Liturgical Rumbings One: End of Lay Preaching at Mass
I found it interesting that Bishop Flynn banned Lay Preaching at Mass in his diocese of Minneapolis-St. Paul as he prepares to retire. Maybe he has come to the realization that it is the primary resposibility of the priest to preach the Gospel at the celebration of the Eucharist. It would have been good if he had stated as well that this action is not a denigration of the role of the laity in the Church. We have been dealing with the clericalization of the laity and the laicization of the clergy for the past 30 years, and all it has done is confuse everyone.
There is also deeper issue at work here as well. Diocesan priesthood for a long time seems to have lived with the tension of pastor as middle management in the corporate diocesan structure and pastor as shepherd of souls. Most of the talk that has come from many speakers that priests in this archdiocese have had to listen to is that the pastor is middle management. Is it more important to pay assessments or save souls? Like most things in Catholicism, this is not an “either/or” model, but a “both/and” model. There is a need for a Church to be financially viable, but it seems to me that the priority is to be shepherd of souls. I doubt that many would disagree with that. With his role as shepherd, somehow the priest needs to be freed from endless and in many cases useless meetings. Parish bureaucracies that have sprung up from this model need to be torn down. The middle management view of priesthood is I believe a direct attack on the essence of the priesthood.
If there is a “hierarchy” in the priestly role, it seem to me to possess thre elements: In the order of importance: 1. To Offer the Eucharist and prayerfully celebrate the sacraments of the Church. 2. To be one who preaches the Gospel daily both in Word (preaching) and deed (pastoral care of sick, elderly, teaching, dealing with grouchy parishiners who are never happy, no matter what is done) 3. To care for the material needs of the parish.
I believe that this order is important because it puts the parish clearly in the hands of God, and it reminds the priest everyday that he is working with Christ for the salvation of the world. When the first two are carried out to the best of his ability, I would think that the third role would be easier
This is why preaching is the primary charism entrusted to the priest at Mass. Is there a place for lay preaching in the broader Church? Yes. In England, there sprang up the Catholic Evidence Guild, where Catholic men and women in the early 20th century studied their faith and learned it well enough to address in a public place (not a Church) a topic in a 30minute period followed by answering questions. It is still alive in England and presently in the Archdiocese of New York. There is a real challenge for the lasity if they wish to take it up.
It seems to me that many, if not most lay preachers, including women religious and lay brothers, have an agenda that is more political, social or cultural than evangelical. This is also a problem among some priests and deacons. I always get nervous when I hear the words “me” and “I” more than I hear the words “Jesus Christ” and “Church.” Some see preaching as their “fifteen minutes of fame.” What is really is to be is the proclamation of Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the gift of the Church in manifesting the salvation of Christ to the world.
