We’ve wondered why we’ve only had two acknowledgments from all The Bishops of England Wales and Scotland , and two from all the Scottish priests contacted.
As the “Tablet” (November 15 2014) pointed out:
“Pope Francis has indicated that he is prepared to lift the obligation of celibacy for candidates
for the priesthood in response to a plea from an individual diocesan bishop or from a bishops’
conference. As far as is known, no such dispensations have been applied for or granted.”
We simply asked the Bishops to respond to this, if not necessarily to us, although it’s nice to be nice.
We tried to think what might produce such unanimity of non-response.
And, of course, they’re almost entirely one group, i.e secular clergy.
So we took a look a group psychology, and suddenly everything clicked into place.
They don’t want to deny the Flock the Eucharist although the secular clergy can longer effectively provide it.
They are simply trapped in what is known as “groupthink”.
I.L.Janis In “Victims of Groupthink” outlined beautifully the problems this brings
40 odd years ago.(the fully detailed description is on Wikipedia) and we’ll go into them in the next blog.
But let’s look first to see how the secular priesthood as a group got the way it is ,
using Janis’s terminology.
First of all, there is:
1. “ High group cohesiveness”
(can you think of a tighter and more cohesive group, than the secular priesthood even with a semi-private language i.e. Latin ?)
2.” structural faults “
(i) “insulation”
( has any Catholic newspaper ever been known to firmly question a bishop? )
(ii) “lack of norms requiring methodological procedures “
(the mitre indicates the power of the Holy Spirit but that doesn’t surely mean
simply assuming one is inspired. The first four gifts of the Holy Spirit
are wisdom, understanding knowledge,and counsel,which doesn’t suggest
that a methodological procedure is excluded from running the Church and
taking into account what is happening to it in 2014)
(iii) “ lack of impartial leadership “
(bishops are chosen since 1917 by Papal Delegates.
Are their policies likely to differ from the Curia in any way ? )

3.” situational faults”
(i) “ stressful external threats “
(St John Paul II may well have a place here as a man not to upset)
(ii) “recent failures”
( in Scotland,there’s Cardinal O’Brien. Also the Vatican financial peccadilloes,
and above all paedophily and the cover up)

3. “excessive difficulties in the decision- making task “
(the secular priest is part of the fabric of our post-Trent Catholicism.
Being replaced by a group of validly ordained parishioners might be much
more counter-intuitive than for parishioners, especially when
the latter realise that there will be no more Sacraments.

4. “moral dilemmas “
( The problem of “Are We Doing The Right Thing ?”, one solved by considering
Christ’s Eucharistic imperative and the Holy Spirit’s gift of fortitude,
as well as what will happen to the Church if things stay as they are.

Next time we will look at the effects these have on a group.
You will find them quite remarkable.