Posted on 06/06/2019 7:17:37 PM PDT by marshmallow
Cardinal John Dew said the change would help combat clericalism
New Zealand Cardinal John Dew has said it is time to stop calling priests “father.” In an April newsletter, Dew said that ending the use of the title “father” could be “the beginning of the reform in the Church” in the wake of the sexual abuse scandal.
Since then, Dew told New Zealand media outlet Stuff that he would no longer like to be referred to by his title and encouraged priests to do the same.
Dew suggested that this could be one way to respond to Pope Francis’ call to combat clericalism in the Church. He said his effort “is part of a package of changing the whole clerical attitude.”
In his letter, Dew summarized three main points from an article written for La Croix International by French priest Jean-Pierre Roche titled “Stop calling me Father.”
Roche first pointed to the Gospel, in which Jesus says “And do not call anyone on earth ‘Father,’ for you have but one Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 23:9). Although Dew admits that the passage is “difficult to interpret and understand, “ he said “the meaning is clear. Jean-Pierre Roche says that to be called “Father” is to usurp the place of God.”
Second, Dew drew attention to the power dynamics of referring to priests as “father.” Dew said “It is not possible to have equal relationships between adults who are brothers and sisters if we call one of them “Father.”
(Excerpt) Read more at catholicherald.co.uk ...
You didn’t read the entire section, did you?
Yes, I have read. Bit of irony, Rome set up the very policy that Christ commanded against.
Paul understood the use of hyperbole, which you apparently do not.
Gosh - a Cardinal taking advice from the Bible - refreshing....
When did the Cardinal start reading the Bible? We’ve always believed that was wrong.
Most ministers I know hate being called, “Reverend”, too. Preferred is, “Pastor”.
It's not difficult to understand and needs no interpretation.
It's pretty simple, actually, as he demonstrated in so succinctly explaining it.
It's only difficult to interpret for those who don't want to obey it.
Looking for an excuse to disobey God is always challenging.
Pastor?
Brother?
Mr.?
His given name?
The only one that's that holy is God.
What blasphemy to refer to another human being as *Your Holiness*.
Especially in light of the conduct of the Catholic clergy and their covering up of said conduct.
That is NOT *holy*
Jesus’ admonition in Matthew is in regard to the use of religious titles.
Don’t take them on yourself and don’t use them for others.
The church was born on Pentecost with the coming of the Holy Spirit to indwell believers.
In this passage, Jesus was addressing the use of titles of address, not the use of common nouns. The whole context was religious show and false piety.
Matthew 23:1-12 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.
But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
There's also this passage. We are not to esteem one person above another, and this whole elevation of religious leaders does just that. It feeds pride and sets men up for a fall.
Here James puts favoritism in the same category as murder and adultery.
James 2:8-11 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
I wasn’t questioning the plain meaning of the gospel. I was questioning that the priest claimed those plain words were so hard to understand!
Except that the “flesh age” will never end. Christ was resurrected “in the flesh”. He went to great lengths to prove that to the Apostles. He was resurrected to the same flesh that Adam lost with his transgression in the Garden of Eden.
When we are resurrected, we too will have such fleshy bodies. Nothing like our existing flesh, of course, but still flesh.
It leads me to wonder if there aren't several words for "father" in the original language -- whether Aramaic or Greek. For instance, we have one word "love" in English, but the Greek has four words for love to denote different kinds.
So, anyone here know the Greek for this passage? Is there a more exalted word for "father" as "great benefactor", as distinct from a more commonplace word for "biological sire"?
In 1 Cor. 3:11, the Apostle Paul says that the foundation of the church is Jesus Christ.
Thank you, Aesop. Fables are so much fun.
Church was founded on Christ.
God is the only father, believers are brethren, what more alternative do we need.
All quite clear, isn't it?
Do I detect a note of sarcasm? After all, to not call your biological parent “father” robs the word of its meaning.
This should be good...An Elsiethon coming up...
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