Ministry
Part 3 Theology
Chapter p31 Theology of Ministry
Preliminary QuestionsBibliography |
Leading the EucharistThe Subject of the Sacrament |
To Think About |
Preliminary Questions
Bibliography
Mike Joncas. "The New Roman Rite Prayer of Ordination of
Presbyters: A Liturgical Vision of the Priesthood." The Priest 48/5 (May 1992)
39-47.
Mike Joncas. "Naming the Tasks of Presbyteral Ministry: A Comparison of the
Promissio Electorum in the 1968 and 1990 Roman Rite Ordination Ritual." Service
of the Church: Essays on Theology and Ministry honoring Reverend Charles L.
Froehle. Ed. Victor J. Klimoski and Mary Christine Athans. St. Paul, MN: St.
Paul Seminary School of Divinity University of St. Thomas, 1993. Pp. 101-116.
Mike Joncas. "The Public Language of Ministry Revisited: De Ordinatione
Episcopi, Presbyterorum et Diaconorum 1990". Worship 68/5 (1994) 386-403.
Mike Joncas. "Ordination 3: Medieval and Roman Catholic," New Westminister
Dictionary of Liturgy and Worship, edited by Paul Bradshaw (Louisville, Ky., and
London: Westminister John Knox Press, 2002).
Leading the Eucharist
1. For the first twelve centuries "alter Christus" (another Christ) was a term that applied to all of the baptized. We became "alter Christus" by baptism.
2. In the twelfth century the priest begins to be "alter Christus" because: 1) His hands are anointed in the ordination ceremony. 2) when asked how the Eucharist change comes about the theology has put forward that it is caused by the priest saying the words this is my body in the person of Christ. That is how he can say "my". [This is my body...]The Theology develops that the priest is acting in persona Christi, in the person of Christ. 3) this neglects the function of the priest as leader of the community. He is the one who is authorized, ordained, to speak in the name and with the voice of the community. He can pray in the first person plural: I, We, Our. This function of the priest is seen that he is praying in persona Christi capitis ecclesiae. That is the priest acts the leader of the church, that is, he acts in place of, in the person of Christ, who is head of the Church, his body. This relates the priest more to the church and to the body of Christ which it the ecclesiae body, where as the former united the priest more to the body of Christ, which is the Christ gloriously risen in heaven, seated at the right-hand of the father. These two bodies of course are identical that this theology is not yet developed. This understanding of priest as head of the local community requires the relation between the priest and the community (verses our current understanding of absolute ordination where this relationship is heretically minimal and a relationship between the local community and the universal church.) At the year 1,000 AD these relationships were not yet theologically defined. Notice the difficulty in speaking of the priest of acting in persona Christi capitis ecclesiae when he is celebrating Mass alone. The relationship of the activity of the presiding minister of the Eucharist to Christ and to the Church implied for early scholasticism an active relation of the liturgical assembly to both Christ and the presiding minister. (Kilmartin 139-140)
3. How do the people participate? They "offer themselves -- Eucharist seen that are in terms of Good Friday/ Sacrifice. They participate in the offertory collection bringing gifts of bread and wine, then other things which represent the participation in the sacrifice. "Ivo of Chartes (1040-1115) understands that the people participate only by their devotion." (Kilmartin 140) Many understand the offertory precession as a continuation of old testament sacrifice.
Note that this relationship to the old testament only occurs in the later middle ages and the scholastic period. Early Christianity saw that their religious practices were different from those in the old testament and we hesitant to use old testament terminology. For example, they refused to speak of baptism, confirmation, and initiation, these were pagan terms. The priest were not seen as a continuation of the old testament priesthood.
