Arrogance v Humility in the Catholic Church by Joe McVeigh
There are two kinds of Church – the Arrogant Church and the Humble Church. The arrogant church is authoritarian and legalistic. The humble Church is listening (synodal), inclusive and accommodating. I have experience of both churches at different times during the last 50 years.
Prior to the Second Vatican Council which took place in Rome in the early1960s the Catholic Church was made up of two types of priests -arrogant and humble. The Arrogant type usually ended up in positions of power in the Diocese. The humble guys kept the message and wisdom of Jesus alive in the parishes mostly by their kindness and pastoral care.
Since Vatican II, some in leadership in the Church have been attempting to adapt to a new world where people’s consciousness has been changed by political revolutions, decolonisation, the movement for women’s rights and the influence of TV and social media. The authoritarian approach of bishops and priests is no longer acceptable. It is not now and never was in accordance with the Gospel.
The Second Vatican Council decreed that the Church, in order to be true to Jesus of Nazareth and the first apostles, should always be counter-cultural. It should never accept the values which are promoted by the capitalist economic system and the Business and Advertising world. The Church’s values should always be about promoting and upholding human dignity, protecting innocent children, compassion and promoting justice, equality and care for Creation.
The mission of the Church is to build the reign of God on Earth under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Central to this mission is the coming together of faith communities to work for justice and the integrity of creation.
The celebration of the Eucharist in the local parish is intended to keep the community of faith focussed on the mission of Jesus in the world today. That mission is to transform the world and build the new community based on restorative rather than retributive justice. Without the regular celebration of the Eucharist there is a danger that the Christians community would forget its mission to transform the world.
Since the Second Vatican Council most Irish priests and most bishops resisted making the fundamental changes necessary in order to grow the reign of God on Earth. Many Catholic laity also resisted change. I experienced that resistance and I still experience it. It appears that this is the way human beings behave around the world –some refuse to become authoritarian and others revel in being bossy.
This attitude is completely contrary to the mission of Jesus in the Gospel: “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them and those in high positions act as tyrants over them. It shall not be so among you. Whoever would be great among you must be your servant.” (Mt20:25-28)
The humble Church is represented by dedicated and joyful priests who refuse to be authoritarian. These priests want to work with others on behalf of the oppressed and all who are excluded and marginalised. They want to support all efforts to protect Creation and resist the destruction of the environment by farmers or the mining companies. They want the poor and oppressed not just to survive but to thrive. They are pastorally minded and willing to cooperate with people to build harmonious relationships with people of other faiths and none to promote justice and equality. Ecumenism is not about being ‘nice’. It has to be about the Mission of the Church of Christ.
The arrogant church is represented by clergy who condemn and exclude some people from Communion because their beliefs or choices do not comply with their own. They also insist on a certain way of conducting Liturgy and they love organising devotions.
I believe there are a number of reasons for the two different kinds of priests in the Catholic Church. The right wingers often come from a right wing background. When priests are preparing to be ordained they are offered courses in theology and in Canon Law and they are formed in a particular spirituality. In the Seminary some professors took a hard line with regard to Church teaching (eg Contraception) while others took a more flexible approach which focussed on the primacy of conscience.
The more flexible always accepted and taught that conscience is the final arbiter in matters of morality. The arrogant authoritarian clergy insisted on following the letter of the law as defined by the Pope and Magisterium of the Church.
The Catholic Church in Ireland and in the Western world today is facing a crisis because of a shortage of male priests. The scandal of clerical sex abuse has a lot to do with this. So too does the culture in which we now live. Very few men are now willing to sign up to a life of celibacy in the priesthood. There is a refusal to deal with the issue of compulsory celibacy. There is a refusal to deal with the issue of women priests.
There is an even more serious problem facing the Catholic Church than the shortage of priests. There are priests and bishops with right wing fundamentalist attitudes and beliefs. The church is divided. This is a serious situation facing the Catholic Church. Some of these want to bring the Church back to the ‘good old days.’ These fundamentalists have nothing to offer the young people of today.
There is a scarcity of imagination and creativity among priests and bishops in Ireland today. There are also those in the laity who oppose change and want to maintain the old failed clerical system. The clerical church is still active throughout Ireland. If we are to have a new Church, as envisaged by Pope Francis, this clerical church must be dismantled. Pope Francis speaks of clericalism as “a disease.” The new Church will reject and denounce all forms of arrogance and authoritarianism and demote those who are guilty of such anti-Christian behaviour.
The Synod is an attempt by Pope Francis to create a more open and forward looking Church which involves the laity in all aspects of governance in every parish. The success of this will depend a great deal on the determination of committed women and men influenced by the Holy Spirit to insist on the end of the clerical church with its arrogance and authoritarian attitudes.
The process will hopefully result in the creation of a new Church that listens and takes the side of the poor and oppressed. It is a church that is active in the pursuit of Justice for the downtrodden in Ireland and throughout the world. A Church that denies human dignity to any person or fails to promote human dignity for all is not a Christian church.
Very interesting article. I think the reason the Church has survived two thousand years is because of the arrogant, doctrinal clergy. Somehow they injected spleen into the Church’s backbone, made it ruthless, rules based. Otherwise I think the Church could have faded away. The wonderful work of the “humble” Priests is the soul of the Church, the “arrogant” Priests provide the steel. I have to say I have never experienced a “bad” Priest in all my years on this earth, some have been studious and gentle some have had a more financially astute mentality but all have been faithful servants.