February 11, 2024

By now, I’m sure you’ve probably heard the unfortunate news about Jordan Fautz, the former religion teacher at Saint Stephen Martyr Catholic School in Louisville. The FBI accuses Mr. Fautz of altering pictures of students into pornographic images. I’ll say no more of what he has been charged with; you can find that on your own. To call this a scandal might seem a bit overdramatic for some. This sentiment can only come from the near-common occurrence of such events. It is true that we hear about events such as this happening in our society, and even worse in the Church, all too frequently. I am disgusted with what he has done and hurt by the damage these events will undoubtedly do to the faith of the people involved and those who hear about what has occurred. All too many people will chalk it up to business as usual in the Catholic Church, and that pains me and other Church leaders.

Too often we think of our sins as private sins – having little to no effect on others. This could not be further from the truth. All sin, perhaps especially the sin that takes place in the quiet of one’s home late at night, affects other people. It’s called the communal or social aspect of sin. (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1869) Scandal is a common aspect of communal sin. The Catechism defines scandal as “an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil. The person who gives scandal becomes his neighbor’s tempter. He damages virtue and integrity; he may even draw his brother into spiritual death. Scandal is a grave offense if by deed or omission, another is deliberately led into a grave offense.” (CCC 2284) In this way, Mr. Fautz is probably guilty of scandal on top of the other illegal actions he stands accused of. 

A good friend of mine, Fr. Peter Bucalo, is the pastor of Saint Stephen Martyr. I know that he has been hurt by these events, and he may even be troubled by scandal in that his outlook on the world and the state of the Church can be affected by the misdeeds of others. I’m right there with him. I know my friend is hurting, and I ask you to pray for him as he attempts to lead the Saint Stephen Martyr community. The Catechism has more to say about scandal: “Scandal takes on a particular gravity by reason of the authority of those who cause it or the weakness of those who are scandalized…” (CCC 2285) In this way, we should not be as concerned about the scandal done to priests as we are about the scandal done to the children. We must remember that he was a religion teacher – a position of authority in the Catholic Church and his alleged crimes have to do with current and former students! What about their faith? What about the scandal done to them? How well will these young people trust in a good, loving, and merciful God, especially when His mercy is extended to someone like this? 

Let us keep Fr. Peter and the people of St. Stephen Martyr in our prayers as they deal with this scandal. Let us pray also for ourselves, that we avoid the risk of being caught up in the enticements of scandal.

Two Parishes, One Heart,

Fr. Adam