A cousin was recently ordained as a priest after years of study in a seminary. If I remember right, as soon as he completed his 10th standard, he left for the seminary and we would see
very little of him after that. I guess visits to one's home are quite restricted and the number
of days of 'leave' allowed would also be less.
Anyway, after what seemed like an eternity, he finally was ordained as a priest last month.
The ordination is a big affair in the parish, with invitations sent out to all relatives/friends.
A lavish lunch is also arranged after the function and it is customary for attendees to come
with a gift, though it eludes me why we should indulge in gifting material things to someone
who is planning to pursue abstinence from material pleasures. Anyway...
The itinerary was the same for my cousin's ordination also and apart from the bishop of
the diocese (like a district, comprising many parishes), there were quite some priests that attended the function. Among them was our ex-bishop, who retired a few years ago. Given below is an almost verbatim extract of the conversation the ex-bishop had with the father
of my cousin.
Bishop (B) : Hmmm. So, this must be a big day for you. You must be proud of your son.
Cousin's Dad (D) : Ofcourse I am, Your Holiness. I have been waiting for years to see my son
become a priest.
B : BTW, how many sons do you have ?
D : I have 2 sons, Your Holiness.
B : And what does your other son do ?
D : He has a well-paying job in the Gulf*.
*Gulf is Mallu-speak for Saudi Arabia, U.A.E, and/or any country with Arab connections.
B : Oh, great. So, now both your sons are in the gulf. :-)
D : ?????
I am sure most Mallu Christians would have understood the humor involved in the Bishop's
last statement. Just to clarify for the benefit of those that did not understand.
While most priests (I am talking Catholic here) are involved in their work of tending to a
parish, working to ensure that the church members follow the path laid out in the Bible etc, there are some (exceptions are everywhere, you see) who use priesthood as a lucrative
career and indulge in building up wealth for their family.
I guess with quite some funds at their disposal, it is not exactly that difficult to amass wealth
in this profession (if I may call it a profession). I personally know atleast 2 such priests. A job
in the Gulf is supposed to be very well-paying (though salaries & opportunities are coming down). With priesthood also turning out to be a lucrative occupation for some priests, the
bishop was hinting that both the brothers are now in lucrative occupations.
Its a long time since I met my cousin or talked to him. When I knew him as a kid, he was
pretty serious about becoming a priest and doing good for society. I just hope that he still maintains those ideals and that he proves the bishop wrong.
Before I start getting flamed, let me make a few things clear :
1. I am a practicing Christian and happen to be a Catholic also.
2. This article is not intended to put down Christianity in general or the Catholic Church specifically. I am just pointing out real-life incidents.
3. I am sure that such things happen in both other Christian denominations and other
religions and is not something confined to only Catholic priests.
4. I also know Catholic priests who have devoted their entire life for the upliftment of lower sections of society, by providing medical /educational facilities in remote areas like Assam, without any interest in wealth or material pleasures. I salute their devotion to God and their untiring efforts for helping fellow humans.
5. This article is only about the exceptions, who I hope comprise only a miniscule part of the
clergy.
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