This recommends the practice re-introduced by many contemporary churches than not only black churches but even some white churches where the offertory collection is not taken up but rather each individual gets up from their place, comes forward to the alter, and makes their offering and then returns to their place in parallel. Some churches of course have everything done from their place, the sit and put their offering in a collection and the small cup of wine and of bread are at every place in the church and both precessions are eliminated. It seems good liturgical practice that both precessions be restored. "Stephen of Autun teaches that the priest offers the sacrifice of peace; the people offer themselves by faith and devotion. We offer wine, and they offer as oblation a holy and devout disposition. In sum, 'only the priest is the active subject of the ritual offering. Priests are advocates and mediators for the people before God." (Kilmartin 140-142) Ex Persona. The phrase ex persona has the meaning of an exercise of the power of the one whom the acting subject represents.( Kilmartin 143)
6. The current understanding and theology of priesthood and the Eucharist minimizes the relation priest/church and maximizes the relation priest/Christ. The priest acts in the power of Christ, in persona Christi even if the priest has, “left the priesthood” and was “reduced” to the lay state. I’m reminded of the priest who his religious community without dispensation and married (technically attempted to marry) a woman he had known for several years. He became a real-estate agent. However he would gather with friends in his kitchen on Saturday mornings to discuss the Scripture and for faith sharing. At these meetings he would often celebrate the Eucharist. It was of course a valid Eucharist because he could act in persona Christ by his ordination. [However, I am told, he would not allow his wife to receive Holy Communion because she was married (to him) outside the Church.]
7. "The Dominican Robert Holkot, professor at Cambridge who died in 1349, treats the question of the consecration of bread outside the liturgy, that is, in the window of a bake shop. He presumes the possibility of this as a common opinion of the day.” (Kilmartin 159-160) This was the common teaching which I learned in my theology studies preparing for the priesthood.
8. "In Holland, They're Inventing Their Own Mass – Copyrighted by the Dominicans" "The experimentation is already underway. In place of the priest are men and women selected by the faithful. And all together pronounce the words of consecration, which are varied as desired. In the view of the Dutch Dominicans, this is what Vatican Council II wanted..... full article at www.chiesa for October 3, 2007
The Subject of the Sacrament
Several times when I have taught the "Introduction to the Sacraments Course" I have asked the students to consider the history and the theology of the Sacrament of Orders and then answer the question "We would have more priests if..." Follow is a compilation of some of the answers students have given to this question:
1. ... if the Church would call a person to the priesthood based on the need of the parish and the proven ability of the minister. (This presumes that the person is already ministrant in some capacity in the parish). ... if laity would exercise a key role in calling the person to ordination based on the life of the person and his/her ministry in the parish. ... if the call would be based on ministerial ability and holiness of life and not on factors such as gender, race, martial status, sexual orientation, tolerance for gluten or alcohol, etc.
2. ... if the priests and laity of a local church had the major voice in the selection of their bishop so that they would know "who they are working for." ... if the bishop would (ordinarily) be selected from the local diocesan clergy, would not move from diocese to diocese, and would serve a set term of years and then retire or return to a previous (or another) ministry in the diocese. (The Church can learn from Religious Orders in this regard. They have a system in place that works well.)
3. ... if the priests had a voice through their bishops and the bishops’ conference in speaking in the name of the Church to the civil government. (This presumes that the system of papal legates be abolished.)
4. ... if priests had a voice in the Church universal through their bishops by reestablishing college of bishops as the "sacred college" and abolishing the position of cardinal. (The offices of the Roman Curia would answer to the international synod of bishops.)
5. ... if the Church would establish ministry formation programs that could be completed while the person is engaged full time or part time in ministry and/or working to support family. And if the Church would establish scholarship programs to help defray the cost of professional ministry formation.
6. ... if the Church would establish a salary scale for priests comparable to other professionals in the area which would enable the priest to support a family, buy a home and car, etc. and would enable systems for ongoing formation, vacation time, etc. comparable to other professionals.
7. ... if the Church would establish a system of periodic peer and congregational review to determine salary increases.
8. ... if the priest had more control over his personal life: what he has to wear, where he has to live, with whom he has to share the house, etc.
9. ... if a parish priest could minister in a parish for a sufficient number of years (e.g. 20) so as to establish the familiarity and trust with a congregation which are necessary for pastoral leadership toward change.
