My Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ
One of our clergy came to chat to me the other day because in a conversation with clerical friends they had described him as a 'professional priest.'   Whatever their intention, it was clear from his conversation that both for him and them the phrase carried a negative connotation.   As I listened to him, it seemed to me that for them the phrase 'professional priest' carried the implication that he was merely competent, but that he lacked either the vision and ability to bring about change in a parish, or that he somehow lacked in spirituality and thus would not be able to lead the congregation and help them grow in faithfulness and holiness.

What struck me about the conversation was not so much what was said, but on the negative value that seemed to be attached to the term 'professional priest.'   My old friend and mentor, Mervyn Moore, often used the phrase, but for him it carried a positive value; it was the greatest tribute he could pay a colleague.   To be a 'professional priest' was, for him, about as good as it could get and I know that his desire was that as I worked with him I would grow in grace and become a truly 'professional priest.'

It is the contrast in the values attached to the term 'professional priest' that I want to explore here, because it seems to me that in the diminution of the term, we have lost something of immense importance; something that in so many ways bedevils our ministry in the world today.

If I understood correctly what was being said or implied in that conversation between friends, much of the negative value attached to the phrase 'professional priest' seems to revolve around the issue of spirituality and spiritual formation.   Although it was never articulated, there appears to have been an assumption that some spiritualities are more 'spiritual' than others, and that spiritual formation in this day and age demands the pursuit of more eclectic and esoteric spiritualities.   In that context loyalty to the church and its traditions somehow became a negative quality; as if the loyalty of a 'professional priest' to the church negated openness to the Holy Spirit and obedience to God.  

Now I may have totally misinterpreted what was said, but the mindset I have just described is one that is all too common and reflects the impact of post-modern thinking.  It is a mindset in which, because truth becomes relative, I become the arbiter and judge of what is good and bad and thus able to select from the wide range of spiritualities on offer that blend that I find most appealing.   It is what Os Guinness calls 'the smorgasbord option.'   The problem is that Christianity maintains that truth does not lie in the eye of the beholder, but in the external, and absolute, reality of God revealed in Jesus Christ.    It is for this reason that the Nicene Creed begins with the words, 'We believe.'   It is never simply 'my belief,' but always the faith of the whole church, received and passed on from generation to generation.   Certainly that faith must be interpreted afresh in each generation, but is never a case of following the latest fads or of being seduced by new ideas and concepts (that usually turn out to be not as new and fresh as is sometimes imagined).

It is not the faith that must be conformed to the world, but the world and its thinking that must be conformed to the good news of Jesus Christ.   And that is why 'professional' loyalty to the church is so important.   It is not a blind and slavish obedience for the church has all too often been wrong, but rather a recognition that it is the wider community of faith that must wrestle with its theology and spirituality as we seek to discern God's truth and to apply it in our own day and age.   I have always felt that there is an immense spiritual arrogance in believing that I have discerned truths that have eluded everyone else.

However, an opposite but equally real problem lies with clergy who are so comfortable in the day to day practice of their ministry that they no longer feel the need to read and wrestle with new ideas and with the issues of our day.   They have, to all intents and purposes simply stopped growing and their ministry stagnates.  

Where living water becomes stagnant, it stinks.   I remember seeing a poster once which showed a gravestone that read, 'Here lies ….   Died at 30.   Continued breathing till 80.'   

I believe it is important to recover the concept of the 'professional priest' for it speaks of a well-rounded maturity in every aspect of life.   A document on priestly formation speaks of the importance of a personal growth plan for 5 key areas of our lives:-

1. Human Formation
   1. Health and well-being
      1. Psychological and emotional stability
      2. No evidence of undue neediness
      3. Depression
      4. Irrational or compulsive behaviours
      5. Alcohol and drug use
      6. Physical health
      7. Healthy diet
      8. Exercise and recreation
         
