When Shepherds Clash

Divine Appeal Reflection - 5

Today, consider in Divine Appeal 5: "Pray for the Church. The time for great trials will come. (Cardinals) will oppose (cardinals), (bishops) against (bishops). Satan will walk amid their ranks like avid wolves."

The mystery of the Church is radiant yet trembling, for within her walls unfolds both Pentecost and Gethsemane. Where the Spirit descends to unite, the enemy seeks to scatter. Our Adorable Jesus unveils this hidden drama: shepherds, called to bear one voice, sometimes clash in discord. Scripture already discloses this sobering truth—Peter resisted the will of the Cross, Paul opposed Peter for fear of compromise (cf. Matthew 16:22; Galatians 2:11-14). Yet what the Lord warns is not mere human weakness but the infiltration of the wolf among shepherds (cf. John 10:12). When bishops or cardinals dispute without the Spirit, the sheep wander, confused and hungry (cf. Zechariah 13:7). This wound is not abstract; it takes flesh when episcopal conferences issue contradictory guidance on sacraments or when cardinals speak opposing visions of moral truth. The Catechism affirms that the Church is both holy in her source and wounded in her members (cf. CCC 827), but Christ never ceases to be her Head (cf. Colossians 1:18). Thus, when we behold opposition among shepherds, our vocation is not despair but intercession, echoing Christ’s own prayer of unity: “That they may all be one, as We are one” (cf. John 17:11).

The mystery of trial within the Church is never simply a clash of personalities but a revelation of the Cross imprinted into her very history. In the Arian crisis, pressure pressed so heavily that almost the entire episcopate bent, leaving Athanasius to stand nearly alone. Imagine all of the saint's exiles and banishments, holding fast to Christ as his brother bishops withered away; his life itself becoming a live example of endurance, carrying the torch of truth when it would have been far easier to compromise (cf. 2 Timothy 4:2-5). During the Western Schism centuries later, the unrest was not merely a theoretical argument but rather a real-life conflagration: duelling popes and cardinals, and a Christendom whose common people could hardly tell whose voice to believe. Families argued, nations divided, monasteries split in loyalty. Catherine of Siena, a woman ablaze with spiritual bravery and not a priest, was lifted by God into that fog. She summoned shepherds back to unity by composing letters with a pen sharper than swords. With the clarity of someone who loved Christ's Bride too much to watch her fall apart, her voice pierced through. These were not tidy moments of history—they were messy, painful seasons when the Church’s wounds were raw. 

Yet out of those very fractures, God drew forth unexpected saints who proved that His Spirit does not abandon His Bride, even when human leaders stumble. What was then brazen and external now appears subtler, yet no less grave: today, cardinals clash in synodal halls, bishops publish contradictory directives on sacramental discipline, and the faithful are left hearing what St. Paul called an “uncertain trumpet” (cf. 1 Corinthians 14:8). And yet, here lies the higher consolation: the Catechism assures us that the Spirit guides the Church indefectibly (cf. CCC 869; John 16:13). This guidance, however, does not bypass the Cross—it passes through fire (cf. Malachi 3:2-3). For the Church is not preserved from trial, but preserved through trial, purified so her radiance may not be human but divine. Opposition reveals both Satan’s effort to scatter and God’s power to refine (cf. Romans 8:28). Thus, though leaders contend, the faithful must cling to the assurance: “Afflicted in every way, but not crushed… struck down, but not destroyed” (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9).

This drama touches believers not only in history books but in daily life. A Catholic may encounter one bishop allowing Eucharist to the divorced and remarried, another forbidding it (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:27-29). Cardinals speak with divided voices on morality, some urging conformity to culture, others fidelity to Revelation (cf. 1 Timothy 6:20). These differences, amplified by media, tempt the flock to factionalism—“I belong to Paul, I belong to Apollos” (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:12). But this division is of the flesh, not the Spirit (cf. Galatians 5:19-21). For the faithful, the answer is not cynicism but contemplation of Christ. He calls us to fix our eyes on Him, not on personalities (cf. Hebrews 12:2). Spiritually, this moment is Marian: as Mary stood at the Cross in silence and fidelity (cf. John 19:25), so the Church is called to hidden endurance—prayer, fasting, Eucharistic reparation—offered for faltering shepherds. In this way, ordinary believers fulfill Christ’s own prayer for Peter: “I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail” (cf. Luke 22:32).

Mystically, opposition among shepherds unveils the Church’s participation in Christ’s Passion. Judas betrayed, Peter denied, Thomas doubted, and most fled (cf. Matthew 26:56; John 18:17, 27). Today’s disputes echo Gethsemane within the Body of Christ. This is not administrative failure but a permitted trial where scandal wounds faith (cf. CCC 312). The dragon still rages against the Woman and her offspring (cf. Revelation 12:17), yet Christ’s promise resounds: “The gates of hell shall not prevail” (cf. Matthew 16:18). The wolf prowls, but the Shepherd remains. Practically, this calls the faithful into deeper participation: Holy Hours, Rosaries, silent acts of fasting, and hidden sacrifices made for unity in truth. These labors are not wasted; they stand with Moses interceding for Israel (cf. Exodus 32:11-14). The hour of trial is also the hour of saints unseen, offering themselves as little hosts of reparation. In the end, the Bride will be purified, clothed in light (cf. Revelation 21:2), for Christ is faithful.

Prayer 

Adorable Jesus, Shepherd of souls, guard Your Church in this hour of trial. Protect her shepherds from division and pride. Purify, heal, and strengthen Your Bride, that she may shine in holiness. Through Mary’s intercession, make us faithful intercessors who uphold Your Body until unity and love triumph forever. Amen

Sr. Anna Ali of the Most Holy Eucharist, intercede for us.