CATHOLIC TEACHER FORMATION A Pastoral Message to all Catholic ITE Students

Father John Bollan 6th March 2013

Dear Students, Holy Week Come Early Over the past few days I have been looking a lot at the image on the cover of this Message. Its a Peter Howson painting of The Agony in the Garden and it is a characteristically gritty - yet beautiful - depiction of one of the Gospels most dramatic pages. You can see the (usually comforting) sight of torches in the distance, drawing nearer. This time, however, there is little consolation to be had. We see the figure of Christ as the centre, pleading with the Light (is it simply the moon, or is it His Father?) for this moment of bitterness and trial to pass. All around him, the apostles sleep; they are oblivious to his distress. In his telling of the episode, Matthew tells us that Jesus referred to the words of the prophet Ezekiel: You will all fall away because of me this night; for it is written, I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered (Matthew 26:31). It is notable that the apostles, almost one by one, say words to the effect of Perish the thought! We know, of course, what happens next. This image of the suffering of Jesus, surrounded by the slumbering foundation stones of the Church is also particularly suggestive at this time of trial for the Church here in Scotland. There is a starkness in that image: a tree which looks not quite alive; and is that light consoling or is it more of a search-light, bringing a harsh scrutiny on the scene below? These past days have felt very much like Holy Week and the glare of the worlds attention has been focused on the Church of which we are a part. What it has revealed has not been flattering. We have seen lapses in the kind of pastoral care and concern we rightly expect from those who are ordained to serve and lead us; there has been much crowing about hypocrisy and collapse of the Church in Scotland. I know that many of you, who are in the front line as Catholic teachers in formation, will have been subjected to abuse and derision because of your identification with the Church. I am quite sure that many of you have been hurt and confused by what has taken revealed. Indeed, earlier today I met with BEd1 and we had a reflective and honest conversation about some of the issues which have been pushed to the forefront at this time. They expressed shock, shame and yet a desire to grow through this experience, however painful it is just now.

I would like to offer you a few thoughts by way of a reflection on these events. I do so in my capacity as someone entrusted with helping your spiritual and pastoral formation, but also with the comments and questions which have been articulated by your fellow students in mind. I do this because I am aware that the majority of you are on placement just now and I do not have the opportunity to meet with you as I would prefer, face to face. I am also concerned that with a stricken shepherd, the flock might, if not scatter, then certainly feel more exposed and vulnerable than I would wish you to be. Facing Up to Facts Archbishop Tartaglia has admitted that the credibility and moral authority of the Catholic Church has been dealt a serious blow. I think we must, as he has said, accept this as a fact and deal with it. A cause of disappointment and frustration among students has been the poor way in which these events appear to have been managed or the lack of transparency in explaining what is happening. We live at a time in which the leadership of the local Church is under great strain: really only three of our eight dioceses are being led by bishops who are not nearing retirement (or already vacant). I think it is important to pray for our bishops and work with them at this time. Perhaps the strongest and most vocal views have been expressed about the charges of hypocrisy and the kind of language which has been a feature of the debate around same sex marriage in Scotland and the UK. It is certainly important for the Church to be able to voice passionate opposition to ideas without leaving itself open to being portrayed as attacking the people who espouse those ideas or sincerely hold those views. It is clearly wrong, however, to suggest that the Church has no right to speak out on issues such as, for example, same sex marriage just because some in the Church may have struggled or be struggling with their own sexuality. It is not hypocrisy for someone who has had direct experience of a behaviour and its consequences to speak about (and against) that same behaviour. What is important, of course, is that that speech is compassionate and motivated by charity: as St. Paul says, speaking the truth in love is a sign of Christian maturity (Ephesians 4:15). Truth spoken without love is often as bad as a lie.

A recurring feature of recent comments has been that the Catholic Church has a problem with sex. I would respectfully suggest that the problem is not ours, but societys. Only last week we saw headlines about children as young as seven exchanging sexual images by mobile1: we live in a pan-sexualised society, where having sex is regarded as a fundamental human right. It is not uptight to say that this has unhealthy consequences. The liberalisation of sexual mores in the 60s and 70s also licensed many of the attitudes which we now rightly deplore as a result of high-profile revelations of abuse in wider society. That the Church, especially its priests and bishops, are also exposed to those influences is unfortunate, but unsurprising; the fact remains, however, that the Church should be held to a higher standard and that the abuse of power (which is really at the heart of all abuse) is the most grievous self-inflicted wound of all. Saying that celibacy lies at the root of these issues really misses the point and distracts from many of the deeper questions which require attention. Facing Up to Challenges There is no doubt that there are serious challenges ahead for us. All the wisest heads in the Church have been remarking that we need to ensure that a sense of honesty, humility and an acceptance of responsibility are apparent in what we do and say. This has been a humiliating experience for Catholics, but if we can salvage greater humility from it, then it will not have been fruitless. This is certainly a time for those in positions of authority and trust to be genuinely humble: the man who thinks he is safe must be careful that he does not fall (1 Corinthians 10:12) was St. Pauls warning at Mass last Sunday. In a more technical sense, I think there needs to be a revival of the lost art of apologetics (defending and explaining the faith): the more the teachings of the Church are questioned, the more important it is to understand what those teachings are and see their origin and development, rather than doctrinal impositions from above. We should be ready to defend the Church but not, of course, to defend the indefensible. In amongst those voices who are rightly critiquing the Church and exposing its inconsistencies, there are also the voices of those who quite openly would wish to destroy or silence the Church. A great deal of the commentary in the media of
1

