REFLECTION FOR FEBRUARY
2013 PETER MILLAR
petermillarreflects.blogspot.co.uk
SCOTLAND’S CARDINAL
On the eve of his departure for Rome to take
part in the election of the new Pope, Cardinal Keith O’Brien, Archbishop of St
Andrews and Edinburgh and Britain’s most senior Roman Catholic has been
propelled by Pope Benedict to an abrupt resignation. This sudden fall from
grace for the cardinal, who is shortly to be 75, was because a few days ago a
UK newspaper revealed that three serving priests and one former priest in the
diocese had made public accusations about his “inappropriate behaviour” toward
them in the 1980’s. Keith O’Brien has denied the allegations but in his parting
statement he ambiguously apologised for any failures in his ministry and to
those he had “offended”. He will not now take part in the election of the new
Pope.
Professor John Haldane of St Andrew’s University who is a leading
Scottish Catholic and an adviser to the Vatican, called the resignation
“shocking and sad”, and many people in Scotland have spoken warmly of the
Cardinal’s ministry and his place in public life over several decades. I did
not agree with many of Keith O’Brien’s pronouncements, but I feel sad that his
ministry has ended in such an abrupt way. It would be an impoverished spirit
who could not feel some sympathy for him. Our thoughts also go out to the
priests who have made the accusations. They too are hurting. His resignation
has also created a further crisis for the Roman Catholic church. That too is sad for all of us who are
concerned about the work and witness of the whole church in our time.
This speedy resignation shows clearly how sensitive the Roman Catholic
church has become towards sexual scandal. As one writer said, “The long years
of circling the wagons are over, at least in the developed world. Cardinals now
get the same treatment as priests. There was a time when complaining about your
bishop or cardinal to Rome was a one-way ticket to a posting on Craggy Island.
There are probably still a great many crimes or misdemeanours that a priest
with a sense of self-preservation would hesitate to denounce his superiors for
– but it seems that sexual abuse is no longer one of them. This is progress,
though slow and belated.”
Here in Edinburgh in May at its General Assembly, the Church of
Scotland to which I belong, will once again be discussing the situation in relation to gay women and men in the
Christian ministry. This is a debate within all the churches which has gone on
ceaselessly for years - as if human sexuality in its multiple dimensions was
the thing that mattered most to God. It is a debate which has brought in its
wake, among much else, deep hurt, alienation, anger, separation, judgment,
hypocrisy and divided families and churches.
What God must make of it all is beyond our limited human imagining. I am
sure the One who holds us all weeps over things other than sex.
In my own understanding, I
believe that Christians are called to live what has been called over the
centuries “a holy life”. There is within
that quest a sub-text which we can describe as a “vision of perfection” which in
our deeper selves we know to be unrealistic. Unobtainable. There are some forms
of perfection that are damaging even to try for. The demand on Catholic priests
(except the married ones who not so long ago fled to Rome, from the Church of
England because they refused to accept women clergy!) to live through each day
as if sex was something that happened to other people is absolutely
unrealistic. I think such an understanding is actually opposed to the
liberating news of the Gospel. Many priests and nuns think that too.
Priests are sexual
men – just ask them! Often highly sexual
individuals which is why in some cultures (such as the Philippines) they are
allowed to have unofficial hetrosexual
families. Yet outwardly – and this is true also of the present debate on
gay ministers in the Church of Scotland – the churches refuse to creatively
engage with the reality which is human sexuality. It’s all too messy: too
complicated. ( I remember Dorothy and I being told by some of our clergy
colleagues in the Church of South India that they could not accept female
priests in case they gave birth while serving Communion! Honestly, that is true.) Thankfully their view
was not a majority one, and today there
are some great women priests within that church. For my own part, I always
thought God’s heart would celebrate and joyfully accept such a birth taking
place in the sacredness of a church building and in the midst of a praying
people. Others thought differently!
The sad fall from
grace of the Scottish cardinal once again shows that making certain human
beings accept moral standards which by and large are unrealistic often takes us
down a road not of a more profound, engaged, compassionate and joy-filled
spirituality but one marked by hypocrisy and human torment. That is not to say
that if an individual chooses celibacy we should not honour such a decision. Of
course we should, but that remains a different issue.
Over the years in
some of my books I have written about
the need for us to be more tender with
one another when it comes to the area of human sexuality. At various levels we
are all vulnerable and carry moral frailty, and it is a gift from God if we
have enough self-awareness to face these fragmented parts in ourselves. To be
able to accept personal vulnerability and inner contradiction opens us to a more genuine empathy with others. And
in that fact is real hope. God’s hope.
Fred Kaan’s
well-known and prophetic hymn says it so well:
Help
us accept each other as Christ accepted us,teach us as sister, brother, each person to embrace.
Be present, Lord among us and bring us to believe
we are ourselves accepted and meant to love and live.
================================================================================== For details of my new book book just Google - www.ionabooks.com
It is called: “A TIME TO MEND : Reflections In Uncertain Times” and is published by Wild Goose Publications, Glasgow, UK. The ISBN number is: 978 – 1 – 84952 -247 – 2.
Thank you again for
your many e-mails from many parts of the world. So many of us are engaged in
seeking greater justice and truth within
our wider human family. It’s inspiring to think of that when much around us is uncertain. I find Richard
Rohr’s short daily meditations which you
can get through your e-mail very helpful. They
come freely . All you need to do is to Google - “Richard Rohr” and the details will come up.
He like many of us, is committed to an engaged Christianity.
