On Maundy Thursday bishops and priests will celebrate the Chrism Mass and renew the promises made at ordination. Many are demoralised by the scandals besetting the priesthood, as are many laity.
It’s necessary to remember that the cultic power of priesthood to make Christ present is as undiminished as ever, even though the actions of some have seriously impaired the prophetic witness of priesthood. It is the latter that many sought to emphasise at the expense of the former following the Council. It was no longer enough that the priest was “a man invested with all the power of God”, as St John Vianney put it. To borrow an inexact analogy from another vocation, it was the bedside manner and commitment to public health, not medical or surgical expertise, which now defined the character of priesthood.