   2. Self awareness and insight
      1. Self-awareness and positive self-image
      2. Positive attitudes toward self and others
      3. Sensitivity towards others
      4. Stereotypes, especially in respect of gender, race, ethnicity and sexuality
      5. Openness to personal growth
      6. Appropriate attitudes towards those in authority
      7. Understanding of accountability and openness to evaluation by others
      8. Commitment to ongoing reflection and self-assessment
      9. Appropriate expression and control of emotions
         
   3. Chastity and sexuality
      1. Clarity of sexual identity
      2. Chastity and personal friendships
      3. Healthy patterns of relationships with women and men
         
   4. Social, political, cultural awareness
      1. Awareness of social structures and their functions: families, cultures, classes
      2. Sensitivity to the relationship between social issues and the mission of the church
      3. Openness to cultural differences within church and society
      4. Awareness of justice issues and sensitive to injustice
      5. Sensitivity to environmental issues
      6. Deportment and manners
      7. Dedication and commitment to the common good of the community
         
2. Spiritual Formation
   1. Prayer and prayerfulness
      1. Commitment and discipline in daily personal prayer in its many forms, especially the saying of the Offices, contemplation, lectio divina, and the Examen of Consciousness
      2. Desire to "Prefer absolutely nothing to the love of Christ."
      3. Awareness of God in all things
      4. Regular spiritual direction
         
   2. Thinking theologically
      1. Developing a theological, cosmic world view
      2. Thinking theologically rather than sociologically (a movement from God to us rather than from us to God)
         
   3. Vision of the church
      1. Knowledge of and respect for the teachings of the church
      2. Respect for ecclesiastical authority
      3. Mature understanding of obedience
      4. Ability to work and collaborate with others. 
         
3. Moral and Volitional Formation (cf Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Reasoning)
   1. Christian Integrity
      1. Continuity and sense of direction in life
      2. Awareness of God's presence in one's life
      3. Integration of the Word with all aspects of life
      4. Understanding of the relationship between holiness and ministerial competence
      5. Integration of moral life, faith-commitment and ministry
      6. Prophetic witnessing to spiritual and moral convictions
      7. Daily living of priestly virtues
         
   2. Christian Responsibility
      1. Stability of life
      2. Reliable and responsible in all that is done
      3. Evidence of diligence and perseverance in face of hardship
      4. Stability of life
      5. Trustworthiness
         
4. Intellectual Formation
   1. Enthusiasm and Love of Life
      1. Open and enquiring attitude towards life
      2. Shows interest in, and concern for others and wider world
      3. Able to converse on a wide range of subjects at an appropriate social level
         
   2. Theological or philosophical competence
      1. Academic performance commensurate with one's ability
      2. Ability to discuss matters theological and philosophical
      3. Integration of theology and philosophy with faith and life
      4. Intellectual humility; wisdom
         
5. Pastoral Formation
   1. Ability to communicate
      1. Capacity to communicate clearly and effectively in a variety of social contexts
      2. Ability to relate to a wide range of people; willingness to initiate contact
      3. Ability to listen and to display a genuine regard for others
      4. Strength to maintain relationships, to observe boundaries, and to reconcile differences
         
   2. Leadership
      1. Ability to articulate the views of the Church in a public forum
      2. Cultivation of a personal and effective manner of exercising leadership
      3. Appropriate use of status
      4. Able to take initiative - evidence in ministry / life story
      5. Disposition to support, motivate, encourage, and build community
      6. Understanding of collaborative ministry and its exercise
      7. Ability to work as part of a team
      8. Exercising servant leadership
         
   3. Liturgical competencies
      1. Love for liturgy and respect for directives
      2. Sensitivity to the moving of the Spirit
      3. Ability to foster appropriate participation
      4. Understanding of the relationship of liturgy to holiness
         
   4. Service orientation
      1. Understanding of authority as service
      2. Motivation for serving others
      3. Clear generosity of spirit 

At the risk of making this Ad Clerum overly long, I have included the above list for, unless we work through a document such as this and become intentional about personal growth in all areas of our life, we will never be 'professional' in the best and most desirable sense of the word.

May you grow and become 'professionals' in the service of God.

+ Brian

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