I saw a tall shepherd walking across the face of the earth. He was the chief shepherd, and almost all of the other shepherds followed and obeyed him. And because the other shepherds, as a body, followed and obeyed, I was firmly convinced that he was the true chief shepherd, appointed by the owner of the whole flock.

And many sheep followed after the chief shepherd, across many different types of land. At times they forded streams; at other times they traveled rocky roads. But the sheep followed him wherever he went, even when the path was difficult. And they followed him even when night set in, and voices from the darkness shouted at the sheep, saying they were going the wrong way.

A few sheep listened to the voices from the darkness, and they departed from the way set out by the chief shepherd and the body of shepherds with him. These poor sheep quickly became confused, as now they were not lead by the true shepherd, but by many different voices, whispering different advice on which path they should take. These sheep who rejected the chief shepherd became lost.

Some of these lost sheep appointed for themselves shepherds after their own hearts. And these false shepherds told them not only to refrain from following the chief shepherd, but to attack him. They promised these sheep that they would lead them along the true path, but these promises were lies.

Gradually, I saw these sheep change to become more and more like wolves. And they followed the chief shepherd in order to stalk him, as if he were their prey. From time to time, they would leap out at the shepherd, bite and claw at him, and try to knock him down. They also attacked any other shepherds and sheep who followed the chief shepherd. They were vicious in these attacks. They shouted words of hatred and malice. They spoke with great arrogance and yet their words were hollow.

Then someone said to me, “No, these ones who attack the chief shepherd are not wolves, but the most faithful of the sheep. For this is how faithful sheep ought to behave toward the chief shepherd.” I found this difficult to believe. For we stood watching as these wolves, whom some claimed were faithful sheep, again attacked the shepherd and his followers: tearing at their flesh, kicking dirt into their wounds, and seeking to utterly destroy them.

It was then explained to me that these wolves are not so much sheep as they are judges over all the shepherds, and they are only seeking to help the sheep and to correct the shepherds. For he led them at times down dark and rocky paths, and they preferred the familiar paths that lead in circles around their own homes. “Who appointed them as judges over the chief shepherd and his fellow shepherds?” I asked. The question was met with laughter. “They appointed themselves,” I was told.

I objected to this idea, that the sheep could rise up and make themselves into judges over their own shepherds. And the reply was that they were merely imitating an ancient faithful shepherd, “Paul, who mildly corrected the chief shepherd of his day for eating at the wrong table.” But I could not understand how such an example could justify the vicious never-ending assault on the chief shepherd, his person, his teachings, his every word and deed. “Did this ancient shepherd attack his chief shepherd with the same malice, hatred, ridicule, and false accusations?” But the speaker walked away and began to attack the chief shepherd again, ignoring my question.

Then I noticed that the chief shepherd led the faithful sheep along a new path, the purpose of which, it seemed to me, was to leave the wolves far behind them. And the false shepherds, the unfaithful lost sheep, and the wolves all cried out against the chief shepherd, and they departed from the flock of the sheep. Then the faithful shepherds and faithful sheep were left in peace.

The unfaithful shepherds then led their flock of lost sheep and vicious wolves into a land they promised would be full of milk and honey. But the unfaithful shepherds disagreed as to which was the best path to that land. The unfaithful shepherds began to fight among themselves. So they were divided into many small groups, each wandering in a different direction. And as they traveled, more and more sheep fell away from these small lost flocks, until they were not part of any flock. Then they were preyed upon by the wild beasts of the forest.

Eventually, some of the lost sheep returned to the true flock and the true chief shepherd, who had now changed his appearance. They were greatly wounded by the wolves and false shepherds, but they limped back to the true shepherds and were healed.

The above is a parable; it is not based on any type of vision or revelation. Who are the true flock of Jesus Christ? Certainly, it is not those who viciously attack the chief shepherd appointed by Christ to feed His own sheep. That is how wolves behave, not sheep. So don’t tell me these papal accusers are faithful and holy. They behave exactly like wolves.

by
Ronald L. Conte Jr.
Roman Catholic theologian and translator of the Catholic Public Domain Version of the Bible.

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