What are the prime qualifications for a priest or minister? (Priesthood Discussion)

by Brian Coyne , LINDEN, NSW, Sunday, March 22, 2009, 00:12 (1551 days ago) @ Brian Coyne

Further to the above quotation from Paul Collins' book, I've been tossing over in my mind for quite a while what sort of "priests" or "ministers" will be required in the future. As I argued last week, my gut sense is that the time of mega-parishes is over. People are looking for a more intimate structure. I also think the population in general (i.e. outside the remnant) are also increasingly sceptical of priests as people invested with "special powers and graces" at ordination. They are not "magicians". The sexual abuse scandal has helped in this process in bringing us back to an appreciation that all of us struggle with the great questions, and also the personal challenges of how to behave morally — yes, even priests, bishops and popes.

What are we looking for in our ecclesial leaders today, and into the future? Primarily — and I take this partly from what Paul Collins writes in another part of his book — we look to men and women who can inspire hope, and particularly individuals who can connect us to the great "hope" provided by Jesus Christ. We look to women and men who themselves have struggled in their lives and climbed their own spiritual mountains to find the "meaning in Christ" — as opposed to individuals who have learned "Christ" out of some theological or religious textbook. I know the people I most respect as spiritual guides these days are people who have themselves faced their own "Gesthemane moment". They are not simply talking "nice platitudes" but are speaking out of their own lived experience mediated and meditated through the experience, the parables and the life of Jesus Christ. They are not individuals still trying to "please their mums", or some other "authority figure" in their lives. They are trying to discern "the will of their father in heaven" to use Christ's own words (although today I am more attracted to Michael Morwood's concept of "the God within" rather than an "elsewhere God" residing up in the clouds somewhere). Ironically, I find, that often women are far better qualified these days in offering counsel, hope and leadership than us blokes. Above all, we are looking for people who can "form communities" — communio and communion … relationship — is what "being Church" or "being the Body of Christ" is all about. It is NOT some game of demonstrating how well we can memorise and recite some complex set of rules. It is primarily a process of "forming communio" and through the relationships that emanate from that communio helping one another navigate the moral and other challenges of life; helping one another become whole, complete and emotionally, intellectually and spiritually "balanced" individuals; helping one another climb out of our neuroses and fully develop the inate and unique talents our Creator-God endowed to each one of us.

The sad thing today is that the artificial crisis in vocations, and the shortage of priests, is placing further and further pressures on them to not be able to perform any of the above "prime roles" — instead they are being turned into "magicians" who "confect the eucharist" and "dispense the sacraments" in ways that are becoming more and more impersonal.

Thinking about all this stuff I ended up thinking isn't this what Peter Kennedy and Terry Fitzpatrick have been attempting to do at St Mary's? To inspire people — to inspire hope and a sense of community — to "bring people together" as a Christ-centred community?

Brian Coyne
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