Editor's preface: Readers of the Catholica forum will have noticed a letter published in The Tablet this week that Tom Lee has just drawn our attention to. Professor Michael P. Hornsby-Smith of Guldford, Surrey, wrote:

"In last week's edition, Christopher David (Letters) reported the consequences of the acute shortage of priests in Malawi and Ecuador, and Mark Brolly (The Church in the World) reported that a quarter of the parishes in a rural diocese of Australia were able to celebrate Sunday Eucharist only every fortnight."

"I asked our presiding priest at the end of Mass last Sunday if I could make a brief announcement. I explained that I was a member of the Movement for a Married Clergy. We were encouraging people to circulate "an appeal to the Bishops of England and Wales to ordain priests for our parishes" and in particular for the ordination of married laity. The petition was identical to the one which had been signed by large numbers of Catholics in Australia before being presented to their bishops. To my astonishment my request that interested people read and sign the petition after Mass was met with general applause. Afterwards I was faced with the longest queue I can recall in our parish to sign the petition."

"There is a real frustration among many laity at the failure of the religious authorities to press the matter more forcefully. We, the laity, have a right to be fed with the Eucharist and it is a scandal when appropriate provision is not made by our religious leaders."

That letter serves as a great introduction to the book review we bring you today…

TEAMS of ELDERS
by Bishop Fritz Lobinger

During 2007, the media carried numerous reports of Catholics calling for the ordination of married men and women.

In "TEAMS OF ELDERS", Bishop Fritz Lobinger provides us with profound thinking on this subject. His approach may be summarised: Before a new concept of priesthood can be implemented, a community of the People of God must be formed into a new vision of Church. This vision of Church is not new to those who have studied and prayed over the Documents of Vatican II; what Bishop Lobinger brings to our consideration is the practical implemenation of that vision so as to establish both the manner of choosing the candidates for and the subsequent role of married priests within their communitiy, and their relationship with the presently ordained clergy to whose current role we have grown accustomed.

In a broad sweep, one would have a very large parish composed of isolated faith communities who have been formed to know and contribute their individual charisms for the benefit of the local faith community. From such a community, leaders would emerge. If these community-accepted leaders have the necessary human and spiritual qualities, they would be presented "from below" for ordination by the bishop. Their priesthood is exercised in their community only. These priests exercise their priesthood for a limited number of years, e.g., three. Towards the end of the book, the question of applying the principles and practice presented by the author is discussed in the context of developed, urbanised countries.

The role of the "traditonal" clergy is to be involved in the spiritual and pastoral formation of these married priests (who are termed "Teams of Elders") and of the whole faith community before and after the ordination. The consequences for the choice of seminarians, their training and their future, priestly way of life are considered.

I found that as the author's broad vision emerged, my mind was being filled with questions. The beauty of this book is that as I read on, each of these questions was addressed with wisdom by Bishop Lobinger. I could not put the book down until I had finished it.

Bishop Lobinger

The "modus operandi" of the model proposed and analysed is based on the early Church. "In all these Churches they appointed elders" (Acts 14.23). "During the following years St Paul and his companions kept on visiting and guiding these communities and their elders in order to keep them on the path of the Gospel." (Page 2)

The question of the term to be used for this new form of "priests" is considered at length. The term, "priest", is rejected for it carries with it much historical baggage such as model of ministry, style of ministry and a form of social engagement. The aim is not to have two classes of priests but two forms of priesthood which are as different as possible.

After wise and prudent reflection on alternative names, the author concludes:

We should build up a non-clerical ministry through some concrete steps:

• Through terminology, speaking of "elders" instead of "priests"
• Through ordaining only teams, never individuals
• Through rotation of office
• Through avoiding privileges, titles, clerical dress
• Through experience of equality
• Through spiritual guidance."

Each of these means is discussed in detail.

There is no pressure, brought on by the shortage of priests, to rush into this form of elders. On the contrary, the proposal is to implement it as a pilot program in communities that have been prepared for years beforehand.

The criteria for readiness can be listed:

• The majority of the community sees a value in being self-ministering.
• There are teams of trained lay ministers for the various tasks of the community.
• There is continuous, unending training for these team leaders.
• The priest of the parish is himself conducting training for the leaders or is at least strongly invoved in it.
• In the diocese there is general conviction of the need for community building, for the training of leaders, and for the ordination of Teams of Elders."

Each of these requirements is discussed throughout the book.

In our age of kits, the book provides its own pro-forma: "An application to the Holy See for TEAMS OF ELDERS", together with a chapter of "Additonal details of the application to the Holy See". These chapters contain further reflection on the proposal together with an experienced bishop's knowledge of how one might deal with the Holy See.

The author does address the question of the ordination of women elders. Having entered into the mind of the author as I did, I felt the heaviness of heart I suspect he did, when he faced the inevitable outcome of that issue should it be referred to the Holy See. Bishop Lobinger sees the whole plan being rejected by some communities, who are otherwise prepared for its implementation, solely because the community rejects the Holy See's discrimination against women. I would hope that would be the attitude of all Christian, faith communities.

Since Vatican II, there have been frequent reports of the formation of faith communities, mainly in South America, Asia and Africa. Those who have participated in attempts to create such communities in Australia would probably agree with all that Bishop Lobinger has written in this book. The future of the community of the People of God may well be in Third World countries: the future of the present structure of the Catholic Church is obvious, inevitable and terminal.

"TEAMS OF ELDERS" by Bishop Fritz Lobinger. Claretian Publications

PeterR

Teams of Elders Moving beyond "Viri Probati" This book wants to overcome the stalemate that has developed around the ordination of local leaders. On the one hand the great majority of Catholic dioceses knows this is the only way forward-but at the same time everybody is afraid of touching this delicate subject. The result is a deadly silence. In these pages it is suggested to overcome the stalemate by beginning with some pilot projects. There are many dioceses that are ready for undertaking such pilot projects. A few of them should present an Application to the Holy See for ordaining Teams of Elders in some of their parishes. This would be a new and different starting point. It would be on a much smaller scale, but in a very significant way. Twice in recent times it was a whole Synod of Bishops, gathered from around the whole world, that tried to come to a conclusion on this matter but it proved impossible. Situations are too different for making a global decision on this matter. Let this rather be demonstrated on the level of a few dioceses, then the rest of the Church will see more clearly how such ordinations can be introduced. The centre piece of the book is the full text of a lengthy sample Application to the Holy See. The idea a is not that this application should be copied but that it should show in great detail what is at stake and how possible dangers can be avoided. It would be difficult to refuse an application of this kind. The book speaks of ordaining "Teams of Elders", not of "Viri Probati". Through this change in terminology it deliberately wants us to move away from the idea of "Viri Probati", away from the strategy of "filling the gaps". We are not just overcoming an emergency, the shortage of priests, but we are moving towards a refreshing new vision of a participatory Church.

The book is available from Claretian Publications #8 Mayumi Street, U.P. Village, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines Tel: (632) 921-3984 Fax: (632) 921 7429 email: claret@cnl.net website: www.cnl.net/claret

[Index of Commentaries by PeterR]