Archbishop Wilton Gregory was asked by a press member of Washington what clericalism was and how it contributes to the various scandals.
His answer was vague because I really don't think anyone knows what clericalism is actually, but everyone has their opinion as I do.
Some say that clericalism is:
—Priests who do their own thing in contradiction to the liturgical, canonical, doctrinal, morals and natural law
—Priest’s who are so flexible they stand for nothing, provide no direction, except do your own thing and lead the faithful astray through benign or malignant neglect
--Priests who are a separate caste system distinguished by clerical dress, especially the cassock
--Priests who live high on the hog, have housekeepers and meals provided and a nice car and frequent the best restaurants and drink the finest wines
--Priests who take overseas vacations and frequently
--Priests who have an easy life
--Priests who think they are better than anyone else
--Priests who think they have authority in the parish and must be obeyed
When it comes to criminal activity be it sexual or otherwise some say clericalism is:
--when priests are let off the hook simply because they are priests
--when priests are sent to swanky long-term live-in psychiatric facilities to be reintegrated into their ministry once again after criminal behavior
What say you?
13 comments:
I think it is the first two. I don't care about a Priest's monetary success or wealth (as long as it was obtained legally and ethically) or his lifestyle as long as he remembers that the Priest is the vessel and not the treasure. At Mass, the Priest should diminish himself.
I say “all of the above”.
Good summary, Father.
I would add one more:
—priests who persistently verbally demean laity whom they view as having substandard intellect, college degrees or political/social savvy.
(i.e. humility)
I am with Gene on this one.
The fact that someone thinks a priest wearing the prescribed clothing for a priest, the cassock, is nuts. I am suspicious when a priest eschews it altogether. A priest friend of mine told me is was a garment of great convenience. He could whip it on and off quickly if he had to go gardening.
Anonoymous,
I know some priests who have substandard intellect - they just repeat the New York Times talking points.
Here are some thoughts on this from Cdl Sarah, that seems to go against what the Deacon's Bench says:
"I think that the crisis of the priesthood is one of the main factors in the crisis of the Church. We have taken away priests’ identity. We have made priests believe that they need to be efficient men. But a priest is fundamentally the continuation of Christ’s presence among us. He should not be defined by what he does, but by what he is: ipse Christus, Christ Himself. The discovery of many cases of sexual abuse against minors reveals a profound spiritual crisis, a grave, deep, and tragic rupture between the priest and Christ."
And this:
"I think we are at a turning point in the history of the Church. The Church needs a profound, radical reform that must begin by a reform of the life of her priests. Priests must be possessed by the desire for holiness, for perfection in God and fidelity to the doctrine of Him who has chosen and sent them. Their whole being and all their activities must be put to the service of sanctity. The Church is holy in herself. Our sins and our worldly concerns prevent her holiness from diffusing itself. It is time to put aside all these burdens and allow the Church finally appear as God made Her. Some believe that the history of the Church is marked by structural reforms. I am sure that it is the saints who change history. The structures follow afterwards, and do nothing other than perpetuate the what the saints brought about.
We need saints who dare to see all things through the eyes of faith, who dare to be enlightened by the light of God. The crisis of moral theology is the consequence of a voluntary blindness. We have refused to look at life through the light of the Faith."
"Clericalism" is a useless word, Orwellian in nature because it can mean what you want it to mean. "Holiness/unholiness" are better words.
For more on Sarah:
https://catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2019/04/05/as-a-bishop-it-is-my-duty-to-warn-the-west-an-interview-with-cardinal-sarah/
Clericalism is a form of entitlement ("an unrealistic, unmerited, or inappropriate expectation of favorable living conditions and favorable treatment at the hands of others") which is rampant in our culture.
People feel entitled to 1) leave shopping carts in parking lots, blocking spaces; 2) receive participating Catholic tuition rates in Catholic schools without being participating Catholics in their parishes; 3) to be "offended" and to be "protected" from encountering any idea or concept with which they disagree.
Entitlement seems to arise in those who are used to getting what they want whenever they want it. (I often suggest to parents that the most important thing they can say to their kids is not "I love you," but "No.") Parents who give their kids everything are sowing the seeds of entitlement. Parents to do not hold children responsible for losing or damaging clothing, putting away toys and playthings, getting their homework and school assignments done on time, misusing smartphones, getting home after curfew, etc., are not serving their kids well.
