Father Koch: The disciples cannot let go of their internal power struggle
October 19, 2024 at 12:00 p.m.
Gospel reflection for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time
The sin of jealousy that plagued the disciples earlier on their journey to Jerusalem now again rears its head. The apostles James and John asked Jesus for roles of governance in the Kingdom that he is to establish. There seems that there was a desire to displace Peter and the others by boldly and directly asking Jesus to sit at his right and at his left. The other disciples were indignant at their ambition, and were undoubtedly jealous as well. Apparently they thought that they were the greatest among the disciples. Jesus rebuked their request and offered them the chalice from which he will drink. They do not yet understand what this will mean for them.
Pope Francis was asked in a recent interview what he thinks the Church will look like in 50 years. He noted that while some think that we are heading for a significant downsizing of the Church on a global scale, there are others who believe that the present missionary territories will reinvigorate the old churches in Europe and the Americas. The Holy Father, as he often does, indicated that whichever of those paths proves to be true he hopes will not be plagued by a new clericalism. Francis consistently indicates the threats that clericalism poses to the Church and desires to see that become a thing of the past.
There is indeed a deep struggle in the Church between the more progressive and the more traditionalist wings within various theological and pastoral circles. The on-going Synod on Synodality has highlighted, through to a much lesser extent than expected, what some of these differences are.
Clericalism is a sweeping term that highlights only one aspect of the divisions we encounter within the Church. There are roles proper to priests and deacons, just as there are roles appropriate for the consecrated religious which are unique to their calling and their office. The delineation of these roles is necessary for governance and for clarity in service. There also exists a wide range of largely undefined roles for the laity within Church structure on every level. On the parish and diocesan levels the nature of such authority is established on a more local level within the framework of the guidelines set forth by diocesan authority.
The confusion we experience within the Church today relates to how ministry is exercised within the various ambiguous parameters. Priests, deacons, religious and the multitude of lay ecclesial ministers try to coexist in ill-defined ways, reliant then upon pastors to set structures.
Whenever there is ministry, sadly, there is jealousy.
We are envious of the God-given talents of others; we are jealous of titles, positions, influence and often even resentful of those whom we perceive to be part of an “inner circle.” This is found among priests and the religious, and is also part of the stigma of clericalism that Pope Francis desires to see eliminated. While there is no equivalent term for lay ministers who experience the same desires, and bouts of jealousy, the experience is just as real, off-putting, scandalous, and destructive within the life of the Church.
Jesus offers a remedy by reminding us that the Kingdom of Heaven does not work like a worldly kingdom. We are not judged by titles, degrees, positions or influence. The people whom we serve usually care less about those things than do we. There are those who try to leverage influence over the ministers of the Church by using titles, and boast to their own inner circles that they entertain Church figures of some influence or position. These people stroke their own egos by feeding into our tendency to want to feel important, serving then to create a mutually insincere and destructive symbiotic relationship.
Jesus asks us to be last -- not in a self-deprecating way (which also sometimes brings attention to us) but in ways that are authentic and of genuine service to the Church.
In real ways all of us are the victims of clericalism, even while we might promote it or buy into it unknowingly.
Our desire on every level of the hierarchy of the Church ought only be to love God and our neighbor, and to put others ahead of us as a genuine account of self-sacrifice not self-aggrandizement.
Father Garry Koch is pastor of St. Benedict Parish, Holmdel.
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Gospel reflection for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time
The sin of jealousy that plagued the disciples earlier on their journey to Jerusalem now again rears its head. The apostles James and John asked Jesus for roles of governance in the Kingdom that he is to establish. There seems that there was a desire to displace Peter and the others by boldly and directly asking Jesus to sit at his right and at his left. The other disciples were indignant at their ambition, and were undoubtedly jealous as well. Apparently they thought that they were the greatest among the disciples. Jesus rebuked their request and offered them the chalice from which he will drink. They do not yet understand what this will mean for them.
Pope Francis was asked in a recent interview what he thinks the Church will look like in 50 years. He noted that while some think that we are heading for a significant downsizing of the Church on a global scale, there are others who believe that the present missionary territories will reinvigorate the old churches in Europe and the Americas. The Holy Father, as he often does, indicated that whichever of those paths proves to be true he hopes will not be plagued by a new clericalism. Francis consistently indicates the threats that clericalism poses to the Church and desires to see that become a thing of the past.
There is indeed a deep struggle in the Church between the more progressive and the more traditionalist wings within various theological and pastoral circles. The on-going Synod on Synodality has highlighted, through to a much lesser extent than expected, what some of these differences are.
Clericalism is a sweeping term that highlights only one aspect of the divisions we encounter within the Church. There are roles proper to priests and deacons, just as there are roles appropriate for the consecrated religious which are unique to their calling and their office. The delineation of these roles is necessary for governance and for clarity in service. There also exists a wide range of largely undefined roles for the laity within Church structure on every level. On the parish and diocesan levels the nature of such authority is established on a more local level within the framework of the guidelines set forth by diocesan authority.
The confusion we experience within the Church today relates to how ministry is exercised within the various ambiguous parameters. Priests, deacons, religious and the multitude of lay ecclesial ministers try to coexist in ill-defined ways, reliant then upon pastors to set structures.
Whenever there is ministry, sadly, there is jealousy.
We are envious of the God-given talents of others; we are jealous of titles, positions, influence and often even resentful of those whom we perceive to be part of an “inner circle.” This is found among priests and the religious, and is also part of the stigma of clericalism that Pope Francis desires to see eliminated. While there is no equivalent term for lay ministers who experience the same desires, and bouts of jealousy, the experience is just as real, off-putting, scandalous, and destructive within the life of the Church.
Jesus offers a remedy by reminding us that the Kingdom of Heaven does not work like a worldly kingdom. We are not judged by titles, degrees, positions or influence. The people whom we serve usually care less about those things than do we. There are those who try to leverage influence over the ministers of the Church by using titles, and boast to their own inner circles that they entertain Church figures of some influence or position. These people stroke their own egos by feeding into our tendency to want to feel important, serving then to create a mutually insincere and destructive symbiotic relationship.
Jesus asks us to be last -- not in a self-deprecating way (which also sometimes brings attention to us) but in ways that are authentic and of genuine service to the Church.
In real ways all of us are the victims of clericalism, even while we might promote it or buy into it unknowingly.
Our desire on every level of the hierarchy of the Church ought only be to love God and our neighbor, and to put others ahead of us as a genuine account of self-sacrifice not self-aggrandizement.
Father Garry Koch is pastor of St. Benedict Parish, Holmdel.