It was announced recently that 12 men were to be ordained, in Scotland, a twenty
year old high. Bishop Keenan of Paisley expressed considerable delight at this, commenting :
“There is a huge amount to be done to restore to Scotland the Christian strength whose absence lies at the heart of so many of our recent and perplexing anxieties and there is a sense that God is raising up such leaders for this task of our times.”
1. First, we must congratulate with deep respect those ordained as Tridentine priests at the present time. Prince Charles once expressed his bafflement at what love might be ; whatever ‘vocation’ may be, they certainly have it. Although there are taxi drivers newsagents and shop managers perhaps also with the vocation to bring the Eucharist to their parishes, but are not allowed to do so. But later.
2. To be really critical, we would have to know exactly- and we mean exactly- what Bishop Keenan said. If he has a sense perhaps that this restoration of Christian strength could be done in any way at all through the media, he can forget it. Even the meanest reporter nowadays has some kind of academic degree. If mustard is to be cut, a theology degree from a seminary won’t do it. In any case, the media is vermiculate with would-be opinion shapers, from professional Socialists to the real thing. A religious line? Oh, come on. Perhaps Bishop Keenan does not realise why ‘Father Ted’ was invented, and is constantly repeated.
3. Perhaps the most interesting part of Bishop Keenan’s statement is:’ there is a sense that God is raising up such leaders for this task of our times’
We saw the first TV Christmas advert last week, and we will soon see advertised Christmas cakes absolutely packed with luscious goodies. We must say we felt the Bishop’s remark produced similar vibes , for anyone at all critical about the Tridentine priesthood..Every now and then we feel we have to assure our readers that there is not a vestige on this website – nor will there ever be- of the kind of anti-clericalism to be found in Socialism, Communism or the rest. We will merely refer you to the next paragraph.
4. The technical difficulty of religious leaders being allowed to lead publicly is the least significant feature of what we have read as Bishop Keenan’s comments. The most tragic is his apparent belief that anyone who has lost ’Christian strength’ will listen to it being advocated, especially in Scotland.
The previous sentence has not been framed for dramatic effect. It is one of the twin beliefs on which this blog is based, the other being bafflement as to why the Tridentine clergy will not let anyone else provide the Eucharist , by definition Christ’s gift of ‘Christian strength’
5.. Bishop Keenan speaks as a bishop in Scotland.. We’ll be concise.
(a) Cardinal O’Brien and sexual adventurism. Nuff said.
(b) the See of Argyle and the Isles. Nuff said.
(c) special commission to deal with clerical paedophily. Nuff said
(d) a church court to punish a clerical whistle blower, and his parishioners forbidden to pray for him by his successor ,according to the local borad sheet.
6. But that’s just Scotland. , a mere footnote in the history of why the Flock , and in particular those who have had to leave it, is not really going to listen to the Tridentine priesthood. Assuming there will be those to write it- and read-it- the demise of the Tridentine priesthood will figure in cultural history alongside the ‘Titanic’ , possibly the greatest phenomenon of the present era .(We’ll keep the symbolism for another blog, if you don’t mind, despite the temptation to define Bishop Keenan as ordering new deckchairs. No, we’ll leave it. )
As we can all see, our culture today is a media culture. And where in it is the Tridentine priest?
(a).he and his cover-ups are the subject of an Oscar winning film
(b) in literature, best selling author Thomas Keneally- and no doubt others- have written novels about it.
(c) most significant of all, on TV the Tridentine priest is up there with the zombie – or even beyond- as the Ultimate Villain. Find a TV series, be it crime or soap with a Tridentine priest, and you will find a paedophile. In the more genteel series, he may have run away with someone’s husband :, in the most genteel, usually produced in the Seventies, just with someone’s wife.
Television programmes are now sold all over the world in umpteen languages, and in all of them , one way or another, the Tridentine priest is quite clearly one of a group who has let the side down. As a human being in 2017, his contribution to civilisation is considered to be not much better than the drug dealer. And there are many similarities. That this is a tragedy for the Church, created to provide the Eucharist for its flock , is obvious. We cannot forget the personal tragedy for the thousands of ordinary selfless and dutiful priests, who have given their live s to the Church, and are lumped willy-nilly along with the perverts, and have to live daily with this.
6. Our point is this. Bishop Keenan seems to see a future for the Tridentine priesthood.
To Feed The Flock thinks that there is no future for it. In other words, there is no future for the only method accepted by the leaders of the Church , other than the religious orders, for the provision of the Eucharist. We know our constant references to the Gospels must be boring , but Christ did say :’Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.’. We’re not theological students, but we have read the Gospels many times , and we can’t find any reference to their provision being the exclusive province of celibate who have studied theology for six years and are supported by a parish. We can’t ! We’ve looked over and over !
Why cannot the extension of ordination to parishioners throughout the world be accepted, or even discussed by the bishops, as Pope Francis has asked?