tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18842286.post6823354848088189950..comments2024-02-26T09:30:54.111-06:00Comments on Domine, da mihi hanc aquam!: On clericalism and powerFr. Philip Powell, OPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14970857401221305221noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18842286.post-32893064471854423562013-10-16T09:00:50.079-05:002013-10-16T09:00:50.079-05:00I am happy to see clericalism is being discussed o...I am happy to see clericalism is being discussed on many blogs and posts. Pope Francis actually said the fundamental illness is: ecclesiastical narcissism which is bigger than clericalism. I have seen a lot discussed about clericalism in certain areas as related to priests attitudes, the way they choose to dress ect. This is not fair to the clergy and it shorts the problem. .This is only a part of the problem. But what I have not seen discussed is the problem of an inward looking Church that is not acting on the missionary mandate to evangelize. Pope Francis actually said the fundamental illness is: ecclesiastical narcissism.Pope Francis also said, When the Church does not come out of itself to evangelize,” he said, “it becomes self-referential and then gets sick.”<br />That inward-looking Church, which doesn’t look sufficiently to Christ and doesn’t reflect him, his light and his love for those walking in darkness, quickly succumbs to what he called the worst evil of all, a “spiritual worldliness … living in itself, of itself, for itself.”<br />That, for him, is the fundamental corruption of the Church that needs to be reformed.<br />Good Adult Fauth formation is what is needed in every parish. <br />http://www.catholicworldreport.com/Item/2629/cardinal_arinze_on_the_role_of_the_laity.aspx#.Ul6J5NKkreIAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18842286.post-78479029875413296742013-10-15T10:40:59.845-05:002013-10-15T10:40:59.845-05:00Interesting posting, pray to God to change anythin...Interesting posting, pray to God to change anything that you don't like, God's Blessings!<br /><br />Corinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10338271277747768579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18842286.post-1908929509252655002013-10-15T10:16:44.620-05:002013-10-15T10:16:44.620-05:00Thank you Father. Your point about the exercise of...Thank you Father. Your point about the exercise of power is so true. I shared this on my Facebook page, along with several comments. One of which is this: "And the problem, as pointed out in the quote above really gets to the heart of it: the Mystical Body of Christ is not to be governed by power plays. Christ's most powerful hour was the one where he was the weakest, and completely submissive to both His captors, and the will of the Father. Humility. Obedience. In imitation of Christ." I hope us younger clergy can learn that lesson well, and not simply exercise power the way we've seen it exercised, in a way that is detrimental to the unity of the Mystical Body. Fr. Gaurav Shroff https://www.blogger.com/profile/04964314266441708310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18842286.post-27973095606184742502013-10-15T09:51:02.403-05:002013-10-15T09:51:02.403-05:00The sad part is that by making it all about POWER,...The sad part is that by making it all about POWER, clericalists miss the whole point of the Church which is about the salvation of souls and the facilitation of Grace. By making it about power, they turn the focus away from God and onto Man as the ultimate end thus totally undermining the mission of the Church in order to fulfill some terrestrial fantasy. James Lockehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12775302972135332609noreply@blogger.com