As mentioned earlier, the Bible commands everyone, without exception, to develop their talents. Last time, we approached the topic from the perspective of women and their neglect, even limitation, and prohibition of their development in this area. Today, it’s time for the second piece of this puzzle: men, with a particular focus on priests.
Men have always, everywhere, and in every field been able to develop their talents, abilities, and interests. No one told them they couldn’t do this or that. They can also, in this freedom, declare that they want to become priests, that they want to be ordained. Of course, they will receive ordination without major problems today. They are supposedly required to complete a theological degree, but the truth is that, given the shortage of vocations, for the church to function as it has been, practically anyone will be ordained and simply pushed through their studies. Studies here, too, don’t guarantee adequate knowledge, even in the broadly understood teachings of the church.
However, after ordination, this freedom ends for men. For some, it’s wonderful, but I have the impression that for most, it’s tragic. As a result, it causes frustration, disappointment, anger, loneliness, and even damages health – physical, not just mental. Every person has certain talents, regardless of whether they’ve discovered them or not. Everyone has the right to like some things more, some less, or dislike others at all. Everyone should work to develop these talents, not bury them. However, for men after ordination (regardless of their level), there’s a catch. It’s that they are obedient to their superiors. A vicar to a parish priest; a presbyter to a bishop; etc. This stems from the hierarchical structure of the church, of course, a strictly male structure (which violates God’s teaching).
While in seminary, they still have the opportunity to decide whether they are more interested in, for example, canon law, dogmatic theology, moral theology, homiletics, or some other field of theology. Then they can deepen their studies and specialize in it. After receiving priestly ordination, this freedom disappears, and the superior decides what to do and where. It’s also common knowledge that some people prefer metropolitan areas, others prefer small towns or villages. In theory, they ask about this, but what good is asking if they don’t follow through? So, someone who prefers the countryside is sent to a large metropolis, where they struggle to find their place. Someone interested in law is forced to lead a pastoral ministry for alcoholics, someone who prefers homiletics and doesn’t know languages is forced to study abroad in a field they weren’t particularly interested in before. This also burying these individuals’ talents and passions, and generally destroying them. Some may thrive in it, others may not. Shouldn’t church leaders pay more attention to the interests of individuals than to the unknown, entrusting them with specific ministries in which they might feel uncomfortable, or even completely unable to cope, and avoid them? Where is the respect for the biblical command to develop individual talents and multiply them? Rather, it often involves destroying others in the name of who knows what. Furthermore, a person who doesn’t always know how to navigate what has been entrusted to them, what they’ve been forced to do, and feels bad about themselves, perhaps frustrated, angry, or unreconciled with what has happened, is supposed to endure this humbly and attract the faithful to the church and help them. How am I supposed to do this if I myself need this help? Is this the point of God’s commandments and prohibitions—to ultimately destroy others? No!
They don’t even pay attention to any special needs of individuals, even health-related ones (somatically speaking). They don’t respect sick leave because the service must be performed—and at what level, and with what potential harm to others, or to the clergy themselves, forced to do something that is already part of the church—their superiors don’t care. What harm does this cause individually and globally? How might it deter people from the church, communities, or individual ministries?
In summary, the institutional Church generally wastes all the talents of women, and to some extent, men, due to the poor management of the institution that the church undoubtedly is. A community that should strive to bring people closer to God, to encourage them to practice their faith, can ultimately discourage and destroy. Instead of helping and leading to the achievement of holiness and salvation, it can actually stand in the way of achieving them. Of course, thereby contradicting the commandments contained in Holy Scripture and proclaimed by Jesus Christ and God (in the Old Testament).