Retro Priest

DEAR FRIAR RICK: Our Catholic community has been turned inside out by the arrival of a new parish priest. He has established an ultra-retro liturgy, and says the Latin Mass every day. The choir has had to learn plainchant, the parish council has been abolished, and his homilies sound like sermons from the pre-Reformation era.

I have not yet gone to him for Confession, but a fellow-parishioner has told me that he is unsympathetic and very strict. As you can well imagine, Mass attendance is dwindling and, quite frankly, I am also tempted to change parish. A few miles down the road there is a small parish attended mainly by Hispanics where the atmosphere is very warm, but unfortunately I am old, and have no independent means of transport.  What should I do?

 

Oh dear! Do I even dare tackle this topic? Last time I responded to a similar note from a woman in Ireland I was blasted for my response by some members of, what a friend of mine calls, the ‘Catholic Taliban’.  The complaint was that I didn’t jump on the first airplane to Ireland and lead the fight to deliver the parish from the supposed evils of a parish priest who was encouraging liturgical dance and some rather questionable, if well-intentioned, liturgical practices.

In fact my response to you will be the same. Begin with the presumption that the young priest is acting in good faith. I mean really, in this day and age, there is no great glory, privilege or ‘perk’ associated with being a priest. For a young man to respond to God’s call is an act of great faith, courage and generosity. Remember, you and he are serving the same God and are members of the same communion. You, we, are all on the same team!

That being said, the concerns you raise are real and your pain is valid. You describe yourself as ‘old’ which probably means you were around before the Second Vatican Council. You probably had to adapt to the changes in the liturgy, the heightened sense of community and the exciting breadth of the Church’s vision for God’s Pilgrim People. And now almost 50 years later you notice signs of what seems like a reversal of all that the Church tried to accomplish. This is not the case. There may be some who would wish to do this, but they are a miniscule minority and certainly don’t share the mind and heart of the Church nor of the present Holy Father.

There is a minority of Catholic young adults, many of whom are involved in Church ministry that do long for a more mystical, traditional and ‘other-worldly’ experience of liturgy and the Church. Some of this may be the product of a deep-seated psychological rigidity expressed in legalism, clericalism and paternalism. Is that enough ‘isms’ for you? But for the most part, these youth are looking for a grounding in something more lasting than the transient nature of our culture and society. They are looking for solid ground on which to base their lives. Yes, that solid ground is Jesus Christ. And they seek to express it through a discovery of their roots in traditional music and expressions of faith. Although I think much of this is misguided and problematic, it’s not necessarily always a regressive move. It’s actually something new for them. Imagine that… Benediction being discovered for the very first time!

In respect to the specific issues you raised: the disbanding of the Parish Pastoral Council is not a good sign… although some Pastoral Councils are in serious need of renewal (but that’s another topic). Plain Chant is not a bad thing. Neither is Latin. It’s good for us to know our heritage as well as new and current music.

As far as the confessional is concerned I would doubt the veracity of reports of the priest being harsh. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is such a privilege for the priest, I can’t imagine this young man abusing it.

So, what I am saying is that although you certainly could find someone to help you get to the local Hispanic parish, if at all possible I would invite you stay with your parish and stand by your parish priest. Work with him. Get involved. Try and understand what he is trying to do and share with him your experience. A pastor always appreciates someone who is willing to move from mere words to actions. He will learn to trust you and listen to you.