. This one was quite different but equally good. Well-written, engrossing, and with good characters.Two of the main characters were priests. One was young, good-looking and part of the Vatican's MI5 equivalent; the other was an elderly, traditionalist priest in a tiny little parish in Seville.
The Vatican priest saw himself as a soldier: there to follow rules and obey orders. The Spanish priest thought his role was to help those who needed help.
Neither of them acknowledged the need for God - or faith in him - in their vocations. For the man from Rome, it was enough that he had signed up, committed himself to this life; for the priest in Seville, the faith that his parishioners had was enough.
I know this is fiction but I can't help wondering, from this and from statements various Anglican clerics have made over the years, whether belief in God is necessary for a clergyman, or whether it has become - or is becoming - as much of a secular job as that of social worker.
I don't have a lot of knowledge about Catholicism (or anything really!) but there are a couple of points in particular I am curious about.
1) Why do Roman Catholics pray to the saints and, in particular, to the Virgin Mary? We have the same God and the same Bible and I can't see where that comes from. Jesus himself told us to pray to Our Father.
2) Why do people have to confess to a priest? Only God can forgive sins. But I was thinking about this question in the shower this morning, and actually confessing in the presence of someone else can be a good thing, especially if the sin being confessed is an ongoing problem/addiction. If the other person is good and trustworthy and is willing to act as support - even doing spot checks to keep you on your toes! - then that's good. I know I am far more embarrassed to be caught doing something wrong by a friend than by God (who knows what I am doing anyway!)
Most of my knowledge of confession is garnered from novels and films where it seems to be the case of confessing, being forgiven, and then going straight out and doing the same thing again.
True confession should surely mean repentance - a turning away from. That's the difficult bit. Easy to say sorry; hard to change.
But it's a good book. Highly recommended.
12 comments:
I can't answer the question about Mary, but I think we confess to priests because they are seen to be a sort of messenger of God? If that makes sense. Maybe not, but that's how I think I was taught!
1) The Mary thing was introduced in order to bind women into the
catholic church. Prior(sic!) to that, the OTC had been a men-only thing, AFAIK.
2) Confession to priests was introduced so that the OTC (One True Church) could keep its tabs on you and exert psychological pressure where needed to bend you to their (not His) will. The whole OTC runs on a guilt syndrome.
3) Disclosure of interest: These comments are made by a registered humanist atheist. YMMV ;-)
I think I would enjoy reading it. Thanks for the tip.
I should have mentioned. A book I'm reading now, God's Spy, by Juan Gomez-Jurado, is something you might enjoy. Also fiction.
I can't imagine any priest not believing in God. Knowing several, I'm sure that they believe, or else they're darned good actors. They've all felt called by God in one way or another, and that's how they ended up becoming priests. It sure can't be for the money!
God [oops! - I meant it as an exclamation] you're profound tonight, Liz! "Catholics praying TO Mary" got me in trouble with a commenter on my own blog a while back, you may remember: as I understand it, they are meant to pray "through" her, as Protestants are meant to pray "through" Jesus. I think the same is true of the saints. But it's an issue that Catholics are divided upon among themselves though I think what I have stated is roughly the Vatican line. How it came to be Mary and not Jesus in their case is, in my opinion, all bound up with trying to justify a patriarchal society and idealise the "virgin" concept. Now, before any Catholics shoot me down here, I am sympathetic to that religion and am well-read with regard to it. I was going to say something else but can't remember what it was now, which may be just as well... Oh, yes, I think I would like the book.
Loved The Flanders Panel, so I appreciate the tip-off about this book.
As to the other topics, I do hope that a calling to the church has not become just another secular job, though I have read books and seen films that allude to such a thing (i.e, "just another job"). I'm sure it happens, but like Elsie, most all the clergy folk I know DO have a calling and believe in God.
Having been raised Southern Baptist and having been a good Episcopalian for 26 years, I haven't a clue as to the Virgin Mary thing or the confession thing. Here's hoping a few good Catholics will fill us in!
Thanks for the book recommendation!
Welshcakes, I think the idea is that they ask Mary (and the saints) to intercede on their behalf. So I suppose it is 'through' her, but still unnecessary - I think!
I think what you and Stu say is probably true regarding the keeping women in their place and the guilt issue.
Clare, the Pope is God's representative on earth (I think that's what Catholics believe) and priests are intermediaries. I can understand that but I don't why they are needed. When Christ was crucified, the curtain in the temple was torn meaning that there was nothing to separate us from God.
Elsie, I'm sure there are loads of good Christian priests of all denominations, and I'm equally sure that each one of them, like all of us, will go through one - or more than one - dry period when they don't know what they believe.
Steve, this is a good book, and the author has written a number that I intend to read in time as well. I'll look out for the book you mention too.
Mary, yes, I'm hoping some good Catholics will be able to help enlighten me/us.
Well, let's try this AGAIN...my usual issues with Blogger, ha! Anyway, after another ridiculously long comment got wiped off into cyberspace, I'll 'edit' it and say after spending most of my youth as an atheist and deeply involved in the occult/satanism, when I became a Christian almost 31 years ago I surely didn't feel like confessing my sins to a mortal, no matter how highly esteemed or 'connected' they were. To this day, the vast majority of my sins are known only by me and by God. Unless I spill the beans in Old Age senility, that's the way I intend to keep it. I've yet to meet the perfect human being...and yet to meet a completely trustworthy one.
I don't understand one person confessing to another person, particularly when that person who's hearing the confession hasn't experienced a "normal" life.
I think that Catholics believe the priest is the earthly representative of God, the face of God to which they can speak. I suddenly remembered it from RS lessons.
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