Working in mixed teams

Fr Noel Connolly SSCOne of the few ‘bright spots” of Case 50 of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse was the evidence of Bishop Vincent Long from Parramatta. He was refreshingly honest, sympathetic and radical in his openness. He was especially critical of the type clericalism that sets priests and bishops apart and renders them unaccountable to anyone except those who are above them in the hierarchical chain. He also said, “I do believe that the marginalisation of women and the laity is part of this culture of clericalism that contributes not insignificantly to the sexual abuse crisis, and I think if we are serious about reform, this is one of the areas we will need to look at.” He was not alone in that. Almost all the bishops who appeared before the commission agreed that lay people and especially women would need to play a bigger part in the Church’s governance.

One of Pope Francis’ constant priorities is to end clericalism and empower the laity. Clericalism is often understood as the clergy taking too many privileges to themselves but I suspect the more dangerous form of clericalism is taking too much responsibility to ourselves. Many of us clerics have messianic streaks, doing everything and showing little faith in the laity. We fail to notice the talents and competencies of our people. Too often we priests spend most of our energy on controlling and managing rather than generating and promoting lay energy and involvement.

On his visit to Brazil for World Youth Day in 2013, Pope Francis spoke to the Bishops of Brazil and the episcopal council of CELAM and posed these questions to the Bishops:

"Do we make the lay faithful sharers in the mission?"

Do diocesan and parish councils, "whether pastoral or financial, provide real opportunities for laypeople to participate in pastoral consultation, organisation and planning?"

Do we give the laity "the freedom to continue discerning, in a way befitting their growth as disciples, the mission which the Lord has entrusted to them? Do we support them and accompany them, overcoming the temptation to manipulate them or infantilize them?"

Fr Brendan Reed from the Parish of Balwyn, Deepdene, Camberwell, and his colleagues. (Image courtesy of Melbourne Catholic - melbournecatholic.org.au)

Bishop Long, in his testimony laments, “A parish priest, even today, can unilaterally dismiss the parish council. And many did. Many have.” Such attitudes and practices have cut us clerics off from the understanding and guidance we need and robbed the lay people of their baptismal right to be involved. And cutting ourselves off and taking too much responsibility to ourselves has led to many of the serious mistakes and crimes we are now learning about. This is too much responsibility to carry on our own.

I was very lucky that early in my years as a priest I was made Rector of St Columban’s Turramurra. At the time there were around forty sisters studying mission in the seminary as well as our seminarians and priests. I was the leader of a community of men and women, lay, religious and ordained but all on mission. I slowly learnt that it was the mission we shared that united us and that despite my natural priestly brilliance, others, especially women, had gifts, insights and sensitivities I didn’t have and the mission needed. I also learnt that mixed teams are also more effective, satisfying, healthy and enjoyable.

Fr Noel Connolly SSC is a Columban missionary priest. He is a member of the Columban Mission Institute in North Sydney and a lecturer in Missiology at both the Broken Bay Institute and the Catholic Institute of Sydney.

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