There might be lots of typos in here, since I'm writing this on a "Palm Pilot" screen. Hmmm, would they be "writos" then?

I'm beginning to develop an idea of how central priests are to the Church, in a way I hadn't really thought of before. It isn't clericalism, really. After all, the problems of clericalism and anti-clericalism both stem from the problem of bad priests.

Regular Diocesan priests are the most visible, common, and popular representations of Christ walking and breathing among us. For an increasing number of people, priests are the only visible examples of a radical response to the Gospel.

In the 'Old World', unabashedly Catholic schools, popular culture, and family provided a foundation for faith that we lack today. In those days, so I'm told, many priests could get away with a lot of bad manners, piggish relationships with the laity, and preaching that was shrill, predominantly condemning, and sewing the seeds of rebellion.

(ask any Canadian older than 40 or Irish person older than 30--I've been given various accounts of such affairs)

Now, we are in the post- Christian world. All of the previous supports are gone, at least in many places. There is no more "Catholic umbrella" over- arching our world or permeating the air we breathe.

Now all the symbolic culture we have left is in priests and churches, and they're in a sorry state too, aren't they? Too many of them are still reacting to the clericalism of the Old World, when we're no longer in the Old World! They created a new clericalism--they were the super-priests who were supposed to change the way we thought about God and Church forever. They thought Latin and cassocks and incense had something to do with meanness and nastiness, so they took them away and castigated anyone--lay or priest--who complained.

They succeeded. What we have left is a Catholic church in America that looks a lot like the rest of our lives: simple, utilitarian, politically correct, afraid of ritual, rigor, and authority, and starved for cult. Hence the goofiness of Catholic New-age services--as if Catholic faith had been lacking in healing power until the 1970's came along.

On top if this is an ill-aimed reaction. Some priests think they should counter the liberal heresies of hyper -educated Jesuits by being poorly-educated. Too many younger priests are making the stereotype of the "nasty conservative" come nightmarishly alive. They fire laity from parish jobs, install altar rails, and shriek against abortion at a children's Mass when the Gospel was Luke's feeding of the five-thousand.

It would pain me to see the recovery from liberalism sabotage itself with jerk priests. But here we come back again. In spite--or maybe because of--all of the popular talk about the importance of the laity, most of the problems in the Church in the last century revolve around priests: good or bad, conservative or liberal, educated or simple, pastoral or dictator-style.

So long as every Catholic movement is merely a reaction to what came before, these problems won't end. Funny thing is, I have no solutions that are'nt already in the Pope's Pastores Dabo Vobis: human development, faithfulness to the Magisterium, radically living the Gospel, strong sacramental life, and above all a focus on Christ.

I would only emphasize (not add) that priests now must be cultic--they must have a foot in the mystical, and also that they fours more than anything else on humility. Not a false humility that says "I'm just like everybody else--here: want to consecrate the species for me?" but a cosmic humility, one that says, "I am less than a grain of sand in God's creation. I will serve the Lord my God, and I will not seek glory, but salvation through the cross. Let my cross be my promises of celibacy and obedience, and let all of my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings be for Christ."

-- Anon (ymous@god.bless), February 11, 2004

Answers

Here, Here!

Dano

-- Dan Garon (boethius61@yahoo.com), February 11, 2004.

In my area, I have a mix of both liberal (MD and DC generally) and conservative (VA-Arlington generally).

Its my impression that, generally, the more liberal priests are generally displaying a lack of humility (particularly in how they lead the liturgy of the Holy Eucharist), while the conservative young priests are very pious and guided by the Holy Spirit.

Just my impression.

-- Pat Delaney (pat@patdelaney.net), February 13, 2004.

Well, just because someone is a priest or a nun isn't an automatic guarantee of entry into heaven. Catholic mystics have had shocking visions of priests and nuns in hell. God's justice and mercy are incomprehensible. God uses good and evil people alike to forward His Kingdom.

-- (JaiMe_JeVier@yahoo.com), February 13, 2004.

To begin with, a Catholic mystic isn't your authority on priests. Many so-called mystics are deep in hell, too.

We know anyone can die in sin, and that includes some clerics. But it doesn't mean he dies in the sin of heresy, necessarily. The sins that might condemn some priests or nuns are the same as yours and mine. It doesn't reflect back on their manner of celebrating Mass. It can be a sin against chastity, or theft of Church funds, or breaking the confessional seal, or drunkenness. Priests are people, they don't have to be liberals to go to hell. They don't have to be perfect to go to heaven, either. They simply have to make a good confession at the end of their lives.

I venture to say that even some ''evil Pope'' of the Medici's day is in heaven right now; if by God's grace he repented and confessed.

-- eugene c. chavez (loschavez@pacbell.net), February 13, 2004.

Of course, God is the authority on priests and nuns and everybody; not Catholic mystics. I am referring to Catholic mystics -- who are Saints like St. Teresa of Avila and St. Faustina -- who received Divine Revelations regarding the fate of some evil priests and evil nuns. I'm sure we will be surprised which of the Renaissance popes made it to heaven. In no way am I discrediting the priceless role of priests and nuns. How badly we need more of them today!

-- (JaiMe_JeVier@yahoo.com), February 13, 2004.

I'd never refer to them as ''evil priests & nuns,'' because I'm a sinner too. They are just sinners, that's plain. Even the Borgia popes were sinners, not evil. The devil is evil. Those who die unrepentent are sinners who followed the evil one.

You and I and our brethren hope to become repentent sinners in the end. Let's persevere, and not judge one another.

-- eugene c. chavez (loschavez@pacbell.net), February 13, 2004.