Clericalism is the application of the formal, church-based leadership or opinion of ordained clergy in matters of the church or in broader political and sociocultural contexts.
Journalist and former priest James Carroll has argued that clericalism was not part of the Gospels.
Definitions, descriptions
Merriam Webster defines clericalism as
"a policy of maintaining or increasing the power of a religious hierarchy".
in his address to the Synod Fathers at Synod2018 described clericalism thusly:
According to Toronto priest Fr. Thomas Rosica, Pope Francis uses "clericalism" to mean a kind of "ecclesiastical narcissism," as well as a "club mentality and a corrupt system of cronyism."
Clericalism is often used to pejoratively denote ecclesiolatry, that is excessive devotion to the institutional aspects of an organized religion, usually over and against the religion's own beliefs or faith. This means that all issues, even those that may be beyond the religion's jurisdiction, must be addressed by either clergy or their supporters. Clericalism is also used to describe the cronyism and cloistered political environment of hierarchical religions, usually Christianity denominational hierarchies, and mainly in reference to the Catholic Church.
Anthony Pogorelc writes that clericalism is a social phenomenon and product of organizational development in which elites/officials exercise domination over the subordinate members and structures in religious institutions.[Pogorelc, Anthony J. Clericalism. Encyclopedia of Political Thought, edited by Michael Gibbons.
Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2015.]
- Earlier uses
In earlier times clericalism referred to the application of church-based theory or thought to secular issues. This was not necessarily referring to a lack of separation of church and state—which is not truly involving of clericalism—but to inward looking and cloistered church leadership which answered only to itself, or who involved themselves in matters beyond the internal concerns of their church.
- Outside Catholicism
Outside of
Catholicism,
clericalism is used to denote the divisions between ordained clergy and lay leaders in some Christian denominations. Outside of Christianity, clericalism is not restricted to the ordained (e.g., priests, ministers), as it occurs in purely secular guilds, such as academia, the legal and medical establishments, and the public-safety clergy, i.e., the police and military.
[George B. Wilson, S.J. Clericalism: The Death of Priesthood. 2008. Liturgical Press, Collegeville MN USA]
Origin
Journalist and former priest James Carroll, argues that the original Christians had no priests and argues that the essence of clericalism lies "not in the
but in the attitudes and organizational charts of the late Roman Empire", which "converted to Christianity under the Emperor Constantine" in the fourth century AD.
19th century French statesman Léon Gambetta declared " clericalism is the enemy", in the belief that "freedom from ecclesial power" was "the principal objective in the battle for public freedom."
Clericalism and canon law
In his 1520
Treatise on the New Testament,
Martin Luther (1483–1546) argued that clerical arrogance towards the lay and antagonism towards other religious orders (he didn't use the word clericalism) was a result of "the laws", i.e. canon law:
[, p. 295, 19115 Holman edition]
Criticism
Sex abuse by clergy
ln recent years the scandal of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy and its coverup has been explained by clericalism – i.e. by the division of ordained church leaders from lay followers, where the leaders create an exclusive society unto themselves.
James Carroll gives as an example of the clericalist privileging of the priesthood in current Catholicism the fact that "Church law provides for the excommunication of any woman who attempts to say Mass, but mandates no such penalty for a pedophile priest".
Clerical narcissism
Two observers, a Catholic deacon (Doug McManaman)
[ A Few Thoughts on Narcissism in the Priesthood by Doug McManaman] and a scholar at a Catholic university (Paul C. Vitz),
[ Messing with the Mass: The problem of priestly narcissism today by Paul C. Vitz] argue that the Catholic priesthood suffers from clerical narcissism among some of its priests. In 2007, Mary Gail Frawley-O'Dea wrote,
[ by Mary Gail Frawley-O'Dea, 2007]
One schismatic Traditionalist Catholicism group, Novus Ordo Watch (which claims that with the Second Vatican Council the Roman Catholic Church ceased to be truly Roman Catholic and became a "Neo-Modernist sect"), defends the power of the clergy, (though it doesn't use the term clericalism). It contradicts James Carroll on the institution of the clergy not being found in the , quoting the Catholic Encyclopedia as saying,
Anti-clericalism
Opposition to
clergy, typically in social or political matters, and especially opposing the influence of Roman Catholicism, appeared in
Catholic Europe throughout the 19th century, in various forms, and later in Canada, Cuba, and Latin America. According to the Pew Research Center several post-communist states are current practitioners of political anti-clericalism, including
Uzbekistan,
Azerbaijan,
Kazakhstan,
Tajikistan,
Kyrgyzstan,
Turkmenistan,
Vietnam,
China and
North Korea.
Organization and hierarchy of church organizations
Much debate over clericalism appears to dwell on whether the high clergy should have as much control over church offices and functions as they do, and whether the hierarchical and authoritarian nature of the traditional Catholic systems of promotion for clergy is effective in contemporary society. Again, while the Catholic Church is most commonly at the center of issues germane to clericalism, it is not the only denomination or religion in which charges of clericalism have been brought forth by those who feel the clergy has too much influence or should be reformed. Therefore, the debate over clericalism and
anti-clericalism is often really a debate over how and by whom a religious organization (denomination) should be led and directed.
In political history of various countries, distinctive radicalized forms of nationalistic clericalism or clerical nationalism (clero-nationalism or clerico-nationalism) were emerging on the far-right of the political spectrum, specially during the interwar period in the first half of 20th century.
In literature
Clericalism was a significant theme in the 16th century Spanish novella
The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes and of His Fortunes and Adversities.
See also
Literature
