In a thread on Domenico Bettinelli's blog, Bettnet.com, there is a discussion about the term "royal priesthood" and what it means. On writer suggested that the shortage of priests is caused by this "elevation of the laity." In fact, the concept of the royal priesthood goes all the way back to Moses time. I posted the following reply. I thought it would be worth sharing here.
No one is elevating the laity. When Peter, the first pope, referred to the faithful as "a royal priesthood" (1 Peter 2:9), he was echoing the words of Exodus (Ex 19:5-6) when the Lord spoke to Moses. He told Moses to tell the Israelites, "Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession, dearer to me than all other people, though all the earth is mine. You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation."
The notes in the New American Bible point out that the entire Israelite nation was consecrated to God. They were "a race of royal priests who participated in the liturgical sacrifices, even though the actual offering of the sacrifices was the exclusive prerogative of the Aaronic priesthood. The same condition exists in the New Dispensation as regards the whole Christian people and the Christian priesthood in the strict sense."
There are a lot of reasons for the shortage of priests, but I don't believe that the "elevation of the laity" is one of them. On the contrary, a big reason for the lack of vocations may be poor catechesis on what it means to be a Catholic, a "lowering of the laity".
Unlike our protestant brethren who can be "saved" just by saying that they are, you can't become a Catholic until you have gone through a lengthy process, either through RCIA as an adult or through Catholic School/Parish School of Religion as a child.
I'm afraid that many who are charged with teaching the faith are doing a poor job, otherwise we wouldn't be losing so many Catholics to the First Touchy-Feely Church of Good Times, Prosperity and What's Happening Now. We also wouldn't have nominal Catholics responding to surveys that they approve of birth control, abortion, mercy killing, and capital punishment.
By disrespecting the faith, we're disrespecting ourselves, and disrespecting the ordained clergy. Where once priests were looked at as role models, today they are looked on with suspicion. Some of this is caused by the recent abuse crisis, but it's been going on long before the crisis became news. Obviously, it's a complex problem and smarter people than me haven't been able to come up with an answer. But, in my humble opinion, it begins with parents who show disrespect for the pastor, the bishop, the deacon, or any other minister in front of the kids.
A few years ago, my parish closed it's elementary school. It was an awful, painful process. The handwriting had been on the wall for years, but no one was willing to accept it. When the time finally came to face reality and cut our losses, many of the school parents (and others) blamed the pastor, when, in fact, the pastor had fought to keep it open as long as it was.
The most painful part of the whole ordeal was hearing what some of the parents were saying about the pastor, in front of the kids. They would gather on the parking lot after school and say the most outrageous things, things that no civil person would say about anyone, let alone about a man of God. Did they not think that their kids could hear them? Did they think that they were setting a good example? It's no wonder we have a shortage of vocations.
I know, I'm ranting. But this is a real hot-button issue with me. I was raised Baptist with a father who was extremely anti-Catholic. But, even so, when I when I would see a priest, I knew that there was something special about him. Today, even Catholic kids are not getting the same impression.
Please remember our priests in your prayers.
No one is elevating the laity. When Peter, the first pope, referred to the faithful as "a royal priesthood" (1 Peter 2:9), he was echoing the words of Exodus (Ex 19:5-6) when the Lord spoke to Moses. He told Moses to tell the Israelites, "Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession, dearer to me than all other people, though all the earth is mine. You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation."
The notes in the New American Bible point out that the entire Israelite nation was consecrated to God. They were "a race of royal priests who participated in the liturgical sacrifices, even though the actual offering of the sacrifices was the exclusive prerogative of the Aaronic priesthood. The same condition exists in the New Dispensation as regards the whole Christian people and the Christian priesthood in the strict sense."
There are a lot of reasons for the shortage of priests, but I don't believe that the "elevation of the laity" is one of them. On the contrary, a big reason for the lack of vocations may be poor catechesis on what it means to be a Catholic, a "lowering of the laity".
Unlike our protestant brethren who can be "saved" just by saying that they are, you can't become a Catholic until you have gone through a lengthy process, either through RCIA as an adult or through Catholic School/Parish School of Religion as a child.
I'm afraid that many who are charged with teaching the faith are doing a poor job, otherwise we wouldn't be losing so many Catholics to the First Touchy-Feely Church of Good Times, Prosperity and What's Happening Now. We also wouldn't have nominal Catholics responding to surveys that they approve of birth control, abortion, mercy killing, and capital punishment.
By disrespecting the faith, we're disrespecting ourselves, and disrespecting the ordained clergy. Where once priests were looked at as role models, today they are looked on with suspicion. Some of this is caused by the recent abuse crisis, but it's been going on long before the crisis became news. Obviously, it's a complex problem and smarter people than me haven't been able to come up with an answer. But, in my humble opinion, it begins with parents who show disrespect for the pastor, the bishop, the deacon, or any other minister in front of the kids.
A few years ago, my parish closed it's elementary school. It was an awful, painful process. The handwriting had been on the wall for years, but no one was willing to accept it. When the time finally came to face reality and cut our losses, many of the school parents (and others) blamed the pastor, when, in fact, the pastor had fought to keep it open as long as it was.
The most painful part of the whole ordeal was hearing what some of the parents were saying about the pastor, in front of the kids. They would gather on the parking lot after school and say the most outrageous things, things that no civil person would say about anyone, let alone about a man of God. Did they not think that their kids could hear them? Did they think that they were setting a good example? It's no wonder we have a shortage of vocations.
I know, I'm ranting. But this is a real hot-button issue with me. I was raised Baptist with a father who was extremely anti-Catholic. But, even so, when I when I would see a priest, I knew that there was something special about him. Today, even Catholic kids are not getting the same impression.
Please remember our priests in your prayers.
posted by Mike at 8:05 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home