Clericalism, which Pope Francis calls “a perversion of the priesthood,” operates also among some Catholic priests and bishops in India, says a Jesuit moral theologian.
Clericalism is largely center-ed on one’s access to power and wealth in the Church, which in turn gives some priests and bi-shop the taken-for-granted immunity, explains Father Stanislaus Alla, professor of moral theology at Delhi’s Vidyajyoti College of Theology.
The theologian was sharing his reflections at an April 2 webinar on “Clericalism” in the background of the essay titled “Hierarchicalism” by American Jesuit James Keenan, which was published in the latest issue of Theological Studies.
The Secretariat for Service of Faith of the Jesuit Conference of South Asia organized the webinar.
According to Fr Stanislaus, while the importance and impact of the culture of ‘clericalism’ came to light by the expose of child-abuse in the West, it can be noticed equally in many forms in India.
Fr Stanislaus quoted Peter Daly of the Washington who re-gularly contributes to the National Catholic Reporter and discusses clericalism.
Bishops and priests — the clerics — “are often trained to think they are set apart from and set above everyone else in the Church. Their word is not to be questioned. Their behavior is not to be questioned. Their lifestyle is not to be questioned” says Father Daly.
Father Stanislaus says people have lived with and have known “dedicated, simple, holy, humble and service-minded priests and bishops.” But at the same time, they also come across pastors with clericalism-mindset.