Priests on the pedestal
Does the laity expect too much from its priests? Conversely, do some priests expect too little from lay people?
For many Catholics, a priest’s misdemeanour–trivial or severe–is magnified in relation to practitioners of non-sacred professions. Indeed, by virtue of their consecration, priests (and religious) are called to conduct their lives with a greater sense of decorum and ethics than those who have followed more temporal vocations. Many priests do, many others try and fail. All have the capacity to sin. That’s the priesthood: a mixed bag, yet a truly sacred calling.
Two millennia ago in Galilee, our Lord knew what he was doing when he assembled his team of 12. Among them was the fisherman Simon Peter, an anxious man of wavering faith and ferocious temper; Thomas, a suspicious rationalist; Matthew, a man of disreputable credentials; and, of course Judas, who elected to betray Jesus. We venerate the apostles (except Judas), with all their flaws and foibles. Should priests be held to higher standards than the entirely human motley crew that Christ conscripted to evangelise the nations?
It is fair to question whether the proverbial pedestal is the ideal place for our priests. Priests (and religious) have a right and obligation to be treated as real human beings: men who command respect, but also need understanding and sound counsel.
Give them a strong drink instead of tea, if they are so inclined. Should they be given to occasional strong language, one should not view this as a deficiency in sanctity, but a sign that imperfection is not alien to the consecrated state.
At the same time, some priests have yet to recognise the vast array of skill, experience and talent that many lay people have to offer. It is a positive sign that the clergy is increasingly soliciting the input of the laity in providing leadership in the Church.
The old adage of “Father knows best” belongs on the scrapheap of clichés. Sometimes he certainly does, sometimes he does not. After all, priests are only human.
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