It is seldom I publicly criticize members of the clergy. I never know what is coming across their desk, or what is really going on in their personal lives which might make them come across as arrogant, unmerciful or downright dopey. Besides, priests are people. Like all of us, they suffer from concupiscence. The day of a poor interaction with them could be the day they have succumbed to the temptation of impatient anger. I try not to hold it against them and, unless the person (any person) is behaving in a way that is an outright threat to others (or illegal), I usually just shake my head and walk on.
I read a blog post today by a very popular Catholic priest that I used to consider a friend. He has helped members of my family and my friends when they have needed an anointing or prayer. He has always been nice to me. However, after reading his published post today I am not sure he would consider me his friend. I don't think I am good enough anymore.
The blogpost today made his opinion of people like me very clear. It was obvious he looks down with disdain upon those of us who have chosen to be vaccinated, who followed the directions of our Bishop and who dare to interpret the data being released by the experts in a way differs from his and his followers' interpretation. His blog post was not charitable. I read it and got tears in my eyes.
Maybe I am overly sensitive. Well, so was Catherine of Siena. If I am, so be it. In the words of my mentor, if I feel this way I can be sure others do as well but most of them won't speak up.
And I am not going to link it - I really do not want him to get any more traffic than he normally does and, besides, they turned the comments off because God forbid anyone say they disagree with him...that wouldn't work at all.
Why?
Because he made it very clear he has no love for people like me. I am not the kind of Catholic he wants in "his" church. I do not belong.
Because of his blogpost, I question whether or not he would even minister to me. I do not fit his personal criteria for what constitutes a good Catholic. My conclusions about how to behave during the pandemic do not match his; therefore, it is doubtful he would fulfill his priestly duties if I needed him to administer the Last Rites, came in to participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation or attended Mass in his parish and presented myself at the altar rail in order to receive Our Lord from his priestly hands.
I don't think I would be welcome at his parish all all. I follow rules he does not like. I am less than. He made that bitingly clear.
I guess it is a good lesson for me. I must remember that what I do and say matters. I must defend his right to express that he thinks he is better than me because I chose to get a vaccine he chose not to get. As an American he has the right to think that - but as a Catholic priest?
This priest believes I cannot think for myself - and actually goes on to say that not thinking for myself is okay as long as I am surrounded by loving people. I am guessing he means himself and others who think like he does - he really doesn't make that very clear. What he does believe is that the experts do not act out of the common good - they do not 'love' - and so following their advice is wrong.
Yet, when using his logic, how can I trust that he loves me? His arrogant rhetoric certainly does not encourage a feeling of love or mercy. He doesn't think it's possible for an intelligent Catholic in good standing to interpret the data differently than he does and come to a different conclusion; rather, he has made it quite clear that someone like me is blindly following my animal instincts to be a part of a herd. Of course, if I was a part of HIS herd, that would be okay - right, Father?
I think, and I may be wrong, that the reason for his blogpost is his anger that people are choosing to follow someone other than himself. He sees himself as 'blazing a trail', going against the flow, finding the open lane of traffic. If we all chose to follow him, he would not have any problem with us being followers.
His analogies are childish, his rhetoric is mean and it just makes me sad. I am sad for him. I am sad for people like me who genuinely love priests and want what is best for them. I am just .... sad.
Now, all I can do is pray...and I pray that the Holy Spirit guides him home to love and mercy.
Then? I better go to confession because, well.....he also made me mad.
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