Fighting Against Clericalism

A Call for a Synodal Church

Abstract

Clericalism is one of the big challenges that the church has been facing until now. Some good theologians have done critical and well done researches on this matter. It happen that clericalism has taken its root in every part of the church’s body. Hence, it is not correct to say that clericalism is only one-side problem of the clerics, but lay people as well. When we talk about this matter, we come to know that clericalism is related to abuse of position, power and authority in the church. It is all about a concept of superior and inferior; the clergy has more power than the lay people. Realizing that clericalism is destructive for the church’s life, we need to take action to cut this culture off. A synodal church can be a counter-attack to fight against this clerical culture. However, we must open our hearts, first and foremost, to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Then, we have to create a richer culture of collaboration in the church governance at all levels. Eventually, we should also remember that God’s Word was addressed to the whole people of God. Therefore, we are called to be one body with Christ as our head.

Introduction

After the Second Vatican Council many clergy and Catholic laity hoped that the power of clericalism would disappear from the body of the church, especially in light of the Council’s emphasis on the role of lay members in Church life. However, Pope Francis is aware that clerical culture has rooted deep in the church especially when it comes to the institutional matter. In his papacy, he always reminds the faithful, clerics and laypeople alike, that we are all the people of God who calls us to take part in the history of salvation.

Moreover, Pope Francis offers a synodal spirit to fight against clericalism. What does it mean to be a synodal church? It is all about listening to the Holy Spirit – here and now – and acting accordingly under the will of God. Then, only a full-fledged collaboration in church administration and leadership at all levels can break through the culture of clerical privilege. It is not enough only to pray that this problem will disappear, but to put into practice what the Vatican II offers, especially about the important role of the laypeople, both in the church and in the society.

In this paper, I will discuss about clericalism – its definition and presence in the church. By having some library research, reading here and there, I try to give a comprehensive feature on the chosen topic. Eventually, I am able to conclude that “Pope Francis’s principle of synodal church is urgent to fight against clericalism.” A synodal church is a call of God for each one of us, no matter what our positions are. Jesus wished, “That all may be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:21).

What is Clericalism?

The issue of clericalism in the church has always been a hot topic to discuss since long time ago. However, in order to avoid misunderstanding, it is important to define what clericalism is all about. Otherwise, one may misjudge a priest (or other clerics) only by the appearance without having a clear idea about clericalism. According to Thomas Doyle, clericalism has always had a pejorative connotation and has been a negative force in the Church and in society.^[1] Not only that, another interesting thing about this term is that some dictionary definitions of the word create a negative impression. One example is the definition given by the Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary. According to this dictionary, clericalism is a policy of maintaining or increasing the power of a religious hierarchy.

As a matter of fact, “clericalism may be found in many organizations beyond religious or spiritual ones and is the tendency to allow a small group of highly regarded and special leaders to have the power and privilege to make all or most of the important and critical decisions for the organization and those within it.”^[2] Thus, when we enter to the Roman Catholic faith tradition, this term is indeed pointing to the same direction. Clericalism in the catholic church is manifested in a belief and practice that only ordained clergy, such as priests and bishops, have any true authority to make decisions and can do so without input from non-priests or non-bishops.^[3] It becomes obvious that this term wants to tell us that “there two different groups within the church – clergy and laity.”

Moreover, from the given definitions, the main issue brought by clericalism is strongly related to position, power, and authority in the church. We can easily catch the concept of superior and inferior, up and down, or hierarchical structure where the clergy has more power than the lay people. Sad to say, clericalism is eventually considered as “the situation in which the clergy are seen as the church, as 'normative of godliness or holiness', and where 'lay people are denied an equal share in the decision-making processes of the church, equal access to resources of theology, spirituality and training' and as seen by the clergy as 'being passive, needing teaching, unspiritual, untheological, unresponsive and ultimately irresponsible, unable to be trusted with the things that matter - the holy mysteries'.”^[4] Eventually, clericalism underscores the belief and practice that priests and bishops are very special, superior to lay people in matters personal and religious, and that their authority and pronouncements on all issues should be accepted and acted upon without input by those without the clerical designation.^[5]

A Clerical Culture in the Church

It is no wrong that clericalism is eventually considered as a very problematic situation in the church. According to the history, the clerical culture has been inside the church since the early age of the church. Why? The reason is exactly because the institutional Catholic church is made up of two groups: the laity and the clergy. Therefore, if we go back to the past, will we find any other groups except the ordained clerics governing the church? No, because throughout history the institutional Church has been governed in toto by the clerical estate. Moreover, the Church’s governmental structure is hierarchical by definition, and, according to official Catholic teaching, intended so by divine will.^[6] All power is held by individual office-holders who are ordained clerics. Like all monarchies, power flowed from top to bottom.

As we continue discussing on this topic, we remember that the church began to construct a theology of sacred orders (deacon, priest, bishop). A priest receives an “indelible mark” on his soul in Holy Orders, allowing him to act in persona Christi. Unfortunately, this theology had supported the isolation of clerics into a special caste, different from the lay people. It let the clerical culture grow bigger and stronger within the church. Richard Gaillardetz says, “such a theology presumes a very privatized notion of priestly vocation, moving too easily from a sense of God’s call to the individual’s acceptance of that call, and overlooking entirely the necessary mediating role of the church as the context in which that call is discerned, assessed, and cultivated.”^[7] The common conception is that bishops are direct descendants of the apostles, and both bishops and priests are ontologically different from lay persons because they have been singled out by God to represent Jesus Christ on earth.

Moreover, everyone know that the priest’s most sublime duty is to celebrate the Eucharist and in doing so, he is actually taking the place of Christ. The theology of the priesthood affirms this by saying that the priest is the “alter Christus” or “other Christ.” The formation in the seminary indeed has its own participation to create the future priest. Clerics are taught from the seminary onward that celibacy makes them superior to the non-celibate because it requires a higher degree of internal strength and dedication which is given to the elect by God.^[8]

However, this clerical culture is not limited to the clergy themselves. To the extent that the laity also share the same cultural presuppositions as the clergy, we too participate in and help sustain that culture, rendering invisible many of its problematic features.^[9] Of course, the teaching and theology of the church situate them to that nuance. Russell Shaw, in his 1993 study of Catholic clericalism, says that the laity are in some ways more clericalized than the clergy.^[10] When we look at the church, the lay people most of the time will respect, obey, and submit themselves to their pastors.

Funnily, in the past there had been such clericalist mythology about the immense power of the priesthood, a mythology readily believed by Catholics with a need for spiritual security. For example, when you were against your parish priest, you had committed sin. Or, if a child was born without an arm, people said it was because the mother said something against a priest. So, basically whatever the priests said, you followed. This is a very dangerous culture because it cuts down our freedom. Clerical culture can be highly destructive for clerics and laypersons. It does not allow for productive checks and balances as well as input and feedback that is vital to develop and maintain best practices and thoughtful quality decision making in the church.^[11] Ritchard Gaillardetz adds,

“it is this clerical culture—a culture marked by the hardening of boundaries between the clerical guild and the whole people of God, a culture sustained by an emphasis on the exclusive competencies and powers they employ, a culture justified by reductive and hyper-individualistic theologies of sacramental character, a culture that demands from the people titles of respect and habits of deference—it is this deeply embedded clerical culture that must be excised from the ecclesial body if the Catholic Church is to be restored to health.”^[12]

A Call for A Synodal Church

The self-identification of clerics with the favor of the Almighty led to a variety of social and legal privileges, expected deference, vast power, and an aura of fear.^[13] The worst case will be the abuse of power and authority in the church. However, it is time to change the old mentality that the church is institutional. It will be very shallow to remain thinking about the church merely as an institution composed by clerics and laypersons. We need a paradigm shift that the Second Vatican Council offers. In other words, we must let this council be our guide and go back to the Gospel. Healing the church from the evils of clericalism will require us to become more faithful to our deepest identity as a pilgrim church and priestly people.^[14]

