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Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Clericalism And Its Corroding Effects in the Catholic Church

Pope Francis

Photo courtesy: Conde Nast Traveler

“There is that spirit of clericalism in the Church, that we feel: 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!’” It happens “when the cleric doesn’t have time to listen to those who are suffering, the poor, the sick, the imprisoned: the evil of clericalism is a really awful thing; it is a new edition of this ancient evil [of the religious ‘authorities’ lording it over others].” But “the victim is the same: the poor and humble people, who await the Lord.” -- taken from Pope Francis’ homily in a Mass in Casa Santa Marta, December 13, 2016 (courtesy: https://aleteia.org/2018/08/23/5-of-the-many-times-pope-francis-has-railed-against-clericalism/)

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines 'clericalism' as a policy of maintaining or increasing the power of a religious hierarchy [consisting of priests, monsignors, bishops, archbishops, cardinals, and the pope].

Let's see below the quotes [taken from an article, 'Clericalism,' in BishopAccountability.org website] on clericalism:

“I speak, of course, of clericalism, that culture of self-interest which promotes and sustains the presumption of superiority among clergy and their practice of protective secrecy. It is something that priests share with all would-be elites, such as professional associations in law and medicine, bureaucrats and the military.” - Michael Kelly SJ, in "Next Item on the Catholic Reform Agenda", Pearls and Irritations (May 2, 2014)

“By clericalism,” Shaw writes, “I mean an elitist mindset, together with structures and patterns of behaviour corresponding to it, which takes it for granted that clerics—in the Catholic context, mainly bishops and priests—are intrinsically superior to the other members of the Church and deserve automatic deference. Passivity and dependence are the laity’s lot. By no means is clericalism confined to clerics themselves. The clericalist mindset is widely shared by Catholic lay people.” – Russell Shaw (Quoted by Richard John Neuhaus, “Scandal and the Scandal of Clericalism,” First Things, April, 2008)

”True clericalism is an anomaly and an aberration in that it engenders disdain and disrespect for others, especially for those who are not clerics (ordained). Hence, real clericalism is when a deacon, priest or bishop has an attitude of superiority over his flock in that he believes he is ‘better’ than they are, whether spiritually, intellectually or otherwise. Clericalism patronizes and denigrates the unordained (laity). It seeks to be treated with privilege rather than seeking to be of service.” – Robert Trigilio, (in “Need to explain to the Laity,” The Black Biretta, 13/01/2014)

“It also happens to me that when I meet a clericalist, I suddenly become anti-clerical. Clericalism should not have anything to do with Christianity. St. Paul, who was the first to speak to the Gentiles, the pagans, to believers in other religions, was the first to teach us that.” – Pope Francis (in his interview with the La Repubblica newspaper, Italy, Oct. 1, 2013)

“It’s sad when you see a man who seeks this office and who does so much to get there and when he makes it, he doesn’t serve, but struts like a peacock, living only for his own vanity,” – Pope Francis (In his weekly general audience at the Vatican, Nov. 5, 2014)

To understand more on different aspects of clericalism in the Catholic Church, please read the following:

Roman Catholic Clericalism, Religious Duress, and Clergy Sexual Abuse [by Father Thomas P. Doyle, O.P.] (January 2003)
Clericalism: Enobler of Clergy Sexual Abuse (by Father Thomas P. Doyle, O.P.) (January 2006)
Clericalism: The Death of Priesthood (January 1, 2008) [A book by John B. Wilson, S.J.]
On Clericalism (May 6, 2008)
Clerical Scandal and the Scandal of Clericalism (March 2008)
What is Clericalism? (July 14, 2008)
Clericalism is the bigger problem for all Churches (Sept. 15, 2010)
Recommended Readings: Roman Catholic Sexual Abuse and Clericalism Crises, United States of America, 1985 - 2012 (January 2013)
The new pope's real target: clericalism (April 4, 2013)
Pope calls for Purging the Church of Clericalism Not Clerics (July 28, 2013)
Pope: Love Of Money Gives Rise to Evils of Pride and Vanity (Sept. 20, 2013)
Lead Us Not Into Clericalism (Oct. 8, 2013)
Francis: The Church needs lay people, they should not be "clericalised" (March 22, 2014)
The dangers of clericalism in the Church continue to exist (Though they are in decline, clericalist attitudes still harm the faithful) (Aug. 1, 2014)
CBCP head slams priests in costly shirts, cars (Jan. 3, 2015) [Cath. Bishops' Conference of the Philippines head Archbishop Socrates Villegas issues a 7-point warning against clericalism and materialism as he calls it 'a scandal' for a priest to die rich]
Clericalism (April 3, 2015)
Let's end Clericalism in the Church (July 25, 2015)
Don't put priests on a pedestal (Clericalism is crippling the pastoral mission of the Church) (Oct. 2, 2015)
Clericalism: "Reality and Concerns (2016) [Voice of the Faithful]
Pope blasts clericalism, says clock has stopped on 'hour of laity' (April 27, 2016)
Clerical Culture Among Roman Catholic Diocesan Clergy (April 2016)
Clericalism puts the focus on careerism, not ministry (June 1, 2016)
The problem of clericalism (Aug. 16, 2016)
Free the Eucharist from the curse of clericalism (March 5, 2016)
People Discarded (Pope Francis' homily at Santa Marta chapel on effects of clericalism) (Dec. 13, 2016)
In stressing error of clericalism, Francis calls for humble priests ((Dec. 13, 2016)
The Sneaky Clericalism (July 13, 2017)
Catholic Clericalism (Aug. 29, 2017)
Pope's homily: Need for power and money is path of clericalism, Pope says (Oct. 30, 2017)
The Pope: those who follow the path of clericalism seek power and money (Oct. 30, 2017)
An Insider's Look at the Good and Bad of Working For the Catholic Church (2017)
The Leadership the Church Needs: Avoiding the Two C's of Clericalism and Cowardice ((May 2018)
Clericalism is killing the Catholic Church -- even in Africa (July 16, 2018) ('We need to recognize that at this time in our history, we have failed as pastors')
The Cost of Clericalism (July 31, 2018)
We can only move forward when we name the evil of clericalism (Aug. 20, 2018)
Pope criticizes clericalism in letter on Pennsylvania sex scandal (Aug. 21, 2018)
Clericalism: The Culture that enables abuse and insists on hiding it (Aug. 22, 2018)
What is "clericalism?" (Aug. 23, 2018)
5 Of many times Pope Francis has warned against clericalism (Aug. 23, 2018)
Clericalism: The culture that enables abuse and insists on hiding it (Aug. 23, 2018)
Sexual abuse and the culture of clericalism (Aug. 23, 2018)
We can only move forward when we name the evil of clericalism (Aug. 23, 2018)
The Church Is Too Important to Be Left to the Clerics (Aug. 28, 2018)
Sexual abuse and clericalism: a sermon (Aug. 29, 2018)
Simply Be the Church: Our Response to Clericalism (Aug. 30, 2018)
The evil of clericalism (Aug. 31, 2018)
Laity must have role in fighting clericalism, Vatican official says (Sept. 5, 2018)
Church did not foresee crimes by bishops, says canon law professor (Sept. 7, 2018) [A sense of clericalism played a part in this omission]
Pope Francis: 'Elitist, clericalist' church allows abuse to thrive (Sept. 13, 2018)
Clericalism at root of abuse scandals in Church, pope told Jesuits of Ireland (Sept. 14, 2018)
Clericalism (Wikipedia)
Pope Francis and clericalism (March 9, 2018) [A critical look at Pope Francis' insistence on clericalism]
Pope blames U.S. sex abuse crisis on 'clericalism', leaves out homosexuality (Aug. 20, 2018) [Another critical look at Pope Francis' insistence on clericalism]

Related Item:

Pope Francis Berates the Roman Curia In His Pre-Christmas Address (December 2017)
Vatican Scandals and Reforms of Pope Francis (Dec. 31, 2016)

(Updated on Oct. 4, 2018)

Sunday, July 29, 2018

The Quotation of the Week (July 29 - August 4, 2018)

A quotation of William A. Milner on 'refusing holy communion to any person,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Photo (A play of clouds over Scarborough, Toronto: Dec., 2017) © Jerome D'Costa

[To read the quotation in an enlarged version, please click on the above photo]

Friday, July 6, 2018

Philippine President Duterte Calls God 'Stupid' For Allowing Adam and Eve To Commit Original Sin

President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines
Photo courtesy: www.washingtontimes.com

President Duterte (front) praying at a wedding Mass in a Manila church on Sept. 16, 2017
Photo courtesy: www.philstar.com

Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte, a Roman Catholic, in a recent televised speech in Davao, condemned the Original Sin story of Adam and Eve and termed God 'stupid' for doing that.

"Who is this stupid God? You [God] created something perfect and then you think of an event that would tempt and destroy the quality of your work," he said.

Criticizing the concept of the Original Sin, that automatically taints all human beings because of their descent from Adam and Eve, he told his audience:"You weren't born yet, but now you have original sin." He then added: "What kind of religion is that? I can't accept it."

