Special
Section: Religious Life Speaking of vocations
By LARRY W. WEIDNER
I was recently invited to visit the parish where I grew up and
attended parochial school. The pastor asked if I would come back to celebrate
Mass and preach on vocations. At the time, it sounded like a good idea. After
all, who would be more qualified to preach on vocations than the hometown boy
who became a priest?
I told the pastor I would get back to him. As I thought about what
I might say, I found myself reflecting less on why I became a priest and more
on why anyone would want to become a priest in todays church.
Surveys report that most priests are happy with their lives, yet
the numbers willing to emulate us seem almost nonexistent. The next few
paragraphs contain the results of my personal reflection on the subject --
which is, after all, a reflection of almost my entire adult life.
It seems to me that any talk of vocations to the priesthood must
first explore two ideas. The first is, What kind of church is one being
ordained into today? The second is, What are some of the qualities
needed for a man serving todays church as a priest?
As I observe the American Catholic church, I see two extremes. On
the one hand are the so-called conservatives and
traditionalists. These folk are uncomfortable with the reforms of
Vatican II. Their goal, through movements such as Opus Dei, is to return their
church to the good old days.
Basic to this model is the demand that the priest return to his
rightful place as the sole decision-maker, authority figure and persona
Christi in the parish. The consensus seems to be that Father not only
needs to look like a priest, he needs to go back to acting
like a priest. Since many priests do not willingly cooperate, and the
Holy Father does not seem to act quickly enough to rein them in, many
disenchanted traditionalists have either left the church to join a fringe group
or are withholding their donations.
On the other extreme are the liberals or
progressives. These folk believe the reforms of Vatican II
arent being implemented to their satisfaction. They describe the
hierarchy as dragging its feet (or its crosiers!) in the areas of
collegiality, empowerment of the laity and especially women, and shared
responsibility among all members of the church. Theyre concerned that
some of the great theologians and thinkers of this century have been silenced
by Rome. Furthermore, they are distressed that issues such as social justice
and ecumenism seem to have disappeared into offices in the chancery, leaving no
agenda and little enthusiasm for either topic.
Many of these Catholics are likewise leaving the church or
withholding their support.
Whats left? In my estimation, its the largest group of
Catholics, those not driven by ideological issues and whose commitment to the
church is often lukewarm. Their financial support, or lack of it, gives witness
to this reality.
This groups only concern is that Father is there to meet
their needs, whenever they want him day or night. This group is not
particularly interested in whether Father is conservative, traditional,
liberal, progressive or embraces New Age thinking. For them, a priest is a
priest. They dont care if Father is straight, gay, or asexual, although
most would probably prefer the last. They dont care if Father graduated
cum laude from seminary or if he was on academic probation during his entire
formation. A priest is a priest.
The majority of Catholics really dont seem to require a
great deal from priests. If Father preaches well, thats fine. If he
doesnt, they still look at him with polite interest and give him credit
for trying. If Father is a good administrator or fundraiser, he will receive
the respect of some of his flock while others will criticize him. If he is a
prayerful man of God, some will see him as a mystic while others will dismiss
him as aloof.
A man considering ordination in todays church can easily
conclude hes being ordained into a church that lacks leadership and
vision. It is no secret that in the last 15 years, bishops have slowly lost
their power to Rome. Instead of holding their ground, bishops have turned to
micromanaging their dioceses, and many priests have felt the pressure from
on high. The true visionaries have been replaced with individuals
solely interested in processing the vision. This translates into
endless meetings. The logic seems to be that as long as planning meetings are
going on, something is happening.
A prospective priest also has to be aware that he is casting his
lot with an institution in financial trouble. Since many Catholics are
withholding donations and the rest do not give generously because of a lack of
commitment, the church is slowly being bankrupted by the silent
majority who give little or nothing in the Sunday offertory (if they even
bother to attend Mass), yet expect to have all their needs met.
A man considering ordination surely will have been told by priests
who are friends that hes considering a life thats not very
affirming. Bishops simply do not affirm priests (they were apparently never
taught to do it). The laity will affirm priests so long as their individual
needs are being met. There is so much variety among the laity, however, that a
priest would have to be superhuman to please them all.
There are a few organizations within the church that affirm
priests. The Serra Club and the Knights of Columbus come to mind. For many of
us, however, their affirmation often rings hollow, because some members of
these organizations dont know who we really are. They are merely
affirming our Roman collars.
