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Deus Caritas
A message from the Presiding Bishop of the Old Roman Catholic Church in North America, the Most Reverend Francis P. Facione, Ph.D.

As I have always viewed challenges as opportunities for growth, and improvement, I am inclined to regard those that now face the church, stressful as they are, in the same light. In the past several months, I have made it my task to delve into volumes of literature that have been written for and about that Church in its struggle to reach consensus. To varying degrees, the endeavor to define complex problems, clarify thorny issues, and offer solutions. Even a cursory reading of this literature makes it evident that these challenges strike at the very core of the church's understanding of itself, its priesthood, and and its mission in the aftermath of what Father J. Bausch, in Catholics In Crisis, terms the "collapse of the total Church".

For example, the challenges to the cultic model of priesthood that is familiar to most of us impact the greater Catholic family -- the Church Catholic. What Father Robert E. Barron terms a fundamental loss of confidence in the priesthood due to the adverse publicity surrounding the antics of a small minority of clerics, prelates, and religious, and the resulting confusion over priestly identity, is perhaps most noticeable in Roman Catholic circles (see "Priest as Bearer of of the Mystery" in Priesthood in the Modern World, published by Sheed and Ward, 1999). However, I would like to submit that these problems are not limited to the Mother Church of Christendom. They and other issues -- the need for vocation development, the graying of the clergy and bishops, and the controversies of laypersons (for the politically correct: the non-ordained members of the faith community) in leadership at the parish and diocesan levels -- confront all segments of the Catholic world. If there was any question in my mind about the pervasiveness of the issue of lay ministry, that doubt was removed in a recent encounter with a late middle aged woman (perhaps the same generation as this writer). While I was on a hospital call to offer my poor ministrations to one of my priests, there suddenly appeared, with little fanfare, a gray haired image reminiscent of Ethel Barrymore who identified herself as a lay minister from a local parish. She expressed astonishment that a priest (let alone a bishop!) still made hospital calls. She then proceeded to offer Holy Communion to all present except for the hospitalized priest whom, she noted, was NPO (nothing by mouth) that morning! For one of the few times in my priestly life, albeit with great effort, I made myself speechless at the incursion of this well-meaning and, I am sure, very dedicated woman. My concern is not that laypersons should not participate in the ministration (the Sacrament of Penance or Anointing) before receiving Holy Communion. What if there is danger of death? The encounter has caused me to reflect on the extent to which many priests in this post-Vatican II era have willingly abdicated so many of their previously sacrosanct sacerdotal functions, to the detriment of their priestly identity. Perhaps it is because of their role in the Church in this post-modern era, and their struggle to maintain some semblance of sanity.

Make no mistake about it! A clarion call has been sounded and it awaits a response from leaders in every Catholic communion, the Old Roman Catholic Church and the Churches of the larger Old Catholic Movement not excepted. The challenges are indeed opportunities to re-think our ministries, and to chart a newer and more dynamic course for them in our settings. The Old Roman Catholic bishops are not merely standing idle while the fires rage. We are making every effort to focus on the issues and to find solutions that will enhance he ways in which we minister to our congregations within the framework of Catholic tradition. The goals and objectives contained in our mission statement are not cast in stone. Rather, we constantly assess them for effectiveness.

More specifically, our bishops are acutely aware of the need to maintain good Church order without the rank authoritarianism practiced by many of our predecessors. In contrast to that, we have in place a hierarchical, yet truly collegial and consultative, administration of the Church that is based upon mutual respect and recognition of the unique talents of bishops, clergy, and our lay leaders. We consistently work to build greater cohesiveness throughout the Church. This includes involvement of qualified, interested laypersons in key positions where their expertise is vital in attaining our goals. Of course, in matters of doctrine, faith, and praxis, the bishops, in council and consultation, remain the decision-makers.

Regarding applicants for priesthood and other ministries within the Old Roman Catholic Church in North America, the bishops have addressed the need for careful screening. Accordingly, an extensive written application is required. This includes an essay on a selected topic that allows us to judge an applicants ability to synthesize and articulate ideas in an organized manner. All applicants are interviewed by our Commission on Ministry and undergo psychological testing. Currently, we utilize the California 16PF test to assess suitability for Holy Orders. Applicants must authorize us in writing to conduct extensive background checks and obtain all pertinent medical information. While the Commission does not regard these norms as foolproof, it finds them very helpful in the overall process of applicant screening.

The theological education of candidates for ministry in the Old Roman Catholic Church in North America is of prime importance. Sometime ago, our bishops established an outline of required course work, with seminary education as the norm. Candidates must also complete at least one unit of clinical pastoral education. In order to facilitate the best possible educational experience, Archbishop John J. Humphreys and the Diocese of Florida have made St. Thomas Aquinas Old Roman Catholic Seminary available for our candidates. This facility, located in St. Petersburg, Florida, represents the attainment of a long-standing goal of our bishops.

In addition to education in theology and pastoral training, the third, equally important aspect of preparation for the priesthood is formation. Clearly, formation should begin with a potential candidate's process of vocation discernment, as early as during his college undergraduate years. Formation should develop the unique spirituality of the individual, focusing on his particular talents and aspirations, and attending to shortcomings that may become apparent. The key is to provide formation that is tailored to the individual, rather than to tailor to "one size fits all" model of the priesthood. In the interest of achieving quality formation, we have in place, at St. Mark's in Louisville, a Weekend Residential Formation Program. This program requires a candidate to spend at least two weekends per month (Friday evening to Sunday) in residence under the guidance of a director of formation. It is an individualized program of prayer, reflection, and discussion, the length of which is determined by the particular needs of the candidate.

Recognizing the urgency of vocation development, our bishops will address this issue in upcoming meetings. Our goal is to develop an organized program at the parish level that will involve both clergy and lay leaders in encouraging our young mane and women to consider a commitment to serve in religious life and the priesthood. Given its enormity, this task presents many hurdles. Nevertheless, we are confident that with concerted action, seasoned with fervent prayer, we will develop an effective program.

I have presented the foregoing as examples of the Old Roman Catholic Church in North America is addressing some of the issues that impact quality of our ministry. Surely, there are other matters that need our attention, and these will be addressed throughout what promises to be a long journey. As our starting point, we have chosen to renew the collegial administration of the Church in order to build the cohesiveness that was sorely lacking in earlier times. We have given a primary focus to selecting only highly qualified candidates for ministry and to providing a formation that will result in a clear sense of priestly identity that is intimately configured to Christ, our Head. If we are to expand our ministry, and develop new parishes and missions, we must first have qualified and dedicated clergy who are self-starters and capable of working with the laypersons attracted by the uniqueness of Old Roman Catholic ministry. Of course, the bishops have an obligation to facilitate that ministry as far as possible, but that is a topic for another article.

The Old Roman Catholic Church in North America
info@orccna.org