"See, I Am Doing Something New!"
Subtitled "Prophetic Ministry for a Church in Transition," this was presented to the 20th Annual Spring Assembly of Priests Archdiocese of Milwaukee by Rev. Bryan N. Massingale. As you might surmise from the subtitle, one premise of the speech is a special prophetic calling of the speaker and his audience; never hurts to start with flattery.

The prophetic vocation begins with listening to the community's groans and giving them voice.

How about, "Oooh, nooo, not another Massingale speech!"

As I listened to the groans of this presbyterate, it dawned on me that our cries have a context and a catalyst, namely, the events of the spring and summer of 2002. That was two years ago, but in some ways it seems like only yesterday. Remember how it was. Recall the incessant headlines and shocking new stories of scandal, abuse, and coverup; the nightly jokes about priests and the Church by David Letterman and Jay Leno; the heartbreaking allegations and revelations about those who were and are still dear friends and colleagues; the anxiety of seminarians who didn't know whether to loyally defend the Church or hastily leave the seminary.

Seems like something's missing. Let me think...hmm. Oh, yeah, the kids who were sexually abused by those dear friends and colleagues.

... I recall these events because we seldom have spoken publicly about what I consider to be this presbyterate's most difficult yet finest hour.

Good historical parallel, if it had been the RAF bombing London in the Blitz.

Many of us are doing all we can-and more than we should-to manage a priest shortage that we didn't create (and many believe doesn't have to be).

And we know that's what they believe when they publicly dissent from Church teaching on ordination in their Vocation Sunday homily.

Deeper still, from some there are groans that convey a sense of betrayal, as the Church increasingly seems to be in retreat from the vision of Vatican II.

Not, of course, vision in the sense of being there to see it, as John Paul II and Benedict XVI were.

How often have we priests heard, or said, or felt: "This is not what I gave my life to." "This is not what I fought for." "I feel like they're telling me that everything I learned, everything I did, and even the way I prayed ...was wrong."

How often? As often as they have a seance and channel Archbishop Lefebre.

Finally, we get to the sex.

I am not against "chaste celibacy" or "celibate chastity." But these phrases become pious cliches when their use evades, hides or avoids the complex and sometimes messy realities of human sexuality. Spiritual piety is no substitute for sexual honesty.

Hey, let me try that.
I am not against "sexual honesty" or "honest sexuality." But these phrases become impious cliches when their use evades, hides or avoids the complex and sometimes messy realities of chastity and celibacy. Sexual honesty is no substitute for spiritual piety.
Can't we have someone in Archdiocesan I/T write up a script to generate this stuff, so Fr. Massingale could be assigned to a parish?

Next groaners are the bishops.

. . .As a humorous example, consider the plight of the poor bishop who now must inform his priests that the precious ceramic chalices given to them by their parents at ordination, and the $2,500 set of crystal wine decanters and goblets purchased by the parish, are now proscribed as "grave liturgical abuses."

Must consider the feelings of big spenders, you know. How about when the "chalices" look like stemware from Target, like at our parish?

For example, many bishops fear that they are becoming a little more than "liturgical police" enforcing laws that they did not write, were not consulted about, and really do not agree with.

And the parish Liturgy Committee doesn't consult with me, either.

But the bishops have to deal with conflicts among the clerical, episcopal, Vatican, and American cultures.

As an example, the tension of mediating these various cultures become evident as one witnesses the bishops wrestling with the dilemmas of being pastorally responsive to both the victims and perpetrators of clerical sexual abuse in the context of an American adversarial legal system.

Maybe they should ask some Central American bishops how they've wrestled with meeting the pastoral needs of those who have assassinated other Central American bishops.

The laity, too, is groaning, according to Fr. Massingale, among other things

...for an honest account of the relevance of faith in a world of military consumerism (e.g., what does it mean to be a person of faith while living on an island of affluence surrounded by an ocean of misery?)

To say nothing of "the precious ceramic chalices ... and the $2,500 set of crystal wine decanters and goblets... ."

Fr. goes on to say that except for fulfillment of a detailed progressive agenda, the future is unknown and unknowable.

Having concluded the diagnosis, he gives hope of a cure.

There are two dangers or temptations that arise in times of transition. The first is nostalgia, which essentially is a state of denial. The strategy of nostalgia denies that the loss has happened or is happening: with increasing desperation it attempts to cling to a way of life and faith that are no more.

No, isn't. For example, nostalgia would be looking back fondly at a time when a priest would look up the actual meaning of a word like "nostalgia," not thinking that we still live in such a time.

The other danger is despair.

...among the ways that the prophets pierced the veil of the community's numbing despair and energized it with new hope was by offering symbols and images that nourished an alternative vision. In that spirit, I want to offer an image that speaks to me of hopeful endings and new beginnings:

You can't make this stuff up.

the image of hospice.

From here on it's mostly Life of Bryan.  ¶ 5/14/2005 05:21:00 PM