“Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the sabbath.” (Math 10:2) This was an accusation made against Jesus and his disciples. “Something greater than the temple is here,” was the criterion for the reason Jesus gave for abrogating the Sabbath. Pope Francis broke the rule of the Synod on synodality in Vatican on October this year. Only 75% of the participants were bishops, which was supposedly a Synod only of bishops, the others were lay men and women with full voting powers. This decision of the pope was questioned. He replied, “It is not appropriate to assert a difference in degree that implies considering the common priesthood of the faithful as something of a ‘second class’ or of lesser value (lower grade). The priest alone presides at the Eucharist, but such tasks do not favour the superiority of one over the other.” “Before differences, which establish hierarchies, is the equality of the children of God. The greatest title of belonging to the Church is not to be pope, nor bishop, nor priest, nor consecrated, but a son of God.” Fr. Dario Vitali, spoke in the General Congregation 12 October 18, 2023. It is reported that the clerical sexual abuse from 1950 to 2020 created 216,000 victims. Was the underlying reason of clerical abuse anything sexual? The study reports repeated the issue at stake was abuse of authority. “To say ‘no’ to abuse is to say an emphatic ‘no’ to all forms of clericalism,” Pope Francis said.
While Protestantism made the Church a people without a priesthood, Catholic apologists reduced the Church to a priestly system without a Christian people, is a criticism heard from the Vatican II theologian Congar. The church is in danger of falling into what Congar calls Pharisaism: “This does occur whenever she allows the means to become the end. Excessive emphasis on the ecclesiastical apparatus can lead one to neglecting the life of the community and to overlooking the vital role of the Holy Spirit.” One cannot deny that the ghost of Caesar haunted the church for centuries, so too the philosopher king of Plato. Bishops must be servants, not vain careerists who hanger after power and honour. “The clergy often stand above and aloof to their flocks, to a distance the faithful can respond in a childish spirit of obedience and false reverence,” bemoaned Pope Francis. The Pope says that clericalism happens “when the cleric doesn’t have time to listen to those who are suffering, the poor, the sick, the imprisoned, it is a perversion of the Church.” Real clericalism is apparent when a priest, religious or bishop has an attitude of superiority over the flock in that he believes he is ‘better’ than they are, whether spiritually, intellectually or otherwise.
Bishops are the successors of the Apostles. Bishops succeed the apostles in their ministry only, and not in their special role as founders of the church related to the uniqueness of the apostolate which are non-transferable. But those who were at the Last Supper are called apostles only by Luke. John of the fourth Gospel does not say that the Twelve are apostles, they were Jewish disciples. John and Mark do not give importance to the Twelve. Moreover the apostolic authority consists in witnessing the risen Lord. Congar wrote, “The apostles were essentially witnesses, heralds of the Good News, preachers and teachers”
Synodal church cannot but hear the priests, religious and laity including women. The future church will be and cannot but be a church of participation in decision making process. Priesthood is of Christ, it is a gift. In baptism we ‘put on Christ,’ St Paul says in Galatians (2:20): “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” For this reason priesthood, in its authentic form, should be separated from abusive clericalism. We can foresee the Oriental Synods and Episcopal conferences deconstructing themselves with delegates of the Presbyteral Councils and Pastoral Councils and from the Generals and provincials of the Religious Congregations. The mission of the church is the mission of all Christ’s disciples, and both the laity and ordained ministers are part of this community of disciples and, though in varied capacities, they all have an equal stake in the church.