My Catholic upbringing taught me that the Pharisees and the Saducees were the “bad guys” who persecuted Jesus unmercifully because they feared a loss of power and prestige among the People of God if they accepted the New Covenant Jesus was proclaiming.
Anas and Caiaphas. The Sanhedrin. These were the leaders of the Jews whose motives were corrupted by pride and avarice and a desire to maintain their crushing grip of control over the lives of the Chosen People.
In almost every instance, the priests and teachers of the Old Covenant were presented to me in a negative light, with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. This was (and sadly still tends to be) the Church’s portrayal of the many sufferings the Lord endured in His lifetime at the hands of these evil men.
They say that with age comes wisdom. I do not necessarily agree. I will complete my 70th year on this planet come this December. I don’t feel wiser. In fact, many times I find that I have to overcome my predisposed viewpoint on many issues in order to confront the complexities of modern life. It’s not easy to let go of ideas so deeply ingrained over the course of a lifetime.
It was my fortune (or misfortune depending upon your particular perspective) to have been called to serve the Church as a Priest and as a Canon Lawyer. During the course of my active ministry, I was appointed to serve as a judge in the Marriage Tribunal and to assist members of the curia within my diocese.
As a Priest and Canon Lawyer, it was my duty to proclaim and defend the truths of the Gospel and the teachings of the Church.
What I could not understand at the time was that a kind of Divine parody was playing out in my life.
By the Lord’s Will, I found myself very much in line with the priests and lawyers of the Old Covenant. I wasn’t called upon to serve as a High Priest as the Bishops are. But I could definitely see the similarities between my ministry and that of the members of the Sanhedrin.
There were many times I saw the parallels between what the Church expected of me as a Priest and Canonist and the role which the members of the Sanhedrin were asked to fulfill in their ministerial obligations.
There were (and still are) many times when I have found myself obligated to defend the teachings and practices of the Church, very much in the custom of the Sanhedrin having had to defend the teachings and practices of Judaism.
Now comes Pope Francis whose Pontificate brings with it serious questions regarding teachings and customs which the Church has long cherished and revered.
Many times I have reacted defensively to what I have concluded were troubling inconsistencies in Pope Francis’ words. I still struggle with the vague (often self-contradictory) remarks he makes during public appearances and in interviews with the press.
This Pope challenges me to rethink my experience of Priestly service and re-envision much of what the Church’s ministry needs to be about.
In these challenging moments, I have had to ask myself this profoundly uncomfortable question: when I am inclined to react defensively to Pope Francis’ words or decisions, will I be judged to have been a “pharisee or saducee” of the New Covenant?
I wonder how many of the members of the Sanhedrin during Jesus’ lifetime felt the same way about themselves. Were they as conflicted with Jesus as I find myself to be at times when listening to the new order faith and morality to which I and the People of God are being called by the present Vicar of Christ?
Were the priests and lawyers of the Old Covenant just “bad guys” acting out of self-interest? Am I just a priest and lawyer of the New Covenant doing the same?
It’s spooky at times, believe me, to see the parallels. The Sanhedrin of the Old Covenant versus the Curia of the New Covenant. High Priests versus Bishops. Pharisees versus Canon Lawyers.
Just some thoughts about things which cross my mind from time to time as I continue to try to deepen my understanding of the Church I love so much and what the Lord is asking of me in its service.
No comments:
Post a Comment