Overcoming clericalism

Katie van Schaijik | Jun 6, 2015 | 11 cmts

I was rejoiced to find Archbishop Chaput taking on clericalism in remarks he shared with brother priests at their annual convocation in May.

Whenever someone asks for my sense of the Archdiocese that's been our spiritual home for 8 years now, I always say the same thing: It's doctrinally sound (thanks be to God!), but wretchedly clericalistic. Religious and laity both are sorely afflicted.

Clericalism is, in essence, a paternalistic approach to relations between the clergy and the laity. The clergy are in charge; the laity's role is to "pay, pray and obey."

That's a bit of an exaggeration of course. Things aren't that bad. But they're pretty bad. To show what I mean, I'll give two general examples and two specific examples from my experience in the Archdiocese.

1) Homilies that seem addressed to a congregation of fourth graders. The priest is the teacher; we are the children. He tells a cutesy anecdote or two, then gives us little explanations and instructions designed to make the faith accessible for beginners. Nothing in the tone or content expresses a due awareness of the fact that the church is likely full of mature Catholics, many of whom are highly educated in their faith—some more educated than the priests (and deacons). They don't need instruction, but preaching of the kind Pope Francis calls for in the Gospel of Joy.

I can hear the reply coming (I've been getting it all my life): "Not everyone is as educated as you are, Katie. A lot of people never even got basic catechetics." I know that. (Quit condescending already!) Some lay Catholics need instruction. But nobody needs patronizing; no adults should be addressed as if they're children. And all Catholics, regardless of our level of maturity and knowledge need good preaching. Good preaching, like the Scriptures it's about, should be "shallow enough for an ant to wade in and deep enough for an elephant to swim in."

One of the problems we're dealing with, though, is that an alarming number of priests come across as serious cases of arrested development. They don't seem to have matured properly as human beings. I hope the Archbishop will find a way to address this problem at the seminary and beyond. Among my suggestions would be to encourage much more interaction between priests and laity on the level of true friendship.

I also think quite a lot of priests would benefit from Adult Children of Alcoholics or similar programs that can help them get in better touch with their humanity. (I am coming around to the opinion that nearly all post-World War II Catholics were raised in dysfunction, including those who came from devout, intact families. It has to do, I'm pretty sure, with 3 things 1) the paternalism, externalism and legalism, endemic in the pre-conciliar church; 2) a Jansenist streak especially prominent in Irish Catholicism, and 3) emotional repression and rampant alcoholism in the generation that went to war.)

2) Horribly bureaucratic and burdensome religious education programs. The parents aren't deferred to as the prime educators of their children; our views and concerns and feedback are not sought; we are again treated like fourth graders. We're expected to do as we're told, fulfill the requirements; volunteer for various events; make sure our children jump through all the hoops; stifle their complaints about how head-bangingly boring the classes are; raise no substantive issues, cooperate; get with the program. Be grateful.

So depressingly bad did Jules and I find the religious education programs at our parish (even though they're orthodox and full of sincere, generous, good-intentioned people) that we were seriously concerned that making our children participate would cause them to lose their faith. We didn't want them to get the impression that being Catholic is all about rules and tedium and bureaucracy. It's suppose to be about abundant life; it's supposed to be full of joy. You would never guess that from parish life, though. Alas. (Happily, so far our older children have all made the choice to get confirmed on their own, while they were away at school—one in high school, two in college.)

Those are two general instances of clericalism in the local church. Here are two specific cases:

1) Our youngest son attended the parish school for first and second grade. The parish frequently holds fundraisers for the school, and touts the excellence of the Catholic education it offers. We really wanted to love it, but to us it seemed academically mediocre and painfully hidebound culturally. (Our son's teacher told us the classwork was too easy for him, and she had no way of letting him move ahead independently.) We had concerns and ideas, but there was nowhere to air them. The school established monthly "round-table discussions" on set topics between parents and staff. But we were admonished in advance, "These are not gripe sessions." I thought, "Okay, so where do we go with our gripes?" Where do parents have genuine input? Where is there open discussion of issues and problems? We got the distinct impression that our volunteering was welcome, but not our real influence. When we pulled our son out and enrolled him in public school instead, no one called to ask why. Six months later, we got a form letter and a survey asking for our feedback and assuring us of the school's commitment to offering the best education in the area. I thought, "This is lying denial. They don't want feedback; they just want to pretend to themselves that they want it. If they really wanted it, they would have called six months ago and met with us face to face."

