Clericalism

The Old Testament and the New describe God’s people as priests. In Exodus 19:6 Yahweh told Moses that the people would become “a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.” In 1 Peter 2, the apostle urges the people to “let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood…a royal priesthood.”

Vatican II recalled this ancient designation when it affirmed that “Christ the Lord, the high priest chosen from among human beings (see Heb 5:1-5), has made the new people ‘a kingdom, priests to his God and Father’ (Rev 1:6; 5:9-10)” (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, 10).

The constitution went on to say, “The common priesthood of the faithful and the ministerial or hierarchical priesthood, though they differ in essence and not simply in degree, are nevertheless interrelated: each in its own particular way shares in the one priesthood of Christ” (10).

The Catechism of the Catholic Church clarifies the distinction between the common and the ministerial priesthood, explaining that some members of the Church are “called by God, in and through the Church, to a special service of the community.” The sacrament of Holy Orders enables certain members to “act in the person of Christ the head, for the service of all the members” (1142).

Although, over time, the ordained priests, because of their role and leadership, have been specially honored by the non-ordained members, the primary purpose of Holy Orders is to select members who are to be of service to God’s people. Members ordained through Holy Orders are to “act in the person of Christ the head.”  The ordained priest is distinctly called to be an “icon” of Christ the priest who came “not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (cf Mt 20:28).

Pope Francis has frequently pointed to clericalism which he called a new edition of an ancient evil, namely, religious authorities lording it over others (cf. Homily in Casa Sancta Marta, 12/13/16).  In a meeting with young Italians on August 11, 2018, he called clericalism “a perversion of the Church.”  During his meeting with the bishops of Chile in January of 2018 he had explained that “Clericalism, far from giving impetus to various contributions and proposals, gradually extinguishes the prophetic flame to which the entire Church is called to give witness.” 

(Some have proposed that clericalism precipitated and fueled the Protestant Reformation., an assertion that deserves further analysis and study, but one which may underscore the serious consequences of  clericalism if left unchecked.)

If men are ordained in Holy Orders to be servants, if they are to act in the person of Christ, then they exist to assist and promote the priesthood of the faithful. The first sacrament of “priesthood” is Baptism, “the ‘door’ which gives access to the other sacraments” (as The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes it). The priesthood of Holy Orders is ordered to the service of a priestly people; authority/authorization  bestowed by Holy Orders is given strictly for the benefit of others.

Clerics who forget or reject their servant role are like servants rejecting the role of their master. The priesthood of the faithful comes first. Holy Orders must be understood in light of the priesthood of Baptism.

In his homily at Casa Santa Marta (12/13/16) Pope Francis described clericalism as “a really awful thing.” In it “clerics feel superior; clerics distance themselves from the people; clerics always say, ‘this should be done like this, like this, like this –and you, go away!’”  In the mindset of clericalism, Pope Francis explained, “the cleric doesn’t have time to listen to those who are suffering, the poor, the sick, the imprisoned.”

Clericalism, the Holy Father told the bishops of Chile, is a caricature of the priestly vocation. The mission of the Church, he said, belongs to the whole Church, not to the individual priest or bishop. Clericalism stifles the initiatives of the Spirit. “Let us be clear about this. The laypersons are not our peons, or our employees. They don’t have to parrot back what we say…Clericalism forgets that the visibility and the sacramentality of the Church belong to all the faithful people of God, not only to the few chosen and enlightened.”

In their synodal meeting in Baltimore (November 12-14, 2018) several bishops publicly called for greater involvement of the laity in the effort to meet and correct the crisis of pedophilia by the clergy and cover-up by bishops. One bishop went so far as to say that had there been more women involved in Church leadership the pedophilia crisis would never have happened.

Pope Francis has called for a special summit meeting of the heads of bishops conferences worldwide, February 21-24, 2019, to discuss and formulate policy  for the protection of  minors and vulnerable adults.  The US bishops meeting in Baltimore had planned to develop a US response, but the Vatican asked them to await the Vatican-sponsored meeting in February.

The frustration, embarrassment, skepticism, anger, discouragement, and protests of lay people over the failures of Church leaders to stop abuse of children and young adults are more than understandable and appropriate. If the whole priestly people of God will be sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit in the midst of this debacle, there is reason to hope that those who are suffering can be healed and measures can be taken to prevent the frequency of the abuse in the future.

As expected the People of God have been asked to pray. Sometimes such a request seems to be an empty gesture. In reality, however, the Church is in such a mess that prayer is an essential element in restoring the community and institution we call the Catholic Church. Prayer is our petition for God’s help. Prayer helps us think the matter through and seek the truth. Prayer can change the heart and mind of those who pray.

Several facets of the Church of the future are coming together in the wake of the current crisis: an end to clericalism, revision of the acceptance and training of candidates for the priesthood, wider and truly meaningful involvement of women in Church leadership, healing for the abused, a shift  by many in the hierarchy from single focus on the institutional Church to renewed emphasis on the Church as community, movement  of the Church’s mission and ministry from the center to the periphery, the pastoral outreach of the Church as envisioned at Vatican II.

Based on what is at stake here, the need for prayer by all the People of God, lay and ordained, is obvious.