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PDF versionFormer priests refuse to 'disappear'
by Robert McClory on Jan. 24, 2012
About 45 years have passed since the great diaspora of Catholic priests out of active ministry and into lay life. The departure rates stayed amazingly high for a time then subsided, but continue to this day.
Now these men, in their 30s and 40s when they left, have aged into their 70s and 80s, and many are reflecting on their journey. Chicago Cardinal Francis George recently expressed regret that priests had left their God-given calling and suggested that most had at least the good sense to just "disappear." That perception may have had some validity in the 19th century and the first half of the 20th when the "fallen" clerics were regarded with either scorn or pity. Often commented on in the seminaries of those days were books like Shepherds in the Mist, which recounted the sad, frustrated, guilt-ridden lives of these betrayers of their vocation.
But few resigned priests have just disappeared. On the basis of casual conversation and media reports, it's clear great numbers have gone on to embrace full, valuable lives -- as husbands, fathers, teachers, doctors, lawyers, psychologists, business professionals, leaders in nonprofit and peace and justice organizations, writers, even clergy in other denominations. The late Martin Hegarty, whose contributions were featured recently in NCR, was one who gave fully of himself for more than 40 years in facilitating priests' transition to lay life. As these aging veterans look back over their days, we are beginning to see a stream of books about their very visible presence in and out of priestly ministry.
One of the more recent is From Imperial Church to Beloved Community by John E. (Jay) Carrigan, who attended major seminary in the '50s, was ordained in '59 and left the formal priesthood in '70. His book opens up a lifetime of searching, studying, reaching out to those in need and seeking to find new ways to make the Kingdom of God a reality in this world. In the interest of full disclosure, I want to note that Jay and I were classmates for several years at the seminary in Mundelein, Ill., and we've had on many occasions rummaged over the old days. At his request, I wrote the preface for the book.
In this combination memoir and autobiography, Jay lays out his achievements, failures and hopes. Nothing is hidden. He is straightforward about a romantic relationship he had before entering the seminary and his long struggle over many years to come to terms with it. He discusses his quest to find fulfillment as priest and pastor, his reasons for leaving, his varied life as husband, father, counselor, friend, part-time minister and lifetime student. You can hardly read three consecutive pages in this memoir without being struck with a potent quote from the mentors who continue to challenge him -- people like Richard Rohr, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, John Dominic Crossan, Donald Cozzens, G.K. Chesterton and his all-time favorite, David Korten, economist, author, political activist and critic of globalization.
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Like many of the ordained, both in and out of formal priesthood, Jay Carrigan is deeply disturbed about the chasm between the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the institutional Catholic church. He quotes Korten, who asked in his book The Great Turning how the message of Jesus who "chose a life of poverty, taught that the poor enjoy God's special blessing, urged compassion for all and preached a gospel of peace and justice " could have become "the supposed guiding light and inspiration for a church that perpetuates the values of empire."
Partly because of that troubling contrast, Jay has spent a lot of time seeking out and working with people who, he believes, have actually tried real Christianity and are succeeding in living it. He celebrates some of these in his memoir, like the lay activist who spearheaded a parish drive to supply water purification systems to 800 Haitian families, the minister from Nigeria who refuses to pay war taxes and the union worker who supported an unjustly fired employee and has gone on to battle for justice and compensation as a high union official. He also celebrates a veteran waitress who shows unusual concern for customers, and, when questioned by Jay, said simply she treats others "like I want to be treated." Their quiet witness gives him hope about the future of the Gospel message in this world.
Readers of the book will notice that many of the author's stories and anecdotes occur during breakfasts and lunches in various restaurants. There, it seems, is where he is most comfortable, sharing views, presenting his convictions and, above all, listening attentively, patiently to what the other is saying. This is a rare charism, one desperately needed in our overstimulated, easily distracted world. No, Jay Carrigan did not remain in a career of professional ministry. But he has surely not disappeared either. He is one of that legion of former priests who have used their opportunities to make grace and faith come alive.
"Just disappear?" This
"Just disappear?" This reminds me of the old Soviet Union, when Communist Party officials fell out of favor and were either shot or sent to Siberia, they would be erased out of photos. They just disappeared. That little statement speaks volumes about the mindset of Cardinal George. As I recall, this is the same man who compared gays to the Ku Klux Klan. How pastoral.
And, if I recall John
And, if I recall John Wilkins' article correctly, the "enforcer" for the Vatican who intimidated our bishops into "voting" (if one can call it that) for the so-called new liturgical translation.
We must not forget history.
"just disappear' is the rally
"just disappear' is the rally cry of Chicago Catholics to cardinal George. And he will very soon retire..
Think they'll appoint another
Think they'll appoint another Catholic to replace him?
