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Letter
to the Editor
Send to pthorp.ed@votf.org
Commentary
on the Priests’ Forum held at St. Eulalia’s Church,
MA on April 4, 2005
“I
attended this event with my husband and noted a few
things: It was a large group and had to meet in the
Church instead of a hall. There were few, if any, young
people there and most of us appeared to be over 50
(many much older). The priests expressed concern that
so many folks, not just Catholic, have become "indifferent" to
religion and to the churches.
Many
good points were raised by the VOTF members and the
four priests did their best to respond honestly. I
was impressed by the courage of the priests in being
present and responding with their views on married
priests (will probably happen sooner, not later) and
celibacy (a gift; optional; married priests won't solve
the clergy shortage). The issue of giving women "equal
rights" was met with great caution while at the same
time suggesting we all do more to let women preside
at all authorized (and not expressly forbidden) services,
such as Ash Wednesday. Apparently, not many clergy
in this area are willing to even let properly prepared
women "break open the word."
We
learned more about the Boston Priests’ Forum and the
efforts to establish that as a source of inspiration,
education and spiritual nourishment for the priests.
Priests are apparently, in many cases, very demoralized.
One major source of this demoralization is the way
Rome treats them as represented by the way the bishops
treat them. Unfortunately for us and for them, no one
is quite sure how to remedy these problems. VOTF and
the Priests’ Forum are facing similar challenges. The
majority of lay folks and priests view these two groups
with skepticism and alarm and think we/they are all
a bunch of liberal folks out to destroy the church
as they know it. The incoming young seminarians seem
to be ultra conservative and orthodoxy seems to be
the main requirement for ordination (this is true of
selecting bishops, also).
One
of the priests commented that he wished VOTF had used
the word "reform" instead of structural "change" because
he says that the word "change" sparks an immediate
negative reaction. At a time when we want to be empowered
to support positive changes in the church), what I
felt was powerlessness. Although I can't attend VOTF
meetings I am so grateful to whose of you who have
taken on this mission and I hope you will be able to
unite in common cause when you are in Indiana. We will
all need firm resolve to carry us forward, not backward.”
Susan White
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