"Priests Lose Faith in their Church" /Needed Women Priests in a Renewed Priestly Ministry in a Community of Equals

"Priests lose faith in their church"
Leesha McKenny
RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS -
Sydney Morning Herald
February 26, 2011

"Such were the varied, often frank and sometimes bleak views of Australia's Catholic clergy revealed in an anonymous survey.

"The Charles Sturt University academics Chris McGillion and John O'Carroll approached 1550 active and 160 retired priests for their views on their lives and their church, and 542 took part in the written survey.
The results, plus 50 face-to-face interviews, were the basis of their book Our Fathers, which revealed that many thought the Vatican was out of touch, bishops were bad managers and the future of the church was a cause of great concern.
''You've got a very representative group of mainstream priests responding,'' said Mr McGillion, a former Herald journalist.What emerged was a priesthood in a professional crisis, rather than a vocational one, he said. While 90.2 per cent said their lives as priests had been fulfilling, 47.4 per cent found the workload ''excessive'' and 54.3 per cent thought they had too little say in the life of the church.Only 35.4 per cent thought bishops were doing a good job, with one saying their performance was ''between poor and mediocre''. But 43 per cent did not feel nurtured by their bishop while 41.5 per cent did. Almost 65 per cent did not think Rome understood the challenges facing priests and 70.1 per cent thought it often failed to understand the nature of the Australian church.This schism was reflected in the respondents' views on church teachings. Only 19.2 per cent thought it sinful for married couples to use birth control.Almost 70 per cent thought abortion was always a sin but only 40.2 per cent said the same of sex before marriage. More than 70 per cent thought celibacy for priests should be optional and several priests made ''no secret of the fact they were in long-term committed relationships with women..."

Bridget Mary's Reflection

This is yet another example of the worldwide institutional meltdown of the Roman Catholic clerical, male-dominated church. The Australian male priests, like the Irish priests, have had it with the Vatican's disconnect from the people of God on a number of issues including the coverup of the global sexual abuse crisis, lay empowerment, the role of women in the church, the movement backward to a Pre-Vatican Church. What can be done? Plenty. Communities of faith do not need to pay, pray and obey the Vatican as they go backward to Medieval Catholcism.

We, Vatican II Catholics, must obey the Spirit who is calling us to prophetic obedience to disobey unjust laws like the ban on women's ordination. The Vatican can no longer continue to discriminate against women and blame God for it. It is time for grassroots faith communities to rise up, and take back our church. We are called to a renewed priestly ministry of married priests, women priests and celibate male priests, who work together for a more just, egalitarian people-empowered church. Let's be the change we wish to see happen in the world now!

Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP

www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org