Fr. Daniel Horan: Lead Us Not Into Clericalism

[UrbScotty]

While I know many good and humble religious and diocesan priests, I’ve encountered far too many clergy who, for whatever reason, feel they are above, better or more special than others. Pope Francis also recognizes this and spoke critically about it in the impromptu interview he gave during his return trip from World Youth Day.

Catholic News Service reported the pope’s words: “I think this is a time for mercy,” particularly a time when the church must go out of its way to be merciful, given the “not-so-beautiful witness of some priests” and “the problem of clericalism, for example, which have left so many wounds, so many wounded. The church, which is mother, must go and heal those wounds.”

Pope Francis names this the culture of clericalism, which maims and distorts the body of Christ, wounding those who seek God’s mercy but instead encounter human self-centeredness.

http://www.americamagazine.org/issue/lead-us-not-clericalism

[47of74]

1. I can't wait to hear what Cardinal Cappa Magna thinks of this.

[IrishAyes]

2. Yeah... the last time I went to Confession

I admitted lingering anger toward people who'd been extremely cruel, and that particular priest called me a liar in no uncertain terms. Said nobody would treat me that way unless I provoked them first. Stupid.

Well, I had provoked him at every turn without meaning to, at least most of the time. When I was brand new to the parish and honestly thought I was giving him a compliment, I asked if he were diocesan or more likely, from some of his homilies, even Jesuit because I really love the Jesuits. He snapped back that he'd BEEN Jesuit but they kicked him out because of his alcoholism. He was defrocked several years until finally the archdiocese took him back under its wing.

I've got news for them (no, I didn't tattle) - he's still a dry drunk. Among other things he glared at me one time when I said something nice about Dorothy Day and he wondered aloud why it seemed I love so many people he can't stand. He meant 'hate'. As we filed past him after Christmas Mass, he boomed out that I had on the ugliest sweater he'd ever seen in his life. (I wore it again next time too and sat down front just to bug him.) Etc etc.

But guess what. I still love Jesuits. Always will. Romero was a Jesuit. Etc etc. He can't stand Romero. Or the Claretians who helped the Jesuits so heartily in the '60's. Not too fond of Franciscans either - I bet he really doesn't like the new pope. Too, too bad.

No, I never had this kind of trouble with any priest before. But this left me so shell shocked that I still won't return until the main volunteer of his little cabal goes to her final reward. He's quite lovely compared to her. It's a grievous sin to take communion with resentment in your heart, especially the fire that grew within me. I might be a heretic to them, but I do respect that rule and prefer banishment over breaking it.

If I ever get to go to confession again, I'll have to start out by saying it's been so long I can't remember most of what I've done wrong during the interim, why don't we just start out fresh with the last week or so?