Ten Traps of Cathedral Ministers
Liturgy Day | February 7, 2015
 
 
I suspect that we have all read reports of the talk Pope Francis gave to members of the Roman Curia just before Christmas.  Some of us may even have read the whole speech.  I know I did.  And it wasn’t light reading!  One tongue-in-cheek journalist referred to it the “coal in the Christmas stocking speech.” 
 
I’ve thought about that speech, reflected on it, and prayed about it.   Pope Francis must have prayed about it, too, because he knew that he was, in a sense, taking his life in his hands when he departed from the usual papal diplomatic niceties that are expected on such occasions and took off his gloves, so to speak.  And take them off, he did.  Now, Pope Francis is a bright man. He knows the score, and he knows very well that playing the prophet can be a risky and even dangerous business.  But play the prophet he did that day.  And the prophet that came to mind for me was Daniel in the lions’ den!
 
In thinking about what I would say to you today, I couldn’t get Pope Francis out of my mind, and the more I thought about it and prayed about it, the more I thought it might be good to take a page from his book – even at the risk of ruffling a few feathers. Am I getting your attention now?! 
 
Now, a little disclaimer.  You are not the Roman Curia.  Be grateful that you are not the Roman Curia!  You are nothing like the Curia.  So you need to hear everything I say in light of that fact.  OK?  Please keep that in mind!
 
Pope Francis chose to give his message on the eve of Christmas; I’m giving mine (which borrows heavily from his) on the eve of Valentine’s Day.  Pope Francis’ message didn’t seem a lot like a Christmas present, and this probably won’t seem a lot like a Valentine, but I give it to you with love and, let me assure you at the start that I am talking as much to myself this morning as I am to you….
 
In his talk, Pope Francis listed what he called “the fifteen diseases of the Roman Curia.”  I’ve done some editing of his points and have gotten mine down to ten.  But they are all from him.  However, instead of calling them “diseases,” I’ve decided to call my ten points “traps”--ten traps of Cathedral ministers (and, again, I want to assure you that I am including the Cathedral pastor!).
 
TEN TRAPS OF CATHEDRAL MINISTERS

1. The trap of thinking yourself to be quite important -- even essential.  The ministers who fall into this trap are into a bit of a power trip.  They tend to think of themselves as somehow irreplaceable.  For them (for us, for me!) Pope Francis, with typical good humor, suggested a visit to a cemetery to read the tombstones of those who “maybe thought they were immortal, essential, or indispensable but who turned out not to be so at all.”   We are all important in our own way, of course, but none of us is immortal or indispensable. And no one of us is more important than any other.
   
2. The trap of excessive activity. These are the “Martha’s” of the gospel story.  These ministers tend to lose themselves in their work and to neglect what Jesus called the better part, which is sitting at his feet.  Remember how Jesus called his disciples to “come apart and rest awhile”?  He knew that neglecting necessary rest brings anxiety and stress.   So, yes, do your ministry by all means, and do it faithfully and energetically, but take time to rest, to reflect, and to pray about what you are doing, and take time to pray for the people you are privileged to serve.  All action without prayer reflection can become empty and hollow.
   
3.  The trap of mental and spiritual ‘petrification.’ These are the ministers who, instead of being true servants of God, eager to “weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice,” become, instead, removed and distant.  They get lost behind their computer screens, caught in the trap of all their organizing and administrative responsibilities, and take little or no time to connect with people – with their fellow ministers as well as with the people they serve.
   
4. The trap of over-planning. Pope Francis says that over-planning can turn a minister into an accountant.  Planning is good and necessary, of course, but we must never enclose or stifle the Holy Spirit.  It is a very human thing – but a trap – to fall back on fixed and unchanged positions (“We’ve always done it this way!”) than to be open to the stirrings of the Spirit.
   
5. The trap of going it alone.  Teamwork, not ‘lone ranger’ work, is the ideal in ministry.  It is important to build community within each ministry as well as among the various ministries. We are all in this together and no ministry is more important than any other.  I’ll repeat that: no ministry is more important than any other.  And to that I would add that no Mass is more important than any other, and no ministerial station (center west, e.g.!), or ministerial role (bread vs cup) is more important than the other.
   
6. The trap of Spiritual Alzheimer’s. Pope Francis says that this happens to those who have somehow lost the memory of their encounter with the Lord and who live more in a state of dependence on their own views than of His.  They end up being ruled not by their faith in the Lord but by their own whims and obsessions.  We might ask ourselves the question: Is our encounter with the Lord the driving force behind our ministry or is it just our desire – even our generous desire – to do something useful or helpful?
   
7. The trap of rivalry and vainglory.  Here, the outward appearances of things (the vestments we wear, perhaps, or the crosses around our necks, or the badges on our suits), or even the very honor involved in doing a public ministry becomes more important than the people being served.
   
8. The trap of gossip and chatter. Pope Francis really comes down hard on this one.  This particular trap makes ministers into “sowers of discord” (which, he says, is Satan’s work).  It can turn ministers into (and here I quote), “cold-blooded murderers of the reputation of their colleagues by assailing their reputation, spreading gossip and rumors, and the like.”  Pope Francis goes on to say that this is the disease of cowards who don’t have the courage to speak face-to-face to a person and, instead, resort to talking behind a person’s back.  He concludes by saying that “Gossip is a form of terrorism!”
   
9. The trap of closed circles. These are the people for whom belonging to an inner circle of people they easily relate to or feel comfortable with becomes more important than belonging to the body, and even to Christ himself.  There should be no closed circles in ministry. It’s all about the Body.
   
10. The trap of the funeral face. This is the trap people fall into who think that, in order to be appropriately reverent, they need to show a strict and somber face. They can even treat others with a certain harshness, and rigidity.  In another of his talks, Pope Francis spoke of ministers going around “with hands glued together, looking like statues”!  The Pope kindly suggests that people who do this are often fearful and insecure, whereas the true minister should strive to be friendly, approachable, polite, serene, enthusiastic, and joyful.  Again, his words: “How beneficial a healthy dose of humor can be!”

There you have it!
 
Now, the last thing I would want you to take away from this is that you are not appreciated and loved.  You are!  You are at the very heart of what makes this place – this parish, this Cathedral -- what it is.  In so many ways, you are the face of St. James Cathedral and you are its heartbeat.   And in your various ministries you have the high calling of helping people to pray.  Of making their experience of prayer in this place a holy and beautiful and memorable and even a life-changing thing. 
 
But we can all profit from an examination of conscience, can’t we!  I can.  You can.  We all need time to stop and reflect, to examine our motives and to purify our motives.  To search our souls and to lay bare our hearts.  I do.  You do.  And with that, I will wish you not only a Happy Valentine’s Day this coming week, but a happy and holy and spiritually transforming Lent.  And I’ll close with the simple words Pope Francis spoke as he ended his visit to the Philippines a little over a week ago.  He told the throngs, “In these days, throughout my visit, I have listened to you sing the song, ‘We are all God’s children.’ All of us are God’s children, members of God’s family…!”
 
My friends, let us remember that.  If we do, can you imagine how wonderful things would be?  How wonderful things will be?!

     Father Michael G. Ryan