2) Several years ago, we asked for an appointment with our pastor (who has since been made a bishop in another diocese.) We wanted to introduce ourselves, tell him about the Personalist Project, and discuss ways of collaborating that would serve both our work and the life of the parish. Maybe our classes and lectures could be announced in the bulletin; maybe we could use the parish hall for events; maybe he could introduce us to the Knights of Columbus... The pastor met with us, but he expressed no interest at all in who we are and what we had to offer. Zero. He didn't ask about our background, competence, or plans; he didn't ask what he could do to support us; he didn't say what we might do to help the parish. On the contrary, his manner and tone were all indifference and condescension. He had nothing to offer, except for a piece of unsolicited marketing advise, "First of all, it's a terrible name." Shortly thereafter he began his "increased giving" campaign.

Remembering it makes me mad. And I could give lots more examples.

So, as I said, I was rejoiced to see that Archbishop Chaput sees the problem and is trying to address it.

A good priest loves his parishioners. He listens to their counsel, respects their abilities and adjusts his life to the needs of those he serves. He treats them as equals. He keeps them fully and honestly informed. And he also learns to live with their criticism, and to genuinely share his leadership without giving up his authority as a pastor. It can be done.

Yes, exactly (though I wish he had added something like, "responds to their legitimate concerns and supports their good initiatives.")

But then he said this, which I liked less:

If we priests want to be true shepherds, we need to form active Catholic apostles in our people. That means shaping real lay leaders.

That seems to me to veer too much in the clericalistic direction. In my experience, what is wanted is not so much priests thinking it's their role to "form" and "shape" lay leaders. Rather, they should be on the lookout for the lay leaders already present in their congregations, and put themselves at their service—not so they can take over the sacramental life of the parish, but so that their initiatives can flourish. It will mean that priests have to stop thinking of themselves as the ones who organize and run everything, while calling on the laity to "get involved" with funding and volunteering. Rather, they should realize that the laity are, in a way, the Church.

Meanwhile, the laity will have to learn to step up in our vocation to sanctify the world and build a civilization of love.

Comments (11)

Katie van Schaijik

Jun 7, 2015 10:45am

After I put up this post, several friends thanked me. They have suffered too. With that encouragement in mind, I forwarded it to Archbishop Chaput, telling him I meant to be helpful.

Even though he is known for being generous in reading and replying to email, I didn't expect a reply. But one came very quickly. He told me I had some good thoughts, then added:

but I think those good thoughts are undermined by an excessive criticism and “I know so much more and am better than the rest of you” tone.

So I closed the post and spent the whole evening crying. (It's the wounded Adult Child in me.)

This morning, again with the encouragement of friends, including three priests (one of the Archdiocese, two from elsewhere), I've changed my mind.

It may be that my tone is too haughty. I've gotten that criticism before. But I know in front of God that my post is an honest reflection of my real experience, framed to help. And I know the Archbishop's rebuke felt to me like a new instance of clericalism. Urge the laity to speak up, then shame them for self-righteousness when they do.

Jun 7, 2015 10:46am

We will not be able to renew the Church if we don't feel free to speak our minds, and if we turn honest criticism back on the moral character of the one offering it.

There's more. Persons in positions of power should be very slow to accuse those who raise criticisms of arrogance, even if they are arrogant. It may be that only brazen people will dare to speak their minds.

My most searing regrets as a mother are for the times when I punished my children for telling me what they thought.

It is not wrong to object to mistreatment. It is not wrong to say what needs saying, even if we don't know how to do it well.

The most decisive encouragement came from a friend in another diocese, who has suffered a lot personally. She quoted Pope Francis: "Defend yourself against clericalism!"

Claire Thomas

Jun 7, 2015 1:16pm

Katie, I am grateful that you have written about this important topic with such clarity and that you have had the courage and generosity to be vulnerable. I have many of my own experiences with clericalism that I would love to share with you at some point, but for now I just want to thank you. I prayed for you during Communion this morning and asked Jesus to hide you within His wounds: intra tua vulnera absconde eam

Jun 7, 2015 1:31pm

Thank you, Claire! So many friends, including friends with long experience pouring their hearts out in love and service to the Church, have thanked me warmly both privately and publicly for speaking up. It gives me courage and hope.

