[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hen I was still in my teens, young people were warned against participating in religious or political arguments, which the grown-ups considered too emotive for young minds. Some adults went so far as to keep their offspring away from political rallies. In preparation for their first communion and confirmation, after-church-services were fine, of course. I grew up Roman Catholic, when priests and other religious teachers (nuns) taught that the true church was the Holy Roman Catholic Church whose first head was Peter. No one bothered to explain the word “Roman”; Holy worked just fine. Catholic was defined as universal, and church a place of worship. Case closed.
The more passionate believers encouraged their children to serve as acolytes, while others, perhaps more talented, joined the church choir. Young men were also encouraged to join the priesthood. A constant plea to that effect was heard from the high pulpit during Sunday morning sermons. Sections of the congregation prayed that priests would emerge from their ranks. Not the majority, however. The priesthood promised little income for struggling families. Yet, a young man taking priestly vows was a landmark in the life of his family and of his church. Everyone, it seemed, including total strangers, wished to witness that most solemn ceremony.
The return to the island of a newly ordained local priest was more reason for jubilation. A larger congregation than usual attended his first mass. Saint Lucians were proud of the priests. People appreciated success! There was no need to know the young priest or his family. Still, some questioned whether such a bright young man ought not to have married and raised a family, while helping his parents. Others were quick to opine that morals and spiritual development were as crucial as a high-paying job, particularly in a sinful and near lawless society.
After the excitement of those early days, young priests settled into religious routines. Other Christian denominations grew with the expanding population and these provided new church leaders and pastors. Over time, the early priest grew towards retirement and the question turned to life after the priesthood. Having faithfully served in God’s vineyard, what next? Had the church made provision for its aging priests? Were they to be merely returned to their families with no pension or medical safety net after their many years of service? These questions occurred to me after it was announced that the last head of the Holy Roman Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI, had retired to a villa in the Italian Alps. We pray that Pope Benedict is properly cared for and in good health. I, however, worry about retirement arrangements for priests in Saint Lucia and the Caribbean. I was saddened by the demise of the Holy Ghost Fathers abode at Mount St. Benedict in Trinidad, where I once happily attended mass. It is heartrending to hear of poverty-stricken priests who spent their working lives spreading the good news about Jesus Christ.
As if to challenge my sense of fairness, I recently ran into a senior priest now living with his family. He had spent the last fifty years or so in the service of the church. I was careful not to probe too deeply into his future, even though the individual is well known to me. That senior citizen was clearly past the age where he could contemplate a new life of marital bliss with adoring children. Is there a good woman anywhere waiting to say, “I do” to a retired priest? But I digress.
The question is: What must the church do about its elderly retiring priests? Does the local Roman Catholic Church repatriate money to Rome each month? If so, shouldn’t charity begin at home? Yes, I am aware of some of the charitable works undertaken by the church right here in Saint Lucia. However, priests who are no longer able to work also need help.
There is another and broader issue that intrigues me. It is the common thread which runs through all religions. No, not God! Not Jesus. And certainly not goodwill, or peace. It is money! The one thing all churches and denominations share is love of money. Some have made religion a business, using Jesus for profit. Jesus businesses prosper; some even try to deceive the Inland Revenue Department, having registered as a business.
These types seem to aspire to replace politicians in their public advocacy for more and more funds. One wonders how hidebound institutions, like Christian religions, view progress. Do they interpret it to mean change? And does change mean a comfortable life for the leaders only? The late Father Reginald John comes to mind. He was one of Saint Lucia’s more humanitarian and godly priests. He seemed dedicated to improving life in the land that gave him birth. He stood with the poor, the abused and the elderly, as did Jesus in his time on Earth. Yet Father John was banished to New York where he met an early death. It seems that anyone who is prepared to disrupt the status quo for better is considered a troublemaker. I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to attend Father John’s funeral in the Bronx, New York. I consider him a kindred soul.
This takes me to Pope Francis. I believe that if he has his way, the Holy Roman Catholic Church will be reformed to an extent that Jesus Christ, on his return, will recognize it as the Pauline Apostolic Church, founded in his name, and first headed by the apostle Peter. Under Pope Francis the Roman Catholic Church may finally distinguish itself by apologizing for its past excesses.
We need more disrupters in the churches, in businesses and in politics. If we are to make the world a better place for all of God’s children, we will need well-meaning disrupters, not only in politics and commerce, but also in our churches. The needed changes should begin with the guilty atoning for their committed wrongs.