The Holy Father teaches the
The Holy Father teaches the Hermeneutic of Continuity, that is, that the people who say that Vatican II changed everything are wrong. There were people in the 1960s who always taught the Hermeneutic of Continuity, Father John Hardon, for example, although they didn't have the phrase. They were a very perceptive group. The second group of people who accepted the Hermeneutic of Continuity, though, were the most talented of the liberal priests. They determined that they were not going to succeed in changing the Church from what it was into something else, and decided to go live their own lives, abandoning that false goal. They did, in fact, "disappear" from public life in the Church. They did, in fact, go off and live their own lives in the way they choose themselves. Certainly you can speak for the ones who joined organizations and maintained their identities as former priests. But how can you speak for the ones that didn't? I worked with one of those guys for a while in the 1990s. He had a very nice career and family. By the time I met him, though, he was way more conservative, orthodox and devout than I was.
Roger it wasn't just the
Roger it wasn't just the 'liberal' priests who left the Church. Conservative priests also fell in love and married and had children or were frustrated witht the changes. The problems with the priesthood, then and now, transcend typical theological labels, and really involve the psychological and spiritual health of the total man.
Thanks for the thoughtful
Thanks for the thoughtful response, but we disagree. A "conservative" priest who leaves because he can't live that life has made a different kind of mistake than the talented liberal priests of those days who changed their minds about what they believed and what they wanted to accomplish. Don't psychological surveys show that priests today are, on average, happier than the rest of us? The priests I see seem happy, in general. I certainly agree that it is a life that is not right for most men, and is hard for those who take it up. On the other hand, I find that just living is hard on your psychological and spiritual health. Sure it's a bad place to be when you're not supposed to be there, but thinking of the priests I've known over the years, it looks to me like the right answer to the question of how God's priests should live.
You certainly seem a very
You certainly seem a very busy boy spreading your negativity where ever you can. I am just glad that many, many priests who left active ministry continue to be a counterweight to the narrowness of the church you want to force on those of us who believe that Vatican II is what church should be.
You certainly seem very busy
You certainly seem very busy spreading your negativity where ever you can. I am just glad that many, many priests who left active ministry continue to be a counterweight to the narrowness of the church you want to force on those of us who believe that Vatican II is what church should be. I don't really care one way or another if you deeply desire the kind of church you seem to espouse. I DO care when you want to deny others vision in working out what church is for them as Catholics. You and your fellow travelers can cry "oi be Pritestants" all you want but there are many of us who will not give up their vision...its called the Holy Spirit moving among us and among the many priests who left an institution that had not allowed that Spirit in through the windows that JohnXIII opened. I think the windows however will eventually be blown open from all the hot air that seems to be only what those who think they are the leaders keep exhaling.
It seems I am always offering
It seems I am always offering personal defenses of myself whenever I'm responding to any of your comments. 1. As far as I remember I haven't used the word "Protestant" improperly, or used it as a label for anyone. 2. I'm really not sure that I win the negativity sweepstakes. For example, "the narrowness of the church you want to force on those of us who believe that Vatican II is what church should be" and "all the hot air that seems to be only what those who think they are the leaders keep exhaling." I've never used the word "Pharisee" when referring to anyone else's attitude. Can you give me a quotation from any Vatican II document that rejects my view of the Church? I certainly haven't read them all, but I've never read anything in them that I disagree with.
I admit I'm tempted to write a little bit here about my thoughts on the future of the Church, but when remembering how persistent both of us are, I've decided to show the better part of valor.
I will share my thoughts on
I will share my thoughts on the church....actually it is my hope. I hope that the church continues to exist but in a form that is welcoming, not top down heavy with dictatorial hierarchy, one that focuses on social justice instead of investing in prissy, lace edged vestments and church buildings overdone with gilded acoutrements and that sit empty most of the week uselessly consuming energy resources. I hope for a church with lively, engaging liturgues that fill people with energy to do the work of presenting the face and mystical body of Christ to the world, liturgues that are in understandabke and meaningful language and song. I hope for a church that can have the likes if both you and me in its midst. If that church is in the future, there is a measure if hope for the world. If that church is in the future, the future cannot come soon enough.
I will share some thoughts
I will share some thoughts about the past and future of the Church, looking for nice things I can say about those Catholics I wind up in religious disputes with. I think one thing that the future Church will see when it looks back on this time is that a number of the heroes of people in what I call the "NCR faith tradition" were extraordinary individuals with a lot to teach. Dorothy Day, Ceasar Chavez and Thomas Merton, for example. I think the openess to the new was not all bad. Wheat grew up along with the weeds. I think of EWTN as a good thing that grew up because there was no one with the power to say no to Mother Angelica. I bet there are more examples. Another thing I think is that when the future Church looks back on this time it will not view the primary cause of the disasters of the last 50 years as the people who sincerely accepted the beliefs of the NCR faith tradition. I think the primary cause was the corruption of the pre-Vatican II Church. Bad things happen when obtaining a prominent position in the Church allows a person to obtain worldly respect. Original sin is always with us, and people with bad motives are always working on getting into positions of authority. I hope we figure out a way around that problem. That Church needed reform. The reform went badly, but as Chesterton said, "Anything worth doing is worth doing badly." I have to remember that the people who sincerely hold beliefs that I believe are mistaken are not part of the problem. I beleive a lot of things to be true and important that are disputed by the members of the NCR faith tradition. I think the Church in the next few generations will value the truth very highly, and I think bad things happen when truths are denied. Nevertheless, although I think the truth should always be stated clearly, the real problem is not people who sincerely believe what they say.