Hidden in Jesus' wounds is right where I want to be.

Jun 7, 2015 2:42pm

Oh man. Anyone who thinks my criticisms were "excessive" should take a gander at this National Catholic Reporter article for comparison and perspective.

I’m beginning to think the many amazing choices Pope Francis has been making in these early days of his pontificate will have an important, long-lasting effect on the church of the 21st century. He is preaching almost daily a powerful, silent sermon denouncing the scourge of clericalism that is at the root of most of the problems bedeviling Catholicism.

And later:

For many generations earnest, young male seminarians have been taught that they are aspiring to a higher level not available to the laity, a level at which they will have the authority to teach, sanctify and govern those below. They will carry with them sacred powers that will accompany them even into eternity. For such privileges they promise to become eunuchs for the kingdom, and they pledge to defer their own judgments without reservation to the authoritative pronouncements of those on still higher levels, be it pastor, bishop or pope.

FranM

Jun 7, 2015 4:22pm

Katie, two observations.

First, the Church is hierarchical by nature; that goes with her apostolic nature. The pastor in a parish has authority by virtue of his ordination -- but how he lives it and shares his leadership makes all the difference. If a pastor treats educated laity -- or any laity -- with disrespect or indifference, he's being very foolish, and he'll deserve the codependent or dead community he creates.

Second, your column overlooks the other key element in the archbishop's PCL comments. Laypeople are very often complicit in clericalism because it allows them to complain and blame the clergy and let themselves off the hook of their own baptismal obligations. Having moved here from the west, I've seen this clergy-lay dynamic again and again in Philadelphia. It's not just the priests' problem; we laypeople are co-responsible. I suspect that's what the archbishop was responding to in your otherwise very good column.

Jun 7, 2015 4:38pm

Fran, I agree with you that the laity are co-responsible for the problem of clericalism (as my last line indicates.)

The Church is hierarchical, yes, but only in one sense. In another sense—one particularly emphasized by Pope Francis (not to mention Vatican II and John Paul II), it isn't. It is a Church of equals with complementary vocations.

And, to my mind, since we have such a serious problem of clericalism in the Church, the last thing the clergy should be doing is rebuking and shaming the laymen who muster the courage to speak up.

Instead, the laity should to be encouraged to assert themselves (within the due limits of Church teaching and their personal vocation), and the clergy should exercise much more genuine receptivity, including by soliciting critical feedback.

Nanda

Jun 7, 2015 6:20pm

Katie, just read this...Thank you for it! (Though I wouldn't put too much stock in the ACOA psychbabble that wants to make passive victims of us all.)... Seems like a lot of folks - both clerical and 'churcified lay' - tend to experience life in the Spirit as warm bathwater, rather than a chilly, invigorating swim - meant to keep us moving and stretching ourselves on the way to eternal life; learning rather than lolling...Keep at it, Katie! Let the wind blow where it will!

Jun 7, 2015 7:36pm

Thank you, Nanda! I will only say that I have found tons of practical wisdom through the ACA literature and "fellow travelers". In some respects, we are all victims. Just not helpless and hopeless and powerless victims.

Jun 7, 2015 7:54pm

I'm glad you've found it (ACOA thought) helpful. At the time I encountered the idea, it seemed like just another label to add to my already-burdensome collection...Also, I found folks all-too-ready to use history as a reason to avoid taking on present responsibility for the impact one has on others...(Did I mention how lovely it is to be back here?)

Jun 8, 2015 8:39am

Another point in response to Fran and the Archbishop:

A pastor's (or bishop's) authority is real, but limited. He is above his parishioners only in specific, "enumerated" ways, for instance, with regard to parish administration. His authority is limited by their rights and prerogatives as individuals.

He is not above them as Christian. He is not above them as spiritual director, unless they volunteer to disclose themselves to him in a particular way.

For a priest to act as if he has moral authority over a layman's individual soul, because he is priest, is an abuse of power. It's clericalism.

One way for the laity to stop being co-responsible for the clericalism in our diocese it to call it out when we come across it, and not let ourselves be intimidated.