's bizarre, I don't mind having some authority, but I think it's weird that some people view me as an authoritative figure, you know? I am no better than anyone else. Who am I to tell people where to go and what to do? Being obedient to orders is much safer. But, if my job means I have more knowledge regarding certain things, I have a responsibilty to share that knowledge with others. I just hope I'm kind to people while I'm at it.
Oh yeah, priests. Knowing some good priests has been one of the best advantages to my job; not simply knowing them as men, but knowing what kind of work they do, and what kind of sacrifices they make on a daily basis.
It breaks my heart that in this culture, when people hear the word 'Catholic priest', they instantly think of the word 'pedophile'. Writing off Catholic priests as being creeps is extraordinarily unfair. There were a few who were messed up, and we cannot turn a blind eye to such offenses, but they are so few and far between that to assume every priest shares the same sickness is ignorant, and cruel. Priests are brave. Not perfect, but brave, and here's why:
1.) They have agreed to live a life of celibacy, which means they have sacificed the comforts of a domestic life and face possible lonliness so they can have the time, focus, and energy to serve their congregation.
2.) They have to deal with a lot of crazy people.... women who hit on them, people who are constantly critizing the priests' homilies, or choice of vestments, or Church flower arrangments, or colour of the paint in the Church, or choice of music etc. Some priests may even have to face rediculous lawsuits if someone gets offended enough. They are constantly displeasing SOMEBODY.
3.)They have to attend many, super boring meetings (at least, boring to me, in my opinion. Please don't bring me to a finance meeting. If I must go, supply me with a colouring book, otherwise I would die of bordom).
4.) They must get up in the wee hours of the morning to give someone who is dying the Anointing of the Sick.
5.) They must hire/recruit employees and volunteers who are moderately stable, who can get the job done. Same with Liturgical Ministers.
6.)They have to socialize and be present to their flock, even when they are exhausted/preoccupied and they don't feel like socializing. Listening to confessions can me emotionally, spiritually, and psychologically exhausting. Having to say several Masses a day can be exhausting.
7.) The eternal souls of every member of their congregation is the responsibility of the priest. No pressure or anything...
8.) They must be ultraselective in choosing friends, who to talk to, what movies to see, what car to drive, etc., for even the smallest thing can lead to gossip and scandal, which could destroy the priests' reputation.
9.) They must endure all of these hardships with humility, and patience, and they must keep their sufferings private so as to be a pillar or strength to their congregation.

There are probably more things to add to this list, but these are the most obvious ones for me. The sacrifice and bravery of these men inspire me a great deal. If only the secular crowds truly knew what they must endure...

Don't get me wrong, this doesn't mean that every priest is perfect. They are human after all; they may deal with stress in unhealthy ways, they may lose patience and snap, and yell at somebody, some are not humble, but rather, ambitious, etc. Yes, they are regular people. This can be hard to remember, because I think many people raise the man on a high pedastel. This is a fuzzy line.....let me explain.
I think it is good that the office of Catholic Priest be held in high esteem, with respect given to the Priest based on the magnitude of the sacrifices he has made for his congregation, and for the importance and necessity of his office.
Respect and gratitude must always be given, but these can lead to disordered thinking if one is not careful. Again, this leads to the theory of 'demands' that people may make. here are some demands:
1.) Because of the holiness of the office of Priest, my parish priest MUST always be kind, inclusive, and understanding, and he MUST give me the time of day and listen to me when I want to be heard.
2.) The priest MUST like everyone he meets. He MUST always be in a good mood.
3.) The Priest MUST run his parish in truly fair way, to make sure that everyone is pleased. If he doesn't meet my demands, he is a bad priest, a bad example of a Catholic, and I will seek to ruin his reputation and I will never go to Church again!

..OK, some of those examples may seem a little over the top. But people DO think this way. I think the reason why many people are disgruntled with their priests is because the Priest is not meeting their personal demands on how a priest/parish SHOULD be. This is a common thinking error that people do all the time...not just with priests, but with each other. We want the world to turn they way we think it should, and if it doesn't, then we get angry and destructive.

Also, some people may be starstruck with priests, or some may only want to be friends with the priest because of ambitious thoughts: "hey, he's famous in these parts. If he likes me, then EVERYONE must like me because this priest obviously approves of me". Ugh. Thankfully, I think very few people are like this. I honestly can't make a judgement...I can't read the hearts of other people. Most people seem to be extremely respectful and kind. There are a few bad apples, as there are always some.

I am definitely ranting. Just know this....they work hard, they sacrifice much, they are not perfect, they are doing their best. If something in their conduct is indeed TRULY corrupt, then do something productive about it...be assertive, but not aggresive. Do it with charity. Don't add to their burdens because they are not who you believe they MUST be.