This is not the official report on the meeting. This report has been compiled by Mike Hyland and Joe Mulrooney, the representatives of the Advent Group. European Federation 2008
Meeting of delegates, 9th and 10th July 2008
Chant d’Oiseau, Brussels
- Mike Hyland and Joe Mulrooney represented Advent at this meeting of the European Federation. There were 10 participants, representing 7 groups and 6 countries. The Italian delegate was not able to be present for health reasons.
1. The first morning was a sharing by delegates of the situation of the various national groups. Though common themes emerged it was recognised that our situations are somewhat different. Advent reported particularly on the following:
· That the exodus from ministry had not ceased as was sometimes said and that recently we had attracted some younger members (under fifty years of age).
· The discussions in England on the organisations of dioceses and parishes, which had the strategy of downsizing. That may seem a solution in the eyes of the institution but would be only a stopgap as funerals continued,
· An invitation to a symposium held by the movement for married priests on the effects on parishes which had no priests. Notable was the example of one parish which had built up a good working community which effectively ran the parish, a priest entering only for Sunday Eucharist. When placed under the neighbouring parish priest all of this community involvement was effectively stopped.
· We shared what we knew about the decision taken in the Anglican Synod. Re the question of women bishops. Newspaper reports spoke of the possible defection of 1,500 priests. We await further details and developments.
2. Pierre Colet reported on contacts with the North Atlantic Federation and on a correspondence with Simon Bryden Brooke who is a member of their executive committee. Unilaterally NAF are organising an international congress to discuss problems in church ministry. The congress will be held in Vienna from 6-9th of November 2008 with the title “A future for God’s people – service responding to needs”. Incredibly the choice of venue is because Europe is the seed bed for change and therefore the centre of NAF is Europe. We are invited. NAF is also proposing a name change, from ‘North Atlantic Federation’ to ‘The International Movement for the renewal of Catholic Ministry’. The reasons seem to be the following: i. So defined they can accept ‘Catholics for free choice’, women priests movements and other movements for change. Ii. At a recent meeting in Europe the reaction to ‘North Atlantic’ was ‘ military.
The following points were made during a lengthy discussion:
· There had been no precision as to what ‘the renewal of Catholic ministry’ entailed and there was a certain ambiguity as some of the correspondence spoke of ‘ministries’ in the plural.
· Logically the European Federation would become a member of this international federation. Is this a form of American imperialism?
· We wish to keep the door open to their request for a collaborative future together.
· However, this act runs completely contrary to what was democratically launched at the congress of Leganes, Madrid, in 2002 and set up at Wiesbaden in 2005 i.e. continental federations united in a confederation.
· In addition our European Federation has always been open to networking with other renewal groups e.g. our links with the European Network which met recently in Strasbourg with our president, Pierre Colet, present. Indeed the history of the former International federation shows a development from a concentration on priesthood and celibacy to a concern with all questions of abuse and injustice in church and society. The catchword was ‘that justice cannot be divided’.
· Most importantly to accept such a title is to lose our specificity – the script of our lives is that we have all lived as ordained priests in the Roman Catholic Church. That is where our contribution and our strength lie.
The decision was taken to compose a letter, keeping the door open, but clearly stating our views on what was proposed. The congress at Vienna was not our concern.
3. There was a report on the status of the web site which is almost ready to go. Translation tasks were allotted. Advent is required to nominate a local web master. We also need to provide a selection of articles and information about current events. There is also a bibliographical section to be kept alive.
4. There was a discussion on the failure to set up a confederation which was a reality and not just a hope. Part of the cause of this was the decision to set up a rolling six month presidency. However it was pointed out that our contacts with other federations, not always reciprocated, and the coming to be of an active web site was fulfilling the role which was envisaged for the confederation. It was not envisioned as a working confederation, but rather as a communication federation. To further this work allotted delegates undertook the task of maintaining contacts with the other federations.
5. Situation papers were presented as regards the economic and social situation of married priests in Belgium, France and Germany. The aim is to gather all relevant data from countries where the situation is often very different so as to pass this to the European Council as well as to the European Union (through the European parliament). This will be done through the good services of the international network “Church on the move”. This has been recognised as an international non government organisation and can therefore lobby the EU. The hope is to obtain an improvement in the living conditions of married priest throughout Europe. Advent had sent in the booklet we had on such research but it was not sufficiently detailed and that we were required to make comparison with the situation of priests in service. We have work to do.
6. We must test reactions to the recent Dutch Dominican document, which raised the possibility among others of the function of the president of the liturgical assembly being temporary. Each married priests group must throw questions to the group. Jean Combes of France will launch the initiative by producing a draft questionnaire.
7. There was a detailed discussion and a very complex discussion difficult to summarise. It was a question of working towards common theological positions. The crux question was: “Ex priests OR priests for ever”. I know that for years we have sought to avoid the label ‘Ex priests’. Now we should perhaps reflect and prepare for a further development in our thinking. The thought that we are ‘priests for ever’ suggests that at ordination we are ontologically changed. This is based on a model which derives from a theological position of the Middle Ages: The dualistic thinking about body and soul and the notion of a character imprinted on the soul. It is also based upon the following hierarchical model; The myth of a call from God – the myth of apostolic succession – the notion that the mandate for priestly ministry came from above and was conferred at ordination. What is entirely missing in this model is the community aspect. Years ago, the Dutch theologian Schillebeeckx cited an early council which stated that a priest ordained absolutely was invalidly ordained. What was meant by ‘absolutely’ was a priest not ordained out of a particular community for that community. What developed was that priests were ordained and then we looked for where to put them in service. The ultimate basis of ministry is not ordination, though that has its place, but baptism. If we are not liturgically functioning in a community are we priests (whatever that means) or ex priests? In what ways do the numerous pastoral or ministerial roles that we fulfil differ from the roles fulfilled by other baptised members of our community? This is not to deny our specificity that we have lived as active priests. Though a very inadequate summary of a very complex discussion, it offers us a base for reflection at our future meetings. In addition, thinking again of the contribution of the Dutch Dominicans, does it not also point the way forward – if we have no priests for our communities, find and ordain the leaders in these communities to preside at our Eucharistic celebrations.
8. One final but important project. Discussion suggested that the questions of younger priests leaving today are quite different from that of many of us who left in the sixties, seventies and eighties. Then it was a question of a community struggle for change – now it seems more a question of personal identity. Names are being gathered in the different groups of those who have the tender years of under fifty in order to put them, if they so wish, in informal Email contact. They are the future of the movement.
9. Chant d’Oiseau was booked for the next meeting in July 2009.