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/children-as-young-as-eight-exchanging-sexual-images.20380803

late has tried to conflate aspects of poor witness, sinfulness and secrecy on the part of the Church into a kind of open season on the Catholic faith and the Catholic faithful in general. On the Today programme on Monday, John Humphries introduced a segment on the impending Conclave saying that the words priest and paedophile had become almost synonymous. The other day I tweeted I wonder if the Catholic Church will get the blame for Justin Biebers two hour no-show?: I was pulled up for being oversensitive and it was suggested that we would be less of a target if we acted more responsibly in our chosen professions. I do, of course, get that and that is absolutely correct. But, as I pointed out, a lot of what is being slung at the Church is way off target and has little to do with the challenges of the present moment. At all costs I think we need to avoid those currents who would seek to split the laity from the clergy, arguing that the Bishops and Priests have been tainted by the suspicion of impropriety, hypocrisy or wilful blindness. On the contrary, this is a time to draw closer together (not closing ranks) in prayer and communion: we need each others love and encouragement in these days. Those in Seminary who are preparing to serve as our priests Im sure you know many of them - also deserve our friendship and support. By the same token, we should be cautious that talk of purifying the Church leads to an idea of a Church of the Pure in which sinners have no place and no hope. Writing in 1969, a fairly young Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) penned these words:
Because of the Lords devotion, never more to be revoked, the Church is the institution sanctified by him forever, an institution in which the holiness of the Lord becomes present among men. But it is really the holiness of the Lord that becomes present in her and that chooses again and again as the vessel of its presencewith a paradoxical lovethe dirty hands of men One could actually say that precisely in her paradoxical combination of holiness and unholiness the Church is in fact the shape taken by grace in this world Is the Church not simply the continuation of Gods deliberate plunge into human wretchedness; is she not simply the continuation of Jesus habit of sitting at table with sinners, of his mingling with the misery of sin to the point where he actually seems to sink under its weight? Is there not revealed in the unholy holiness of the Church, as opposed to mans expectation of purity, Gods true holiness, which is love, love that does not keep its distance in

a sort of aristocratic, untouchable purity but mixes with the dirt of the world, in order thus to overcome it? Can, therefore, the holiness of the Church be anything else but the bearing with one another that comes, of course, from the fact that all of us are borne up in Christ? [Joseph Ratzinger, Introduction to Christianity]

I find that a beautiful summary of the mystery of sinfulness in the Church: Gods holiness is at work even in the midst of the dirt and mess of life. Far from keeping its distance, Gods Love is the Word which becomes flesh in the Son: he is the Logos, the reason and purpose of the whole of creation and of the Church in particular. We are nothing if we are not a people who understand, give and receive mercy. Concluding Thoughts In these days we have also, providentially I think, been celebrating First Confession in our parishes. Far from being about guilt foisted on children, these have been joyful and hopeful celebrations of healing at work in the midst of failures to show love. The search light of grace shines on us too: these days of Lent are a gift to us, calling us to examine our own consciences, acknowledge our own sinfulness and to seek reconciliation with the Lord. As we face up to painful revelations of past sins, I would encourage you to pray hard for a number of intentions. 1. For Cardinal OBrien: he has served the Church in a variety of capacities for fifty years. It is important that the good he has done is not forgotten and that this experience may be, in the end, a moment of grace. 2. For all those hurt by abuses of power in the Church: as priests, by priests or others in positions of trust and responsibility - that there is healing, but also change where needed. 3. For Pope Benedict XVI: that he may be blessed with peace and health in retirement. Unfairly vilified by so many, he has been a gift to the Church in these past eight years. 4. For the Cardinals gathered to elect a successor to Peter: we need a loving and wise Shepherd to guide the universal Church in the name of Christ. The Petrine ministry, the office of Pope, is founded on forgiveness and love (John 21:15-19); we ask the Holy Spirit to make such a man known to the electors.

5. For our Catholic community in Scotland and especially our schools: that all that is beautiful and true in what has been passed on to us will shine still brighter in the future. 6. For our teachers and for you, our teachers in formation: that faith in Jesus and the Church, which is his body, will be strengthened among those who point our children and young people towards the door of faith. I hope that you will forgive my writing to you at this time (and at such length): I anticipate that some of what I written may not sit well with you or you have other questions or views to express. Please know that I am here for you and, as time permits, am committed to address any other concerns you have. Know also that, despite my talk of humility, I have never been prouder to be a Catholic or a Priest than I am just now: there is no such thing as cheap grace. This letter finds me strangely peaceful and joyful. I pray the same for you. With every good wish, Fr. John Coordinator of Spiritual & Pastoral Formation