Any body that can muster 500 priests and deacons is a force to be reckoned with, and the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy, which does just that, is an organisation which is unabashed about its aims. Established after the visit to Britain of Pope Benedict, and in response to his call for a reinvigorated priesthood, it aims to promote Fidelity, Formation and Fraternity among its members. One expression of its fidelity to church teaching was when it issued a statement reiterating Church teaching on homosexuality after the broadcast documentary about the pope, Francesco, seemed to raise the possibility that traditional teaching was in doubt.
Recently it sent to every parish priest in England a copy of a CTS pamphlet it commissioned on The Priesthood – Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, with a preface by Cardinal George Pell which included the feisty assertion that “as Catholics in our heavily secular and sometimes hostile society, we are here and we are here to stay. We are not going anywhere nor do we propose to remain silent.”
But it is also committed to fraternity. And its colloquium in York at the beginning of the month, sponsored by the Catholic Herald, was an opportunity for clergy of a conservative persuasion to have a good time together, as well as listen to speakers including Ralph Martin, a Catholic evangelist. There are, besides, regular retreats (the latest led by Mgr John Armitage) and meetings in London and elsewhere. There is a British and Irish, Scottish and American confraternity and every five years, an international gathering; the last was in Rome.
The spokesman for the English Confraternity is Fr David Palmer, an engaging former Anglican clergyman who came into the Church via the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham and is a priest in the diocese of Nottingham. He’s married, with children and a new puppy called Cuthbert. So, although the Confraternity is traditionalist, “clearly there isn’t an animus against priests who are married,” he says cheerfully.
But many priests live alone, and it can lead to a sense of isolation. “There’s disillusionment among many priests,” he says. “We’re here to support each other. Fraternity is a big issue. Most clergy live on their own. Several of my closest friends are priests. We have contact outside meetings. We have shared understanding and experiences.”
There is a common outlook among members. “The Confraternity talks about priesthood,” he says. “And we promote fidelity to church teaching … about 500 priests signed a letter in support of church teaching on married life. There was a push after Pope Francis’s Amoris Laetitia to reconsider the traditional teaching on divorced-and-remarried people receiving Communion – we’re happy to reaffirm the teaching of the Church.”
But the ethos of the organisation isn’t just about current controversies. “Fundamentally we believe that the Catholic Church is true and there’s something beautiful about the priesthood and being called to it is a wonderful thing,” he says.
It’s an infectious enthusiasm. But is he worried that idealisation of the priesthood may make for clericalism which many commentators, particularly in the German Church, think was a factor in the clerical sex abuse scandals? “I think clericalism is an interesting word,” he says. “Some of the most clericalist priests I know – the most domineering – are those who say they are not clericalist. I know those who relish iron control.” In other words, clerical authoritarianism is a condition that affects liberals as well as conservatives. “Clericalism is a problem,” he says, “but it depends how we define the word. I was at a primary school with a lay chaplain and I was reflecting on how you go into a primary school as a priest and have an implicit trust from those children.” But he thinks some of the most obvious causes of abuse have been identified.
“Some of the issues are being addressed; for instance, we have the psychological assessment of candidates for priesthood to weed out those who are entering for nefarious purposes. We need to return to the ideal of holiness in formation.”
Essentially, he thinks those who enjoy the power and privileges of the priesthood misunderstand their vocation. “People can indeed use the role of priest for their own ultimate purposes – you can get priests playing golf all day,” he says. “That’s a form of clericalism. We have to say this is a life of service to God and people. Those who cause little ones to stumble – it’s a scandal to the body of Christ. We need to call priests back to be holy. Your purpose is to serve God and people of God.”
But although the Confraternity is unabashedly conservative, it doesn’t see the Second Vatican Council as a problem. “Most of our members would interpret it in terms of continuity rather than rupture,” he says. What about the Tridentine rite, or extraordinary form, of the Mass? “Most of us like good liturgy,” he says. “But none would reject the new Mass.”
In the Confraternity’s little book, Cardinal Pell says that “there can be no priesthood without godliness.” The Confraternity is doing its bit to make priests godly; that’s a very good thing.
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