Reducing or eliminating clericalism is a long-haul project. Finding out a candidate's or seminarian's childhood and adolescent background, if that can be done, should be a part of the Vocation Director's building a profile of an applicant. He/She should have professional assistance in evaluating that background before making a recommendation to the bishop regarding a candidate's suitability.
Kavanaugh,
We will just have to agree to disagree. The definition you posit does not present any obstacle to my practicing the Catholic Faith. The clericalism most of us are fed up with is where the priest monkeys with the texts of the Mass and rubrics and provides novel (and often heretical) interpretations of the Faith. And in my view, that is the long haul project, to teach and instill in priests that it is not The Rite of Kavanaugh (to be fair I do not know if you are guilty of this sort of conduct, just using your name for convenience) nor the Kavanaugh Catechism. If you devour fine food and drink or take nice vacations because you believe you are entitled is of no concern to me.
TJM, I think you do agree with FrMJK in this case. I see this a lot in Government bureaucrats. They confuse themselves as a person with the office. Acting in the office they are the ‘locus’ of the power. They should lose themselves so that they want to be known only for bringing honor to the office through execution. Of course priests, compared to employees of the license bureau, are actually changed men and are not mere hirelings. But the man should be inside the cassock, like a suit of armour, acting so that people lose site of the man and see a priest of the Holy Catholic Church.
rcg - The man who is the priest and the priest who is the man cannot be separated. One cannot be seen without the other, much as the human Jesus cannot be perceived without the Divine.
In the same way, we cannot perceive the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist without the accidents of bread and wine. When the accidents cease to exist, when the bread is no longer bread and the wine no longer wine, the Presence of Christ is also no longer there.
The Incarnational principal is the basis for all the sacraments. "One common thread that connects all these is the thesis that God decided to make
himself known to us and accessible to us in and through material things. This
"incarnational principle" is the basis for all the sacraments. In the sacraments, Catholics believe that Jesus is truly present, especially in the person of the minister of the sacrament who acts (in the person of Christ) and in the sacramental signs (bread, wine, water, oil, etc.)." (https://www.ewtn.com/library/CHRIST/SPLENCHU.TXT
In matters of misconduct and criminality, I think clericalism manifests itself when priests and/or bishops receive special treatment (i.e. significantly lighter penalties) because of their office.
In personal conduct that is not criminal, I believe that clericalism manifests itself when priests and/or bishops live in material comfort that is excessive. At one time, the pastor of a parish that I attended discovered that a European-trained, world-class chef was among his parishioners. It wasn't long after the pastor made this delightful discovery that he regularly availed himself of the talents of this particular parishioner. I think that world-class cuisine in the rectory is a bit much, particularly when there are large families who skip meat and instead eat lots of cheap beans and rice because they can't afford better.
The priests in our diocese have all their healthcare costs covered, but families, particularly the big ones, are drowning financially because insurance these days is nothing more than high-deductible plans. It just seems gross when those of the clerical class are pampered, particularly with regard to food. And wouldn't you know it, the priest with the personal chef is obese. The visuals don't make a good case for asceticism.
Another example of clericalism is when priests and/or bishops place an excessive premium on their personal dignity and demand undue deference. No, I am not advocating addressing the pastor by his first name or indulging in undue familiarity. But I know priests, especially one in particular, who refuse to acknowledge polite and respectful greetings from parishioners, even when said clerics are in close quarters with the laity. Once, my spouse was seated by the hostess next to a priest at a table during a social gathering. My spouse acknowledged the superior guest by saying, "Hello, Father." The priest responded by first staring directly into the face of my spouse, and then by looking away as if nothing at all had been said. For the rest of the event, not one more word was exchanged between them.
Clericalism is also when a priest or bishop demands obedience and acquiescence in matters over which he has no authority. The pastor with the personal chef indulged in a lot of that. His attitude was, "I'm a priest, and I have authority over all." It is true that a priest has great authority in his parish, but he most certainly does not have authority over everything.
And finally, the frequent, overseas travel can be too much. Some of it is understandable, but I've seen it become excessive.
Anonymous,
I have been around literally hundreds of priests in my lifetime between parishes and university. I can't say I ever encountered a priest who displayed the attitude of the priest with the personal chef. However, there was one priest, a really nice guy, who acquired a reputation for being a real moocher. We called him "America's Guest."
I think I am in shock. I read Fr. Kavanaugh's remarks on entitlement and I agree with him!
BTW, if you want to see the worst and most selfish of human behaviors, just pull into any large parking lot of a busy store.
Yeah, I find myself agreeing with Kavanaugh on occasion, too. I don't know if that is better for him or better for me.
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