Read this week's message from Father Don
Dear parishioners
My seminary in Rome was across the street from the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls, where St Paul is buried. I could see from my window the facade of the basilica, decorated with matching mosaics of Peter and Paul seated on either side of Christ. The arrangement of mosaics was for me a constant reminder of the two complementary aspects of the church: institutional authority and prophetic dynamism.
Jesus appointed Peter and the apostles to exercise leadership in the church and to ensure its on-going stability through their successors, the pope and the bishops. These men were to lead and govern Jesus’ church until he returned in glory. It was their responsibility to faithfully transmit and interpret the teaching of Christ and to maintain good order within the ever-expanding Christian community.
Paul was not one of the twelve apostles whom Jesus appointed to lead his church. Converted to the faith through a personal intervention of Christ several years after the Ascension, Paul was called to a different role, namely, proclaiming the Good News of Jesus to the non-believing Gentiles around the Mediterranean. He was a missionary and a prophet who worked in cooperation with the Twelve but was not directly supervised by them. Paul went where the Spirit led him and proclaimed the Good News as he saw fit.
In the Church both popes and prophets are important. Often, however, institutional leadership has dominated the life of the Church to the detriment of Spirit-led dynamism. The church hierarchy tends to be suspicious of charismatic leaders, fearing they will undermine Catholic teachings and the essential stability of the Church.
In our day the Church stands in great need of creativity and openness to the Spirit in order to meet the challenges of non-belief and abandonment of the faith. It is not helpful for Catholics to cling excessively to “the old ways” and insist that we “do what we have always done.” This approach is not helping. New pastoral approaches, new messaging and greater active involvement of the laity is required.
The Church is led by the Holy Spirit who works through both the hierarchy and prophetic voices, through institutional stability and creative new directions. A shared trust in the Holy Spirit will allow Peter and Paul (and the rest of us) to work together for the building of God’s kingdom.
Your message this weekend is spot on. If I may,😇 I would like to add a quote I once read from Bishop Robert Barron: Perhaps there is a happy middle ground the Bible wants us to find between bland religious relativism and dangerous religious tribalism.