This excerpt from the Pope's address to Christian leaders during the trip to Madagascar has so much in it that is problematic and yet so much in it that is pithy:
Furthermore, I would like to emphasize an attitude that I do not like, because it does not come from God: rigidity. Today it is fashionable, I do not know about here, but in other parts of the world it is fashionable, to find rigid people. Young, rigid priests, who want to save with rigidity, perhaps, I don’t know, but they take this attitude of rigidity and sometimes – excuse me – from the museum. They are afraid of everything, they are rigid. Be careful, and know that under any rigidity there are serious problems.
This effort must also extend to the vast world of the lay faithful. They too are sent out to the harvest, called to cast their nets and devote their time to their own apostolate, which “in all its many aspects, is exercised both in the Church and in the world” (Apostolicam Actuositatem, 9). In all its breadth, its problems and its varied situations, the world is the specific area of the apostolate where they are called, with generosity and a sense of responsibility, to bring the leaven of the Gospel. For this reason, I express my appreciation for all those initiatives that you have undertaken as pastors to provide training for lay men and women – thank you for this – and not to leave them alone in their mission to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. In this way they will be able to contribute to the transformation of society and the life of the Church in Madagascar.
And please, make sure you do not clericalize the laity. Lay faithful are lay faithful. I heard, in my previous Diocese, proposals like this: “My Lord Bishop, I have a wonderful lay person in the parish: he works hard, he organizes everything ... should we ordain him a deacon?”. Leave him there, don’t ruin his life, let him remain a lay person. And speaking of deacons, deacons often have the temptation of clericalism; they see themselves as presbyters or pseudo-bishops ... No! The deacon is the custodian of service in the Church. Please do not keep deacons at the altar: let them do their work outside, in service. If they have to go on a mission to baptize, let them baptize: it’s ok. But in service, let them not be pseudo-priests.
I think it reveals the generation gap, that the pope is just a fuddy-duddy priest typical of his generation, out of touch with the problems spawned by the liberalism he and priests of his generation celebrate as virtuous.
I don't know if it's fortunate or unfortunate that he's just a regular bloke trying to eradicate the papal mystique- again very typical for priests of his generation. Does it do more harm than good? Did the papal mystique do more harm than good?
There are good things to come out of this generation, but it really does need to pass away, so that real reform can occur and genuine authentic love of Catholicism can flourish once more.
UPDATE:
...lest you think I'm the only one:
Pope Francis is becoming irrelevant, as is his entire generation of bishops. The overwhelming vast majority of new priests are conservative and traditional. We’re talking upward in the neighborhood of 90%. With that, a growing number of young bishops are on the conservative and traditional side too. This has caused the older, and more liberal, generation of bishops to circle their wagons and promote themselves within the hierarchy in a desperate attempt to maintain power for as long as possible. Who knows what they’re waiting for? Maybe they’re hoping against hope that they can hold on long enough for a whole new generation of liberal priests to be ordained after this current generation of conservative and traditional priests becomes middle aged. Sorry, that’s not gonna happen. There aren’t enough liberal young Catholics in the pews left to draw from. Let’s face it, if they’re young, liberal and looking for ministry, the Anglican Communion makes a much more attractive alternative. The pay is better. Women can be ordained. Marriage is allowed. And same-sex relationships are celebrated. The only young Catholic men who want to be Catholic priests now are these highly zealous, pious, orthodox, traditional and conservative types the upper hierarchy has no interest in. The writing is on the wall, proverbially speaking. It’s over. All there is left to do is circle the wagons and wait until the bitter end. Pope Francis is helping to facilitate this, by promoting many old Liberals to the highest positions of power and influence in the Church. As a result, the disconnect between the upper echelons of the hierarchy, and the lower bishops, clergy and laity will grow ever wider. Young bishops, priests and laypeople already have little in common with today’s cardinals and archbishops. In the future, there just won’t be anything left they can agree on, as the Liberal echo-chamber grows louder at the top, while what’s left of the mainstream Church becomes more conservative at the bottom. Liberal parishes won’t last much longer, they’re already becoming very old and grey. Pope Francis is a relic of the 1970s, and so is most of his generation of bishops. The younger and more conservative Catholics no longer want them, and with each passing year they become less needed as well. Yes, Francis’ stacking of the College of Cardinals appears to insure the election of “Francis II” after he’s gone, but this next pope will have less liberal Archbishops to promote to cardinal electors. The pope after that will have even less. Eventually, they’re just gonna have to put some conservative and traditional archbishops back into the college of cardinals. It’s bound to happen sooner or later. I just hope I live long enough to see it.
re-posted from Complete Christianity, the Catholic Blog of Shane Schaetzel
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