His comments on God generated widespread adverse reactions, but President Duterte said what he spoke about God was his personal belief and that "not in a million years" would he apologize for blaspheming God this way.

This President, in the past, criticized Pope Francis in a crude language. He also cussed against and cursed Catholic priests in the Philippines. He claimed that he and another boy were abused by a foreign Jesuit priest when they were studying in a Catholic school.

For more on this issue, please read the following:

Philippine president blasts creation story, calls God 'stupid' (June 25, 2018)
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte Blames 'Stupid' God for Adam and Eve's Original Sin (June 25, 2018)
Philippine President Duterte calls God 'stupid,' (June 26, 2018)
Philippine president slammed for calling God 'stupid' (June 25, 2018)
Bishops hit Duterte for calling God stupid [video] (June 26, 2018)
Philippines' Duterte under fire for calling God 'stupid' (June 26, 2018)
Cardinal Tagle breaks silence on Duterte remarks: Don't be distracted (June 27, 2018)
Duterte seeks collaboration with Philippine bishops after calling God 'stupid' (June 27, 2018)
'Not in a million years!': Duterte defiant amid calls to apologize over 'stupid' God remarks (July 2, 2018)
Palace: Evangelicals offer to wash Duterte's feet 'out of humility' (July 3, 2018)
Duterte: I believe in God, but prove his existence -- via a selfie (July 7, 2018)
Rodrigo Duterte says he'll resign as Philippine president if someone can prove God exists (July 7, 2018)
Duterte: Show me proof that God exists and I'll resign (July 7, 2018)
Duterte vows to resign if anybody can prove God exists (July 7, 2018)

(Updated on July 7, 2018)

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Global Surveys on Catholic Marriage and Family Life Present Surprises

St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican

One year prior to the Catholic Bishops' Synod on Family, started on October 5 this year, the Vatican had sent out a preparatory document with a questionnaire on marriage and family to all the Catholic Bishops' Conferences of the world to know the situation and mind of the present-day Catholics. The synod participants are now discussing their points based mostly on the results of this survey.

Following this, Univision Global, a U.S.-based communications company, through Bendixen and Amandi International, did a survey of its own of 12,038 Catholics in 12 countries of three continents. These countries are the USA, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, France, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and the Philippines. This survey, being independent of the Catholic Church, provides the changing nature of the Catholics in this modern world.

Both the surveys give a picture of the gap between the official Catholic Church teachings and the life led by the Catholics around the world.

For details and additional information on the surveys, please access the following:

The Vatican survey of Catholic Bishops' Conferences of the world:

Vatican Preparatory Document with Questionnaire on Marriage and Family

Vatican launches world survey on modern family life

The Univision survey of Catholics in the world:

Voice of the People (Global survey of Roman Catholics)
Global Survey of Roman Catholics
Poll suggests global split among Catholics on Church teaching
Catholic Church Experiencing Global Divisions on Sexual, Gender, Social Issues: Survey

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Pope Francis is Installed Today As the 266th Pope

Recently-elected Pope Francis got installed today through the inaugural Mass he offered at St. Peter’s Square, where about 150,000 people were present, report different news sources.

In his Mass, the Pope received a pallium (a two-inch wide sheep-wool scarf worn over the neck, chest and shoulders, signifying a bishop – in this case, the Bishop of Rome – being the good shepherd of his sheep all over the world), a fisherman’s ring (representing the Apostle Peter -- the first Pope – with the keys, symbolizing papal authority over the Universal Church) and a book of Gospels (symbolizing the Pope being the preacher of the Good News of Jesus Christ).

Among the present in the Mass were a number of royal dignitaries, heads of state, and diplomats from over 132 countries besides some representatives of different religions, including various Christian denominations, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism and several hundred cardinals, bishops, priests and men and women from Religious Orders.

Unlike his predecessors who gave homilies in Latin, Pope Francis gave his homily in Italian language. He said that the Church’s mission “means respecting each of God’s creatures and respecting the environment in which we live. It means protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly, those in need, who are often the last we think about.”

“I would like to ask all those who have positions of responsibility, let us be protectors of creation, protectors of God’s plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and the environment,” he further mentioned.

After the Mass, visiting diplomats and visiting representatives of foreign governments greeted the Pope inside St. Peter’s Basilica.

It is noteworthy that breaking the protocol, Pope Francis, while passing by spectators on an open-top Mercedes-Benz SUV, stopped to kiss a baby and he also came out of his vehicle to greet and kiss a totally disabled man.

The Pope’s humility, austerity and love of common people, have been drawing attention of people of all faiths throughout the world.