The Second Vatican, which had a determination to "return to the sources" and “aggiornamento,” eventually brings back a significant theology of divine revelation. Moreover, the council affirms the confidence that Christians ought to possess in the possibility of knowing God, in Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Dei Verbum article 2 says:

“It pleased God, in his goodness and wisdom, to reveal himself and to make known the mystery of his will, which was that people can draw near to the Father, through Christ, the Word made flesh, in the Holy Spirit, and thus become sharers in the divine nature.”

From this theology of revelation, then we can move to the most important reminder of the council that “God’s Word was addressed to the whole people of God”^[15] and not primarily to the magisterium, clerics, consecrated persons, or those who have authority in the church. The Word of God emerges within the whole church through a complex set of ecclesial relationship in which all the baptized, professional theologians, and the college of bishop play vital and necessary roles.^[16] In this case, the church cannot be considered anymore as an institutional building, but more than that, a school of discipleship in which dominating power and a preoccupation with control are transformed into the power of reconciliation and human relationship under the light of the Divine Word. Here, we have to talk about Pope Francis’s principle of synodal church.

Pope Francis has identified a clerical culture deeply embedded at all levels of church life. Being aware of this dangerous culture during his papacy, Pope Francis, first and foremost, has to restore the primacy of the bishop’s relationship to his local church and he has done much on it. His call for a synodal church really depends on all church leaders, including the local bishops, becoming attuned to the practices of prayerful listening to the wisdom of their flock. Prayerful listening to the laity by bishops and all clergy, while necessary, is not sufficient if we are really intent on breaking up the clerical sedimentation that exists in our church.^[17]

Thus, what we really need to build the atmosphere of a synodal church are indeed an openness to the Holy spirit and a richer culture of collaboration in church governance at all levels. It is far different from the spirit of clericalism that works only under one direction, no dialogue or collaboration. Only a full-fledged collaboration in church administration and leadership at all levels can break through the culture of clerical privilege that insulates church leaders from healthy criticism and the diverse insights and gifts that the lay faithful, men and women, might offer.^[18] Additionally, the sense of faith has to take part in this synodal church, as individual believer (sensus fidei fidelis) or as the entire people of God (sensus fidei fidelium). The reason is that both individual believer and the discernment of the whole Christian community, actively contribute to the development of the church and her mission.

However, do not think that this will be easy. It has a lot of boundaries to break, especially when it comes to the matter of clerics and laypersons. Following the Second Vatican Council many clergy and Catholic laity hoped that the power of clericalism would wane, especially in light of the Council’s emphasis on the role of lay members in Church life. Yet recent studies indicate that the present generation of young priests see themselves as essentially different from the laity and as men set apart by God. It appears from this and other indicators that Catholic clericalism is alive, malignant, and prospering.^[19] No wonder why Pope Francis always calls a formal mechanism for listening at every level of church life, because it is indeed difficult. From time to time, there are numerous bishops and priests who are and always have been exemplary as unselfish and totally dedicated servants of Christ, yet the system itself is difficult to change. Every time we see the church as institution, clericalism tends to appear in the first place.

In this situation, let us be optimistic enough to implement the structural, disciplinary, and theological changes that began with the Second Vatican Council. Of course, there will be some challenges because it touches a sensitive issue in the church about power and authority. Moreover, we have to put into practice the empowering relationship between magisterium, theologian and sense of faithful. As mentioned above, the Vatican II presented divine revelation as the living Word of God communicated in its fullness by the power of the Holy Spirit in the person of Jesus Christ. This Word was addressed not exclusively to St. Peter and the apostles or to the pope and bishops but to the whole church and, indeed, to all humankind – without denying the call of the twelve disciples with whom Jesus lived. In this regard, the vocation of bishops and theologians shared a common foundation, service to the Word of God.^[20]

Finally, we are all one body with Christ as our head. As Jesus said, “But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters. And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father, the one in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant” (Matt. 23:8-11 NRSV). As Pope Francis ever said, “Lay people are part of the faithful Holy People of God and thus are the protagonists of the Church and of the world; we [priests] are called to serve them, not to be served by them.”