Old heretics don't fade way.
Old heretics don't fade way. They go kicking and screaming while dragging more souls down with them.
I have far more respect for those who leave and live quietly as good Catholics while not causing scandal to the faithful. For those I suggest the organization Standing With Peter.
Such angry, bitter comments
Such angry, bitter comments that are so inconsistent with your title of Father. Your suggestion of the organization you cite could have been done without the hatred that preceded it.
On the contrary, it is the
On the contrary, it is the Catholic clergy devoted to cold-hearted orthodoxy that forces many people to reassess their religious affiliation, merely as a form of self defense, running from spiritual abuse.
Heretics? Fr. J you
Heretics? Fr. J you criticized me on another post for comparing apples and oranges. Whose making fruit salad now?
I am sure that many of us who
I am sure that many of us who out of conscience had to retire from a clerical life found that in picking up the pieces we still had a very real ministry. In
my teaching career I found many colleagues would come looking for sane answers to critical questions about morality and their decisions. Even when
I moved on into Industry I found that I had a reputation for being easy to talk to and had no agenda to force on anyone. Life became a simple matter of
lighting a candle to dispel some darkness. I feel I have been truly blessed.
While teaching school I was challenged to sit down and have a discussion with a fellow teacher who had been to India and had fallen into a trance with some
six year old divinty. It was most interesting. She was gracious but infomed me she could not discuss anything with me since I did not have "the Knowledge". I knew immediately it would be an empty encounter. I was set upon by the group who wanted to know what she was all about. I told them
it was all very simple, she is a Gnostic. Alas we have many such in our own
hierarchy, people adamantly sure that they alone posess the truth and utterly
incapable of listening to anyone but themselves. Narcissus reigns supreme.
I cherish my encountrs with fellow travellers and have only met men and women
who though hurt were all healing and healing others.
Ubi Caritas et Amor...
TomC
Being pastoral is
Being pastoral is overrated...it is time to start getting medieval.
Cardinal George is heartless,
Cardinal George is heartless, a tin man.
What's it like to be so supremely confident of one's place in God's favor?
He should watch Diary of a Country Priest and contemplate what it means to have a heart.
The US hierarchy is all about sex but not about love.
Cardinal George needs to get on the yellow brick road with the rest of us anawim.
We trust and hope and we try not to judge motives ... It's hard though not to judge such stunning lack of empathy.
If Cardinal George is a model of what we are to be, then I reject his Christianity.
If he is what God is like ... The idea makes me weep.
Chilling.
Thanks, Bob. You have a
Thanks, Bob. You have a wonderful gift of insight. Your writing on behalf of a true Catholic Church free of the martinets in red and purple is excellent. Keep on keepin' on!
Isn't that just disgraceful:
Isn't that just disgraceful: had the good sense to disappear.
With all that's been said about "wayward clergy", little do people realize what many have been through to protect the image of the church.
Fransican friar..... who had exhibited signs of difficlties within his vocation, had spent many years in New Guinea as a young priest, and attempted to leave. When refused he ended up having a nervous break down when forced to return to Australia.
He was placed into a Melbourne psychiatric hospital renowned for using shock treatment, { St John of Gods actually Nth Brighton}, and was never the same.
Many years later, still having tangible difficulties, {and recorded} another release was requested and again refused.
He was totally exploited, a big money maker for the order and was forced to be privately ridiculed as being "off with the pixies".
Until towards the end of his life, he was bullied into stepping back from the child he created in leu of financial support, and if it wasnt for the mother, both father and child would never had the connection that was their natural right.
His request for a resript never rescinded and it wasn't until after his death it was formally denied.
His Death Cerificate aknowledges he has claimed his child as his own, his grave stone doesn't.
To date, Paul Smith.. to date.
Why does priesthood have to
Why does priesthood have to be a life-long commitment? Even Jesus Christ had a ministry which lasted only three years....are we not allowed to change or minds? Change is the most permanent reality in life, why not accept the fact that we change our attitudes, our interests, our passions, our abilities etc. Equating marriage and priesthood does not hold water, the former is a contract, both civil and spiritual, which intimately involves another human being. Priesthood is a vocation in which one responds "yes" to the call of ministry for the Church. Where does it say the call must be forever? Why is "leaving" the priesthood perceived as being shameful or disappointing, much like a Judas? No wonder so many priests are afraid to leave and do what is truly healthy, both emotionally and spiritually for themselves. Haven't we all witnessed those whose resentment, anger and aloofness have imprisoned them in their priesthood. Many should have left years ago but were afraid to do so.
