CLERICALISM IN THE CHURCH
Keywords:
Authoritarianism, Christi Fideles Laici, Communion Ecclesiology, Hierarchology, Pope Francis, Priesthood, Seminary Formation, Yves M. CongarAbstract
The topic ‘clericalism in the church’ has received a lot of attention in the media in the wake of the explosion of the clergy abuse scandal. As Clericalism is the root-cause of many of these evils, the article studies in depth its meaning and rationally analyses the various forms of it. This is done in the background of a gospel-based, true image of the church as conceived by theologians, especially Yves M. Congar, best known for his influence in Vatican II for reviving theological interest in the laity in ecclesiology. The article then explores the key points on clericalism in the Apostolic Exhortation of John Paul II, Christi Fideles Laici and in the speeches of Pope Francis. Finally, it ends proposing some theoretical and practical solutions to eradicate clericalism from the life of the church.
References
Anthony Oelrich, Church Fully Engaged: Yves Congar’s Vision of Ecclesial Authority, Baltimore, Maryland: Liturgical Press, 2011.
Jerome Hamer, Church is Communion, New York, 1964.
John D. Zizioulas, Being as Communion, New York, 1985, 60.
Pope John Paul II, Christifideles Laici (Christ’s Faithful People), 1988.
Roger Haight, Spirituality Seeking Theology, New York, 2014, 168.
Rose M. Beal, Mystery of the Church, People of God: Yves Congar’s Total Ecclesiology as a Path to Vatican II, Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America Press, 2014.
Sebastian Athappilly, CMI, “Reform in the Church, a Utopia?” Third millennium 19, 4 (2016) 87.
Vatican II, Sacrosanctum Concilium, no. 48.
Yves Congar, as quoted by Gabriel Flyn, in New Blackfriar 83, 977/978 (July/August 2002) 347.
Yves Congar, Lay people in the Church: A Study for a Theology of the Laity, Piladelphia: Newman Westminster Press, 1967, xvi.