Sources

Doyle, Thomas P. “Clericalism: Enabler of Clergy Sexual Abuse.” Pastoral Psychology, vol. 54, no. 3, Jan. 2006, pp. 189–213. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-006-6323x.

Doyle, Thomas P. “Roman Catholic Clericalism, Religious Duress, and Clergy Sexual Abuse.” Pastoral Psychology, vol. 51, no. 3, Jan. 2003, pp. 189–231. EBSCOhost, https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lsdah&AN=ATLA0001440526&site=ehost-live.

Gaillardetz, Richard R. “A Church in Crisis: How Did We Get Here? How Do We Move Forward?” Worship, vol. 93, July 2019, pp. 204–24. EBSCOhost, https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lsdah&AN=ATLAiFZK190731001163&site=ehost-live

Gaillardetz, Richard R. By What Authority? Foundations for Understanding Authority in the Church. Minnesota: Liturgical Press Academic, 2018.

Plante, Thomas G. “Clericalism Contributes to Religious, Spiritual, and Behavioral Struggles among Catholic Priests.” Religions, vol. 11, no. 5, May 2020, pp. 1–8. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11050217.

^[1] Thomas P. Doyle, “Roman Catholic clericalism, religious duress, and clergy sexual abuse”, in Pastoral Psychology, 2003,51: 209.

^[2] Thomas G. Plante, “Clericalism Contributes to Religious, Spiritual, and Behavioral Struggles among Catholic Priests.” In Religions, vol. 11, no. 5, May 2020, P. 2. 

^[3] Thomas G. Plante, “Clericalism Contributes to Religious”, 2.

^[4] Nelson, John. “An Abuse of Power: Bishops and Clericalism.” In Modern Believing, vol. 36, no. 2, Apr. 1995, p. 46.

^[5] Thomas G. Plante, “Clericalism Contributes to Religious”, 2.

^[6] Thomas P. Doyle, “Clericalism: Enabler of Clergy Sexual Abuse.” In Pastoral Psychology, vol. 54, no. 3, Jan. 2006, p. 193.

^[7] Richard R. Gaillardetz, “A Church in Crisis: How Did We Get Here? How Do We Move Forward?” Worship, vol. 93, July 2019, p. 210.

^[8] Thomas P. Doyle, “Clericalism: Enabler of Clergy Sexual Abuse”, 196.

^[9] Richard R. Gaillardetz, “A Church in Crisis”, 208.

^[10] Thomas P. Doyle, “Clericalism: Enabler of Clergy Sexual Abuse”, 210.

^[11] Thomas G. Plante, “Clericalism Contributes to Religious”, 2.

^[12] Richard R. Gaillardetz, “A Church in Crisis”, 211.

^[13] Thomas P. Doyle, “Clericalism: Enabler of Clergy Sexual Abuse”, 194.

^[14] Richard R. Gaillardetz, “A Church in Crisis”, 212.

^[15] Richard R. Gaillardetz, By What Authority? Foundations for Understanding Authority in the Church (Minnesota: Liturgical Press Academic, 2018), 25.

^[16] Richard R. Gaillardetz, By What Authority?, 25.

^[17] Richard R. Gaillardetz, “A Church in Crisis”, 221.

^[18] Richard R. Gaillardetz, “A Church in Crisis”, 222.

^[19] Thomas P. Doyle, “Clericalism: Enabler of Clergy Sexual Abuse”, 190.

^[20] Richard R. Gaillardetz, By What Authority?, 222.