“…most had at least the good
“…most had at least the good sense to just "disappear." The prince of the Church from Chicago has a habit of talking down to those who follow their conscience. Recently he publicly dressed down the Governor of his state who “in conscience” disagreed with him. Now those who have been “reduced to the lay state,” (…reductionem ad statum laicalem,--we have somehow been diminished by returning to the lay state--) as the Pope’s words of dispensation read, are expected to have the good sense to “disappear,” that is, to keep their place among the laity, Jesus’ faceless and voiceless people of God. Jesus clearly did not want the professional bearers of his message with their tasseled hats and princely 18 feet capes to speak so disparagingly of those He became man in order to unite to His Father.
For the life of me I cannot find any theological justification for the sense of superiority that many (not most I hope) hierarchs frequently convey and even preach to others. That cannot be one of the effects of the sacrament of orders. Raymond Brown in one of his early books (1970) on Priest and Bishop, pp. 76-77 recounts how a Bishop remarked to him “…that he envied the modern seminarians because they had good professors in Scripture, whereas his own course had been hopeless and consequently he never felt confident about even the exegesis needed for preaching.” He then proceeded to tell the scripture scholars that theirs’ were only opinions and that only a Bishop could speak authoritatively about scripture. Raymond Brown comments: “Here was a man innocently claiming that he could speak authoritatively about a subject in which, as he had just admitted, he had not even elementary competence.”
This in my mind is a common type of monophysitism whereby the Church and its hierarchical representatives have been induced to believe that through their ordination they are endowed with gifts that according to the Scriptures even the Apostles did not receive. I am signing this note “anonymous” because in the future I might find something nice to say about our religious leadership.
What did the governor "in
What did the governor "in conscience" disagree about? Killing little babies before they're born? Why can't you tell us what the dispute was all about? Is abortion just the sort of complicated, oh-so-subtle, ineffable problem that you need a first-class scripture scholar to understand. Are you telling us that Raymond Brown's study of the Bible told him that abortion should be legal? Can you tell us where he published this scholarly conclusion? I'm not a big Raymond Brown fan, but I would never impute to him the idea that bishops have to keep their mouths shut about abortion. You people will use anybody on behalf of abortion. I am amazed by Liberal Catholics' complete, utter and total devotion to pro-abortion politicians.
I am one of those priests who
I am one of those priests who left in the 70s. for several reasons I sought and received a dispensation. My wife (a former Dominican) and I continued our ministries (teaching and caring for the poor). We fostered 25 children and adopted 4. in our 33yrs of a very good marriage. We have 4 grandchildren. She passed away in 2004. I have been affiliated with the White Robed Monks of St. Benedict for years now and I minister to those who find the institution oppressive. I regularly perform Weddings, Funerals and Baptisms and my Priesthood is never in question. Who disappeared?
Going by your comment Ray: it
Going by your comment Ray: it appears to be the whim of those in charge at the time.
In Australia, I know how more than one who have "left" and even "loved ones", who have wished they had disappeared, treated as lepers.
Staunch and loyal Catholics at that, and certainly misguided and again disgraceful.
Yes L. Newington there did
Yes L. Newington there did seem to be a certain whim to it all. I did not belong to an order like your Franciscan Frier (a sad story indeed). I had friends in Rome who got me my dispensation. There were so many of us from the small town in Michigan that left at the same time and those who stayed were as "radical" as the rest of us. We just stayed there and did our thing. The people just continued to view us as their priests and still do. We even lived a block away from the church we served and everyone called us Sister and Father. We were lucky to have a very enlightened (some might disagree)laity.
I guess I have those radical
I guess I have those radical priests who stayed to thank for my inability to attend Sunday Mass whenever I find myself in central Michigan. Many liturgical irregularities routinely occur at these Masses, not the least of which would be the use of non approved bread types used in Holy Communion. So thoroughly have these parishes become protestantized that the distinction between Catholic and Protestant liturgies is blurry indeed. Next time I'm up there, I'll look for a Pius X church as an emergency plan B.
Thanks, Bob, for this
Thanks, Bob, for this article, and for being one of the many resigned priests who not only did not "disappear", but rather used their God-given gifts to support and encourage the people of God. Many of us are still in the church because of people like you and Jay Carrigan, and all the women and men, ordained or lay, who show us the heart of Jesus in their relationships with others. More stories about the lives of folks like Mr. Carrigan's waitress, and less about the hierarchy, is what will continue to encourage the faithful.
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