Models of priesthood: the cultic model of priesthood is back and laity and priests are heading in opposite directions

Catholic New Times, Oct 24, 2004 by Jack Shea

It has been said that Vatican I (1869-70) concerned itself with the papacy, establishing the principle of the infallibility of the pope in matters of faith and morals; Vatican II (1962-65) concerned itself with the bishops, establishing the principle of collegiality; and it could happen that, if there is a Vatican III, it could develop a theology of the priesthood.

This statement is obviously a reflection on the lack of time and attention that the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council spent attending to the role and function of the priests of the church.

In recent months a new book has appeared that deals with this issue. It is Evolving Visions of the Priesthood by Dean R. Hoge and Jacqueline E. Wenger. (Liturgical Press). It presents research into the state of the priesthood in the United States and the changes that have taken plate in this profession from Vatican II to the turn of the new century.

This valuable book is based on sociological research conducted in 44 dioceses and 45 religious communities, supplemented by personal interviews with priests. It includes the views of six Catholic leaders who comment on the research findings.

It describes the years after Vatican II as a time of uncertainty for priests. "On balance, they (priests) had as much to lose as to gain from the Council's actions. Its emphasis on the 'priesthood of the laity' and on the church as 'the people of God' demanded that the role and identity of the priest be reconsidered. Many priests now felt confused, since their earlier role and their secure status were lost; large numbers resigned between 1968 and 1974. Historian Scott Appleby concluded that 'There was a widespread loss of confidence in parochial ministry in the 1960's."

Strange as it may seem, there is a single paragraph in one of the two Vatican II documents on the priesthood that may serve to explain some of the problems and loss of confidence experienced by priests today as mentioned above.

The paragraph in question appears in the opening Chapter of the Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests (Presbyterorum Ordinis), one of the 16 documents to come out of the Second Vatican Council.

This text states, in almost cultivated ambiguity, the following: "By their vocation and ordination, priests of the New Testament are indeed set apart in a certain sense within the midst of God's people." The text continues, "but they cannot be of service to people if they remain strangers to the life and condition of people."

These two statements, written almost 40 years ago have created considerable divergence of opinion regarding the meaning of priesthood in our day.

This apparent ambiguity in describing the priesthood has given rise to two distinct models of priesthood. One is called the "cultic model", which describes the priest as "set apart" and the other is called "the servant-leader model", in which the document speaks of the priest whose "ministry requires that they live in this world among people, and that as good shepherds they know their sheep."

The cultic model vs. servant-leader

Church historians describe the "cultic model" as one that has existed in the church since the Council of Trent (1545-1563). It is called "cultic" because it attaches primary importance to the priest's role as leader of worship and dispenser of the sacraments. This cultic model supports the distinctive lifestyle of a priest living a celibate life, residing in a house in cultivated detachment from the people and attired in a distinctive uniform.

On the other hand, the "servant-leader model" seems to date from the late 1950s and was probably related to the concern for the world's social problems as described in the early social encyclicals of Pope John XXIII, entitled, Christianity and Social Progress (Mater et Magistra) and Peace on Earth (Pacem in Terris). This model played down the priest's separateness and special status and found the priest closer to members of the Christian community as they struggled to live a Christian life in a secular world. The priest served as a spiritual guide and chaplain to the laity and shared with them his knowledge of the rich body of social teaching dating from Pope Leo XIII in 1891, and applying Christian principles to the problems of modern life.

Although there is a danger in oversimplifying the effects of these two models of priestly lifestyle, it is clear that the fundamental difference between them lies in a basic attitude to the world.

When Pope John XXIII called the Second Vatican Council into existence it was to demonstrate that the church existed for the benefit of people, and his hope was that the church would be mobilized to apply the good news Of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the enormous problems of a technical and social nature that the world was experiencing. Cardinal Suenens of Belgium, who was close to Pope John, has confirmed this view.

The Council did, in fact, produce a new type of document which attempted to achieve that very purpose. In Gaudium et Spes (The Pastoral Constitution on the Church and the Modern World) the Council spells out the church's desire to show respect and solidarity with the world, to engage in "conversation and dialogue" with the modern world. Here are some of the expressions that illustrate the church's desire to be of service: