The Perceived Disconnect between Priests and Laity: Part I

A friend of mine asked for a response to a thesis paper she is writing. The thesis is: From your perspective, what effect do you believe a mass return by ALL Catholics to the Sacrament of Reconciliation could possibly have on the "so-called" divide between the laity and the clergy? Is this Sacrament a "voice for the laity" and "ears for the clergy"?

I responded with:

From the perspective of "both sides of the screen," as it were, it is certainly the case that, exactly because of Confession, priests actually are very aware of what the laity is going through. Confession has become not only a place to confess sins, but also a place to receive counsel or even just to vent and dump all their cares and worries. In fact, I would venture to say that priests, because of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, are even more connected and knowledgeable of the laity and in a greater context. The struggles in relationships, in morality, in finances and all the dynamics of the workplace - or lack thereof - is wrestled in the confessional against the backdrop of the eternal, as well as their consciences - the deepest part of a person, and their desire to be good and faithful. The knowledge in the confessional is about things that even a person's spouse may not know! Certainly it is true that if ALL were to come back to the sacrament, there would be a greater connectiveness. But the perceived divide is not so great as many may think. One needs to remember that, with pastoral understanding, a priest would not be fulfilling his ministry and call if outside the confessional he were to simply tell people that whatever they do is alright. He is a herald of the Gospel. And in such a prophetic role, he is the voice that is calling everyone to holiness. So, not that there is a disconnect between the confessional and the pulpit or any other pastoral encounter, but rather there is a standard that by which we are called to live as Christians, in the image and likeness of God. The pulpit, et. al., is the place where the fire is stirred into flame, and the confessional is where we can make sure the fire doesn't go out! It is the place to find the grace and mercy to respond to our high calling. As I like to say - we are called to be faithful, and going to the Sacrament of Confession, which was given by Christ so we would use it, because He knew we would need it, is the practice of remaining faithful. Without the Sacrament of Confession we could not remain faithful.

I think more truly, the divide is between how we were meant to live our lives in Christ, and how our sinful and selfish natures want to live our lives... and the priest is inconvenient to our selfishness because he calls us to greater perfection. So the perception is that he just doesn't understand. If he did "understand" he wouldn't say/teach what he is ordained to say/teach, so says the sinner. Take it from me - a long practiced sinner!

The overall reality, from my experience both in the confessional, and talking with my brother priests, is that they do understand their people very well, and carry their burdens and sorrows that they know from Confession and counseling in their hearts in prayer and to the altar. They look out at the people from the pulpit and see the faces of those they are preaching to, and they know them personally, and what they are going through. I was praying over it just recently, and this is the image I came up with about this whole thing: for the priest, being in persona Christi, the confessional (or even counseling) is like the Garden of Gethsemane - he takes on all these burdens of his people, and bears them to Calvary at the altar. There is where God's people find resurrection and life, as the priest lays all these things there to be sacrificed and offered to the Father in Christ. I find myself quite distracted at Mass some times - not about things I have to do (although that happens, selfishly), but about what I know that people in my life are going through - and I bring it there, especially as I prepare the gifts, and pour these things in that cup and lay them on the altar, like that bread. Then, as I pray those words of consecration, I put as much of my heart into it as I can - and I mean all the things and people in my heart as well. This is the Church's offering on which the Father looks with favor - and by our whole union with Christ, with all our worries and our whole lives poured out and laid out on the altar with Him, He may make us an everlasting gift to the Father, and enable us to share in the inheritance of His saints (Eucharistic Prayer III). Notice in the First Eucharistic Prayer that we ask the Father to "accept this offering from your whole family." And then we ask Him to "bless and approve" it; and we ask Him to "Let it become for us the body and blood and Jesus Christ." In other words, as we lay everything there on the altar, we are asking the Father to transform, and not let it remain as it was before, just as the Eucharist is no longer what it was before, but now has become Who we are meant to be. We could not do this on our own, for ourselves. It is only by the power, grace and mercy of God, which is allowed us through the sacraments, and so through the hands of a priest.