10. ... if the priests could leave priestly ministry when they wish (when they no longer feel the call to this vocation) just as any other professional person (doctor, engineer, teacher, etc) may honorably retire from his or her profession, or change professions when they judge necessary or useful.
11. ... if we would pray for vocations and ask God to do God’s part after we had done our part by establishing structures to make the position attractive to mature, spiritual, qualified persons.
12. ... if we sorted out and distinguished between the vocation of bishop, presbyter, and deacon. This would mean that each parish in addition to having a resident presbyter and one or more deacons, might also have a resident bishop. This division and re-thinking outside the box might also involve the delegation of non-ordained who could preside at the Eucharist on Sundays when ordained people might not be available because of illness or vacation (but not because there are no ordained ministers because of "lack of vocations").
When I have asked "Why not be a parish priest?" I have heard the following:
Money. It takes lots of expensive training and no return on the investment. You will be poor forever. You will never be able to afford the things your parishioners have or take their vacations – unless you are very nice to them and they give you things.
Maturity. You have very few choices. You do not get to decide where you will live, who you will live with, how long you will live there. What you say and what you do are strictly regulated. You have to say lots of things you don’t agree with and don’t believe. In the liturgy, you just "read it out of the book without changing a single word." You have about the same freedom as a ten year old.
Psychic Growth. You will be lonely forever. No wife or family; few friends at work; lots of enemies. As many job descriptions as you have parishioners.
Retirement. You will have to work forever. There is no retirement for most priests. Rules vary but few priests retire at the age of their secular counterparts. And there is no possibility of changing jobs (for example, you can make the army your career and after 25 years retire with a good pension, and at 45 years of age start a new profession (with an additional salary).
Respected Profession. It just isn’t a respected profession today among many Catholics and non-Catholics like. Few parents would want their son to be a priest. Many would not allow it.
To Think About
After reading the essays on ministry for the 2007 summer course I have the following comments:
1. Note that "clergy," "hierarchy," "ministry," "priesthood," do not have identical meanings. "Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. The term comes from Greek kleros (a lot, that which is assigned by lot (allotment) or metaphorically, heritage). Depending on the religion, clergy usually take care of the ritual aspects of the religious life, teach or otherwise help in spreading the religion's doctrine and practices. ... In Christianity there is a wide range of formal and informal clergy positions, including deacons, priests, bishops, and ministers. In Islam, religious leaders are usually known as imams or ayatollahs. (Wikipedia contributors, "Clergy," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Clergy&oldid=137714482 Accessed June 15, 2007.) The Code of Canon Law of 1917 stated that the clergy / laity distinction is of divine origin. The current Code conspicuously omits this statement. --- Note that the early terms for ministry in the Church are secular terms, not religious terms. They were overseers, elders, ministers. Words taken from civil administration.
2. "The life of priests, what they do, is a mystery to me." I find that this is often very true for the laity. For example, I (a priest) frequently live in the homes of friends – stay overnight, share meals and recreation, play with the kids, etc. How frequently do you live in a rectory? Do you count a priest among your closest friends? Is there a priest or two who would consider you their closest friend? --- The question must be asked: from whom does the priest get his emotional support? Who loves him? In the old days (1950) there were 3 or 4 priests together in the rectory (all of whom had received the same formation at the same seminary with the same professors and the same textbooks); they were respected by the parish and cared for by the bishop. For the most part all three of those are gone; most priests must live alone; they receive numerous complaints (and even threats against their life); and the bishop is often from a distant diocese and does not know their name. In 2002 a study showed that the emotional support of a diocesan priest comes mainly from his mother and his siblings.
3. Regarding the "spiritual marriage that takes place at ordination between the priest and the church" – from my experience as a spiritual director to diocesan clergy, this metaphor plays a very insignificant practical role for the priests I know.
