RT Article
T1 Clericalization of the Laity: A Prescient Warning of Pope Francis for the Catholic Church in Ireland
JF Irish theological quarterly
VO 85
IS 1
SP 16
OP 34
A1 Fitzgibbon, Éamonn
LA English
YR 2020
UL https://ixtheo.de/Record/1690633557
AB Pope Francis has consistently alerted the Catholic Church to the dangers of clericalism. One way in which clericalism finds expression is by clericalizing the laity and Francis's warning in this has particular relevance for Ireland as we attempt to address the consequences at pastoral level of a collapse in vocations to priesthood and religious life. The temptation is to try to carry on as if nothing has changed and often to ask lay people to fill roles previously carried out by clergy in a way that suggests they are the ones who are truly living out their baptismal calling as opposed to those who live out their Christianity in the course of their ordinary daily lives. This raises important questions around the roles of laity and ordained, the evolution of ministry, and current pastoral practice. This article examines theological responses to these questions during and since Vatican II. I propose we are best served at this time by focusing on the relationship between the priesthood of the faithful and ordained priesthood. I also argue that we need an inductive methodology which enables our theology to be guided by praxis.
K1 Clericalism
K1 Laity
K1 ordained ministry
K1 priesthood of the faithful
K1 Role
DO 10.1177/0021140019889208