This comes up periodically in our relationships in the Body.
What do we do when we know that someone is following a wrong course (seriously sinful and affecting others) and our attempts to change that person's mind or behavior have failed?
The biblical quote about "tossing the brother out" after he has resisted several steps of discussion has a long history and is reasonable in some cases, such as in those in which the "we" part of the discussion actually has the authority to toss him out or shun him, but in most cases the biblical and doctrinal principles of forgiveness require us to tolerate and pray for the person to have a change of heart, and patiently forgive him until he does
But what if the person has some authority and our superiors counsel forgiveness while claiming they are dealing with the problem behavior, yet we can see that it is not changing?
There are several reasons why the wrongful behavior might not change. The problem person may be very manipulative and be convincingly hiding the behavior from the superiors, or the superiors may not care about it, or indeed, the superiors themselves might not be in a position to fire the person. Another possible scenario is that the superiors may share the problem behavior, (which can be anything from supporting a nonCatholic doctrine to engaging in financial or similar deception, or lots of other things.)
To keep fighting in a case like this means to maintain a divisive spirit, which would be wrong, and to step away from the problem might be the only solution, but when the wrongful party is in a position of authority and continues to assert the wrongful behavior, then tolerance begins to look like aquiescence and even participation. And furthermore, what if the one who is getting away with the wrongful behavior acts vindictively towards any who complained?
This happens to people all the time when they do such things as choosing to ignore a political group that uses their silence to claim their support, for just one example.
With a very contentious election season upon us here in the USA, it is likely to get worse.
What is a good Catholic supposed to do, just to maintain Catholic life, if the leadership of a parish or even diocese supports fellow Catholics who use their positions wrongfully? Especially when we know that some people around us, outside the Church, are just itching to see us all get into an ugly brawl?
