Your thoughts on eliminating the priesthood

With the exception of Henry VIII, every church disaster has been caused by the clergy. The present structure of the church is inherently unfair and corrupt.

Contemporary Judaism and the B'hai Faith do very well without clergy. Only the clergy need the clergy.

While it will not happen during our lifetimes, a future Catholic Christianity will be one without clergy. Their days are numbered.

JOHN BARBIERI

Delray Beach, Florida

***

We could all be studying the Bible together, in small groups. That way people could get to know one another, and therefore love one another. 

At Mass, when you turn to your neighbor and say "peace," it strikes me that you might as well be saying "shut up."



MADELINE BRUCE

Nanaimo, British Columbia

***

Recently, proliferations of ideas how to "run" the church have sprouted like mushrooms. The church is beginning to sound like a political body, not the body of Christ. Her actions are becoming in line with the current initiatives of the world and out of sync with the mission of Christ, that of doing the will of the father. 

Christ did not intend for the church to "operate" by human wisdom but by the spirit of God. 

RUFINO TY

Brampton, Ontario

***

There has been a lingering confusion about the role of the ministerial priesthood which has persisted, aided by poor catechesis, for almost as long as Andrew Greeley's "solution" to priest shortages in the western world.

The priesthood was never meant to be the best of us, because there you birth elitism. Nor was it for the "holiest" or "righteous" amongst us, because out of such thinking you recreate the pharisees of the New Testament world, the kind of clericalism that the author of this article rails against. Just as Pope Francis said, it is a service. It is meant to be for those willing to pour themselves out for others. To come with a full cup of water and to give it all away for the thirsty, leaving nothing for yourself. This is acting in persona Christi.

Sadly, the laity, who have badly formed by secular ideas and ideologies, look to the sanctuary on Sunday (if they even attend at all) and expect to see a mirror. "Why can't I see myself?" "Why can't priests be married?" "What can't women be priests?" When they look at the sanctuary, they see an elderly man, beaten down by the expectations of a world that blames him for every ill to befall the church. He's just a "cleric," right? And we charge him with fixing everything. He shoulders all the responsibility but we scoff at the idea of his authority and following him. After all, he's a single man! What would he know about being (insert other demographic)?

But the priesthood isn't meant to be a mirror to reflect our own likeness but, in some respects, it currently does. All the ways it is broken, that's us. People want priests to be parent, friend, confidant, spiritual doctor, sacramental dispenser and representative leader. A priest can't be that nor was he meant to be. In his trembling hands, aware of the responsibility, he holds a mirror pointed to heaven and says, "please, don't look to me, look to Jesus." At least he's meant to and nothing about that needs changing.

PETER GILMORE

East Corrimal, Australia

***

This "peace corps" idea of service, doing unto others, to the people, the church, has been in clinical trial mode for about 2,020 years. Maybe that is part of its essence: trial.

And even Gabe Moran's sense of how language works is eons old. Good thing the stars are set in the sky; maybe they are immune to trial.

EILEEN McMAHON

Hastings-on-Hudson, New York

***

I share all the content of the article, in part similar to the positions supported by Jesuit Fr. Karl Rahner and Fr. Hans Küng.

But the meaning of the conclusion is not clear to me, that is, "the Catholic Church needs immediate change of language and the first clear steps to reform." What does the author mean by "the Catholic Church"? Does he intend a change of language and directives by the central authority or does he intend experiments at a local level, within the limits of the autonomy that belongs to the local churches and is increasingly being recognized or at least tolerated?

If the author wants this last alternative, it is immediately available, but must be requested at the level of the local churches.

GIUSEPPE BADINI 

Sheffield, England

***

During my time in the seminary (1973-76), my sacraments professor proposed a priesthood that would be a limited commitment.

The discernment of the Amazon synod raised my hopes that the institution would right a wrong, elevating the vocational ministry of priesthood over the core sacrament of our faith, Jesus' life-giving gift of the Eucharist. Did someone say righting a heresy?

(Fr.) SCOTT HILL, OMI

Oakland, California

Join the Conversation

Send your thoughts and ideas, reactions and responses to [email protected]. The editor will collect them, curate them and publish a sampling in Letters to the Editor online or in our print edition.

We cannot publish everything. We will do our best to represent the full range of letters received. Here are the rules:

Letters to the editor should be submitted to [email protected].

Letters to the editor should be limited to 250 words.

Letters must include your name, street address, city, state and zip code. We will publish your name and city, state, but not your full address.

If the letter refers to a specific article published at ncronline.org, please send in the headline or the link of the article.

Please include a daytime telephone number where we can reach you. We will not publish your phone number. It may be used for verification.

We can't guarantee publication of all letters, but you can be assured that your submission will receive careful consideration.

Published letters may be edited for length and style.