An expatriate priest, Father Brendan Mc Donnell O.S.A has challenged priests in Nigeria to distance themselves from clericalism while urging all pastors of souls to take after Christ the Good Shepherd.
He made the assertion during the Thanksgiving Mass for the Silver Jubilee of priestly ordination of an Augustinian priest, Father Felix Usman, O.S.A which held recently at the Chapel of St. Augustine’s Major Seminary, Jos, Plateau State, North-Central Nigeria.
Clericalism, abuse of power
According to him “Priests have a great amount of power within the Church. But many of the problems in the overseas has been the abuse of power.”
He lamented that “this is not just the really terrible evil of the sexual abuse of young people by priests. It is also the cover up of this behavior by other priests. They felt obliged to defend the priests involved and neglected the victims themselves. They sometimes neglected their Gospel duties.”
The missionary who is a Formator at the Augustinian Novitiate, Tudun Wada, Jos added that “They felt obliged to use the legal fiction of ‘innocent until proven guilty’ for the priests and neglected the teaching of Christ to take care especially of children. There was there a very serious abuse of power.”
Father Mc Donnell explained that “the abuse of power in some countries was not limited to sexual matters but to other things as well. There were many other abuses of power which people came to realize were happening. Because of that abuse of power, the power of priests, even for good, was gradually rubbed out, eroded. So now you have Church in Ireland with a great shortage of priests and becoming less and less able to spread Christ’s message.”
He lamented that as a result, some people are regrettably seeing the Church “as irrelevant, unimportant” underlining that “The real tragedy in this is not the loss of standing of the Church but that the Good News of Christ is not being given to people.”
Speaking further he stressed that, “The same thing is tending to happen here in Nigeria in the way priests abuse their position with the people. I would suggest to all Nigerian priests the talk recently of Chimamanda Adichie to the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of Nigeria.
“It deals with the lack of compassion of one priest for families who were burying a loved one. Many priests would condemn that behavior but all of us need to examine ourselves about the way we use the power we have. We need to watch out for the way we abuse our power. If you do not believe that this is happening I would suggest that you look again.”
The Irish reminded the congregation that “One of the big things Pope Francis is warning us priests today is the danger of ‘clericalism’. That is putting ourselves as a special group apart from ordinary Christians, as some sort of special (and superior) Christians.
“Pope Francis worries that there is a tendency among some priests and seminarians to return to the Saturn Hat mentality, to make themselves special, different and superior to others.”
Synodality as “the future of priesthood”
The elderly Augustinian pointed to the worldwide Synod of Bishops in Rome next year as a great opportunity to “think about the future of priesthood” stressing that “this is about getting more aware of the important place of all members of the Church: priests and people.”
Speaking to the heart of collegiality, he noted that “We now sing ‘priestly people’ which is meant to include lay people.”
He challenged priests to examine themselves to see if they actually believe that they are the only people who can offer Mass.
Citing lessons from the liturgical assembly, the cleric stated, “We priests are necessary to make Christ present to be offered during Mass, but all members of the Church there are priests offering the Mass, all participants are priests, even women!
“All Christians are obliged to spread Christ’s message and the Synod is being held to enable all members of the Church to listen to each other and try to understand the beliefs, the hopes and fears for the Church.”
Call to humility, Jubilarian’s contributions to ministry
Turning to the celebrant, the expatriate said, “we wish Felix many more years of fulfilled priesthood we remind ourselves of the interesting times that can lie ahead for priests.”
Fr. Mc Donnell insisted that although there are both challenges and opportunities, “it is crucial for priests to rely on Christ and let him do his will in their lives.
“We can look forward to Felix’ Golden Jubilee in 25 years time and hope that the Church will have a more humane, caring, compassionate priesthood which is what Christ wants for the Church. We celebrate Fr. Felix’ Silver Jubilee. We congratulate him. But above all we thank God for what He has done for him and through him” he maintained.
He challenged the congregants to always be grateful to God for the gift of life and warned the celebrant to avoid pride.
“We congratulate Felix for the many good things he has done as a priest but let us not tempt him into the sin of pride – St Augustine sees pride hiding even in good deeds wanting very much to put an end to them.
“The greatest congratulation here should go to God and there is much to congratulate in Felix priestly life. He had always been a very serious priest and we should certainly thank God for this. At a time such as this we wish him many more years of fruitful priesthood” Fr. Mc Donnell stressed.
He reminded pastors of souls that although “The influence and respect for priests is gone way down especially among young people and many ordinary people there do not see Christ as very relevant to their lives, Christ is always relevant and it is especially the duty of Priests to bring Christ to others.”
The veteran priest emphasised that “it would be a great pity indeed if the Church in Nigeria did not learn from the mistakes made in Europe and the United States. It is believed here that there is a great difference between Nigerians and other people and there are great differences. But there is much in common between them especially in their bad parts; vices exist in all human beings.”
The prelate used the occasion to invite all to imitate Saints Peter and St. Paul who saw in the Church an organisation that runs on the lungs of collaboration and collegiality.
Appreciation, Felicitations
In his remarks, Fr. Usman who is a professor in the seminary in Jos, disclosed that although he marked 25 years as priest on 14 June, 2022, he shelved the celebration to this moment to thank God “for the gift of the priesthood and religious life.”
He charged his fellow religious men and women to reflect on the words of “Vita Consecrata,” Pope Francis’ encyclical which was issued in 2014 namely, “The religious life is a gift to the Church.”
The priest added that “we as religious men and women are not just a gift but a blessing to the Universal Church. Pope Francis himself is one of us, a fellow religious.”
He siezed the occasion to thank members of his family, all priests and religious present and all who have assisted him throughout these years of unbroken service to the Lord praying God to bless them..
“May I single out prof David Jowitt, a Professor of Enlish language, he was at my ordination in 1997, and 5years ago when I was 20 years he was there and today, you are here. You are dear friend and a friend of the Augustinians. Thank you” said he in appreciation to the laity.
Reaffirming his call and vocation, he said with a cheerful heart: “In the last 25 years as an Augustinian Missionary priest, I have no regrets. I am happy and I thank God for the gift of the priesthood and the religious life..In this world and the world to come, if I were to choose a life, again, and again, I will choose to be, an Augustinian, then a priest of God.”
In his goodwill message, the Prior Provincial of the Augustinian Order, Province of Nigeria, Father Prof. Anthony Kanu, O.S.A who conveyed the sentiments of the Augustinian family in the country lauded the jubilarian for his humility urging him not to allow pride to take the better half of him.
In their separate remarks, the Rector of St. Augustine’s Major Seminary, Father Mark Nzukwen and representatives of the Bishops of Kafanchan, Lafia, Maiduguri and Pankshin expressed sentiments of gratitude to God for the life of the celebrant praying God to grant him more fruitful years of service in God’s vineyard.
In attendance were representatives of bishops, classmates of the celebrant, Augustinian friars including other male and female religious from different dioceses, family and friends as well as men’s fellowship under the aegis of Zumuntan Maza Katolika from St. Murumba’s parish Jos who thrilled the faithful wth musical renditions.
