From shame and scandal to saint and sanctity,

2013, in the Calendar of the Catholic Church will be remembered as the year of shattered faith, ironically in the official "year of Faith". With the announcement in February, 2013, of the unexpected resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, there followed a media blitz attempting to investigate the the problems at the very heart of the church, the Vatican offices and the Curia in particular. Financial scams, sexual crimes and serious indisciplie were the charges and the secular media lashed out at the Catholic Church unsparingly. Though there were exaggerations, the charges were enough evidence of the shame and scandal in the One, Holy, Catholic and apostolic family of the Church. The liturgical season of Lent saw catholics shocked and saddened with the happenings at the Vatican. While most wore penitential ashes and prayed for forgiveness, not a few moved away from church membership. Easter 2013, with the election of Pope Francis who presented himself as a humbled sinner needing prayers, revived the hope in catholics that "Jesus is risen". Howvever, the scene was not very much different from the shame and scandal in the apostolic times, with Peter and others intending to return to their fishing nets, Thomas voicing the inredulity of the others and the two disappointed disciples returning back to Emmaus. Prophetic witnessing of Pope Francis reflected the post resurrection Jesus appearing several times and places to convince his apostles that "He is risen". As we stepped into 2014 and celebrated Easter, the resurrection message announced emphatically that the Church is not only a church of sinners but also of saints. Mercy Sunday indicated that while the Church may be weak and sinful, it has been always a witnessed to the holiness of Jesus Christ. The canonization of two Popes of recent history rings out clearly the message that Church leadership, in imitation of Jesus has its roots at the heart of Rome.