The Year for Priests is meant to “deepen the commitment of all priests to interior renewal for the sake of a more forceful and incisive witness to the Gospel in today’s world”. It will conclude on the same Solemnity in 2010. It is fitting that the Holy Father wishes to affirm and support the role and ministry of the priest in difficult and trying times. Pope Benedict in his letter expresses “with heartfelt gratitude the immense gift which priests represent, not only for the Church, but also for humanity itself”.
The Pope goes on to rightly acknowledge “sad to say, situations which can never be sufficiently deplored where the Church herself suffers as a consequence of infidelity on the part of some of her ministers (the recent Ryan report in Ireland another example of this). Then it is the world which finds grounds for scandal and rejection. What is most helpful to the Church in such cases is not only a frank and complete acknowledgment of the weaknesses of her ministers, but also a joyful and renewed realization of the greatness of God’s gift, embodied in the splendid example of generous pastors, religious afire with love for God and for souls, and insightful, patient spiritual guides”. One hopes too that the hierarchical Church will acknowledge its own part in this arena and promote better psycho-sexual formation of priests so that similar problems do not continue. The mandatory connection (in the Latin Rite Church only) of celibacy and ministerial priesthood cannot be discounted as contributing to the shortage of priests and the dysfunction of some priests who have not freely chosen celibacy or were too immature at the time to embrace this decision.
The reflective article included in this edition of The Swag written by David Ranson and first published in The Furrow entitled Priest: Public, Personal and Private raises important questions about the tension with which we priests live in trying to maintain a balanced and healthy life. These issues become more critical with the shortage of priests and the time for the personal, by necessity, being reduced.
I am representing NCP at Catholic Religious Australia’s annual conference, where the focus this year is on dialogue between the Abrahamic Faiths – Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The title of the National Assembly is: Australian Religious in a Multi-Faith Society: Reality, Gift and Challenge. I shall give feedback on this conference in the future.
Plans are well under way for the next NCP biannual convention which will be held in the Diocese of Parramatta from the 12-16 July 2010. Our topic: The Risen Christ in the Changing Face of the Priesthood. Guest speakers: Fr Donald Cozzens author of The Changing Face of the Priesthood, Freeing Celibacy and Faith That Dares to Speak and many other reflections, as well as Rev Dr Richard Lennan, priest of the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, now lecturing at Boston College. His specialty is ecclesiology and he is well regarded both here and internationally. Make sure you place these dates in your diary.
Many thanks to Rob Egar and Bob Wilkinson for their continued guest editorship of The Swag. We are still searching for a more permanent editor. Contact the NCP office if you would like to be considered for this position or you could nominate a suitable candidate.
The recent resignation of Bishop Chris Toohey from the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes has been a cause of sadness for many who appreciated his leadership – particularly in ecology and climate change. We wish him well in his new endeavours and pray for him at this time.
May I conclude by offering congratulations on behalf of the NCP to my predecessor Hal Ranger who celebrates his golden jubilee of priesthood this year. Hal has been a wonderful ambassador for Christ with his gentle and wise voice, not only to the people to whom he has ministered to over the years, but also in his efforts on behalf of the priests of Australia. Ad multos annos!
Ian McGinnity