On the other hand, a priest can be assured he will be affirmed at
his own funeral. The bishop will wax eloquent about what a hard worker
Father was, how grateful people are for the endless programs he ran, what
a great builder he was (assuming he managed to build or remodel something). The
sad part is that Father will be affirmed for the many things he did, never for
who he was.
Another daunting point to consider is that most priests today will
become pastors long before they are ready. Bowing under the combined pressure
of fewer new priests and the swelling ranks of retirees, bishops are awarding
pastorates to men ordained for only four or five years.
These inexperienced individuals are being sent either to open a
new parish, maintain an existing facility, or, in certain dioceses, to preside
over the closing of a long-established and beloved community. In addition, the
majority of these inexperienced pastors will inherit professional staff members
who are a great deal more mature, knowledgeable and experienced.
Given the state of the church and the manner in which priests are
treated, what is the relevant starting point for a man wanting to serve as a
priest?
In my opinion, it boils down to a very basic question: Who do you
want to serve -- the institution or the people of God? Make no mistake, they
are not one and the same.
When I was in the seminary, a professor once said to us as young
deacons: Gentlemen, decide right now if you want to be a bishop. You need
to understand that everything you do as a priest will be determined by that
decision. I have learned over the years that he was a wise man. A person
thinking about serving the church today needs to answer the same question.
If a person feels he has a calling to serve the church as
institution because he is enthralled by its power, its vastness, its
magnificent cathedrals or even because he likes the feel of silk, that man
needs to think again. If he is drawn to the pope because he is always right and
all one has to do is echo his words, he needs to think again.
If he is attracted by the need for personal security received
from knowing he will always be provided for, then he needs to think again. If
he sees the institution giving him credibility or the ability to pray, love or
forgive in a manner superior to that of mere mortals, then I would discourage
him from pursuing a vocation. In my opinion, he has simply confused a vocation
with a lifestyle.
On the other hand, if an individual comes to me feeling that he
has a calling to serve the church (the people of God) because he has been
touched by the hand of God and has experienced personal conversion, then I am
apt to listen to him. If that man sees God not only present in him now but
moving him out of his comfort zone into the place where God wants him to be,
then I am apt to listen to him.
Most important perhaps, I will find credible a person who believes
that he does not need to be a priest in order to be validated. He simply sees
priesthood as the best way for him to live out his calling to serve. I will
take time to speak with this person, to encourage him to discern his
vocation.
A priest who draws his strength not from the institution but from
Jesus will be indifferent to whether those being served are
conservative, traditionalist, liberal or
progressive. The priest understands that no matter what, the person
is seeking to experience God somewhere in his or her life. He sees a part of
himself in every one of them. As a priest, he will pastor a parish that is not
exclusive, not one where only those who agree with his theology will be
welcome. This priest will pastor a parish where all are welcome.
The priest whom I describe will draw his strength from the person
of Jesus Christ alone. He will recognize not only the fragility in other
people, but he will also be attentive to his own. He will be in touch with his
occasional lack of commitment and indifference. If a priest draws from the
strength of Jesus Christ, he will realize and believe that, in the end, true
faith is not so much about what he does as about what God does.
Such a priest will be at peace with the apparent lack of
leadership and vision from the bishops, including perhaps his own. He will
accept the fact that bishops are called up from among the ranks of his priest
brothers. He will realize that he cannot change his bishop, but he can examine
his own leadership style and hold himself accountable for the vision that he
promotes in the community. He will see how easily people can accuse him of the
very sins he attributes to his bishop. He will appreciate that his
own situation is not all that different from that of his bishop: Both positions
are constantly being redefined, and the final job description is still to be
determined.
Such a priest will recognize the shortage of priests in his
diocese but will not allow it to lead him to accept a pastorate before he is
ready. If he is forced into it, he will respond with humility and accept the
truth that while he may be the pastor, his professional staff can teach him
much.
If we are not attracting more people into the priesthood, maybe it
is because we are looking for the wrong qualities, or we are asking the wrong
questions.
I must remember to call Father back and accept his invitation to
celebrate Mass at my old parish -- and, yes, to preach on vocations.
Fr. Larry Weidner is pastor of St. Joan of Arc Parish in
Phoenix. He has been ordained for 18 years and is a former member of the
Diocesan Vocations Board.
National Catholic Reporter, February 19,
1999
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