PS: I have deviated a bit from the topic in the middle and lower portion of this post.
The existence of the Catholic clergy is not an easy one, and can never be, particularly of those who engage with the flock on a day to day basis. It gets further compounded when that interaction is within the precincts of villages. People have achieved varying degrees of sophistication, and along with that a certain levelling. The parish priest for one has become the punching bag, but quite often on account of his affectations -- personal style, idiosyncrasies, excesses, practicing a profession besides ones vocation, pronouncing diktats that are not seen as emanating from authority (or churlishly rendered/rather hurled from the pulpit), and misconstruction/misrepresentation of authority (from God -- but often forgotten and misapplied these days). The priests have also in recent times begun seeing themselves as one of us (they are human, but they are sanctioned with a--that particular authority), and in doing so frittered the respect that the laity had towards their office. The authority is that they represent Christ and the Christ in the midst of the pastoral congregation. Not authoritarian, but certainly one who points/gives directions, brings about fellowship but still holds out that possibility for an expression of free will, from the radicals and tougher elements in the congregation. I could be wrong about the latter, but do not think so. Ergo, the authority of the priest has been relegated as the dust behind heavy statuary, which rarely gets seen or cleaned (accepted). Also, all priests are not cut from the same cloth. Today many laymen, are often better versed on a wide range of issues than the parish priest. But their interest in engagement is about creating a levelling, which very often is quite superficial too. So these issues of the 'paradox-religious' abound as to the authority that the priest has. For instance the priest giving a sermon (as in having the authority to do so) is not the same as me giving one, and I quote Kierkegaard, "Authority is a specific quality, which coming from elsewhere, becomes qualitatively apparent when the content of the message or of any action is posited as indifferent." It is up to the individual to learn as much as possible: Read Encyclicals-- agree or disagree, the various Christ interpretations, search for priests, and in fact even nuns as mentors (India already has some splendid women theologians), the Examiner, apply various constructs--while seeing a movie or while soaking in entertainment, a 'spot' of theology is not bad, including the Systematic. Multiple perspectives, as long as one does not go bonkers is good. It it overwhelms, then perhaps its better to live a simple life, looking inwards, or throw caution to the winds and drink of everything that life has to offer. That is another path too! Though most Christians will not agree. In terms of Goan being, consider that interesting acrostic poem in Lamentations "Is there any pain like my pain" (1: 21-22, which corresponds to the letter Hebrew letters Shin and Taw) 21 Listen to how I groan! There is no one to comfort me All my enemies heard of my trouble; they rejoiced that you had done it Oh bring on the day you proclaimed, and let them be like me! 22 Let all their wickedness come before you,a nd do to them Just what you did to me for my rebellions. For many are my groans, and my heart is sick. I heard recently that for over two decades in Goa, there apparently has been a shortage (dearth, really?!) of priests with PhD's, taking ino consideration the qualitative changes in terms of progressiveness of knowledge that the state has undergone.. Parishioners who took the priest at his word only yesterday(emanating from authority), now question him wholesale. Perhaps authority in their minds has turned immanent -- making them ever more zealous. The last Bishop who is now in splendid retirement obviously did not feel it was imperative to have highly qualified priests -- PhD's across all fields -- comparative linguistics, hard sciences, social sciences, music, even management. This I hear is being corrected by the new Bishop. Hopefully better priests will consider staying in Goa and doing pastoral work and counselling. Its not just short skirts, and not having choirs. Talking about priest as scholar/diplomat/statesmen or the equivalent of the Foreign Service; the priests from Kerala, and other parts of South India (dioceses) saw it differently as is seen in their numerical presence in Rome, as well as in institutes of learning in India. One is not suggesting that priests be educated so as to serve at the behest of Rome, but I speak as part of the lay street faculty. Rome has its own demands, as would various Bishops; and few one would see it beneath themselves if they were being considered a nuncio. Butthis means that all priests are not suited for pastoral work, although they may be Diocesan; and not Jesuits, CSSR or for that matter, Salesians. Our desires to engage with priests would have been different, if those that have been given authority would understand that many ask questions in earnestness, and it is not to their detriment if their teachings are not accepted. But they have to respond and make clear the position of the Church, and in doing so not be concerned whether or not they are being judged. But then, many priests see themselves as victims, Now we must also understand that temptation precisely means an alluring, however this allurement is towards evil. And it still remains -- a temptation. So the language is actually correct, but when we see it going against our day to day desires, and apparently, a censoring of ideas, we are inveighing against the term/language or rather of how we think of ourselves. But truly you cannot remotely consider yourself, a heretic. Leave that to people who know the darkness, much better than you can imagine. Hang in there, venantius > From: "Nigel Britto" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: [Goanet] earlier thread: question to > Fr.Ivo_now_temptation > Hi Mr. Pinto, > > Finally someone agrees with me :-) > Yes, it's a fact that RC priests will always attack believers/protestants > but will not have anything to say to those from other faiths. It had > confused me for a long time. > > And about temptation, I myself didn't understand how exactly the offer of > healing is 'temptation'. But then, a Catholic priest said it, so I can't > question it. All priests seem to have inherited the papal trait of > infallibility, and if I question it, I'll be condemned a heretic. > Truth Liberates, > Nigel Britto