4. "I am conflicted in my opinions. In one sense, I treasure the idea of a holy person set apart by his sacramental life leading the gathered community in their praise of God: a priest." Here we arrive at the heart of the issue theologically: whether the priest is set apart by holy orders or a member of the Body of Christ by baptism. Holiness is required by baptism. --- It is interesting (and important) to examine our current "vocation literature", advertising the priesthood. Which priesthood are they advertising: a priesthood devoted to holiness and the adoration of the Eucharist, or a priesthood which focuses on the "job" the ministry and the celebration of the sacraments in the midst of the people of God. For example, if I were a young laymen today thinking about priesthood I would be turned off by the first and attracted by the second. A vocation literature which advertises the first vision of priesthood will naturally attract a specific clientele.
5. Historians emphasize that one of the cultural influences was the "longing for the sacred." One of the complaints that many early Christians had against Jesus was that he was too ordinary. He did not found a new church. He did not start a new religion. People wanted "the spectacular, the miraculous, the wonderful.
6. While we, in the United States, are beginning to speak of a "priest crisis" because we experience fewer priests in our parishes than there were when we were "growing up", we should remember that we still have many more priests than many local churches. One evening at Sacred Heart Church in Indianapolis where I was staying while teaching this course at Marian College a Franciscan Missionary returned from Brazil. This man had spent most all of his priestly life in the missions. He is currently 80 years old and has 30 parishes. He told me that when he was younger and more active he was pastor of 80 parishes. In response to my question about the Eucharist he said that his parishioners had the opportunity of receiving communion once or twice a year, when the priest came to celebrate Mass. I was reminded of this conversation several days ago when I was reading Worship: A Primer in Christian Ritual by Keith F. Pecklers which I am going to use as a textbook in the course on Christian initiation this fall.
"Ultimately, the Roman Catholic Church will need to come to terms with exactly what priority it give to the Holy Eucharist. That may sounds flippant, but it is intended as quite a serious question. As the clergy shortage becomes an ever greater reality (even in parts of Italy) the celebration of Mass is being replaced by Communion Services led by members of the laity." (Pecklers 200-201)
"Saint Thomas Aquinas maintains that Eucharist is and must be the centre of the Christian life and our Church structures and other sacrament relate to it in a most intrinsic way. Aquinas, of course, was not saying anything new, but merely articulating what the Church had recognized as its own tradition for centuries. At the dawning of the twenty-first century, all the Eucharistically oriented Christian churches but especially the Roman Catholic Church must once again com to terms with what such centrality really means. In other words, how high a priority does the Church give to the Eucharist? If it is a secondary issue – if we are content to settle for Communion services as standard far and Mass as the rare exception – then we can proceed with business as usual, offering the Eucharistic celebration as long as a sufficient number of male, celibate clergy remain available. And when they are not longer available, then Communion Services can be performed by lay leaders. This is certainly an option and, indeed, is currently functioning as the modus operandi in more and more regions of the Catholic world." (Pecklers 202)
8. Note that priest do not take "vows." Religious men and women frequently take the vow of chastity. Priests make a "promise" not to marry. Practically you may think this is the same thing. Theologically, there is a distinction.
9. Bishops are not presbyters but bishops are priests.
10. Note that our present system of "seminary formation" is very recent in the Church and history shows that there were other ways to prepare for priesthood.
11. In order to maintain our integrity as a Church, we must have some uniform beliefs and a uniform way to pass them on or share them as we do with sacraments." This is very true; the problem lies in knowing which beliefs are of divine origin and are not reformable and which are subject to change. There was a time when "in order to maintain our integrity as a Church" we thought that all apostles had to be Jews.
© Copyright: Tom Richstatter, Franciscan Province of St. John the Baptist, Cincinnati Ohio, Order of Friars Minor. All Rights Reserved. This page was created by Fr. Thomas Richstatter, O.F.M. Every effort has been, and is being made, to acknowledge sources when the ideas are not my own. Any failure to comply with the United States Copyright Act (Title 17, United States Code) will be corrected immediately should I become aware of it. This site was updated on 10/07/08 . Your comments on this site are welcome at tomrichs@psci.net.