This week’s INM/Mediahuis Irish regional newspapers’ column.
Michael Commane
I’m forever wondering how the world holds together. I’m forever asking what it’s all about. Most of the time I have no idea.
When I look about and see how different every human being is I keep asking myself what’s that inner stuff that keeps us together. How at all can there be ever any cohesion between us.
And there is and it works. That’s how communities survive, how nations plod along, indeed, how the world manages.
I often think that it is a generally held view that priests are a homogenous group where every priest bows his head at authority. Nothing is further from the truth. Like any group of people priesthood is made up of all types, shapes and sizes. That’s the way of the world and the way of priesthood too.
No two doctors are the same, nor any two plumbers and likewise no two priests are similar. How boring such a world would be. And it is silly in the extreme to think otherwise.
Maybe in priesthood there is some sort of crazy idea out there that priests are expected to cow tow to their bishops and provincials. I despise the word ‘superior’.
In fact I’d say any attempt to get priests to think alike has done damage to any sort of theological thinking.
The older I get the more I think that all theology ends in kindness.
During my break in West Kerry I called to see someone I hadn’t seen in many years. In the course of our conversation she spoke about a priest whom I know. She spoke glowingly of him to me. I listened carefully. At one stage she said: “That man has given solace to so many people I know.” That certainly stopped me in my tracks.
As she said that I smiled and said I was glad to hear it but added that that priest and I are theologically miles apart. And it was probably a metaphorical way to say that we are not close and that in turn might be a way of saying that we simply don’t get on.
Our pleasant conversation came to an end as the woman had to catch a bus. Our chat set me thinking.
Some years ago that priest and I shook hands at the handshake of peace at Mass and yes, it was a moment of grace. But I had not been in contact with him since. After my conversation with the woman I decided to phone him and tell him that I had been talking with someone who had sung his praises and told me something about the good work he has done.
We had a most pleasant conversation and he, in the humblest of ways, laughed off the nice words the woman had said about him. Our conversation moved on to other subjects, topics on which we agreed. It was a most personable and pleasant chat, indeed, it ended up with us agreeing to meet soon for a coffee.
It was the US politician Tip O’Neill, who said all politics is local. It’s worth mentioning that O’Neill played an important role in bringing about peace in Northern Ireland. I’m inclined to add that so much of the difficulties in our lives can be resolved by a friendly and personable word. And that’s why I believe all theology ends in kindness.
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