[.ca] The Changing Face of the Priesthood: A Reflections on ... (ISBN 0814625045)

From Amazon.com:
The Changing Face of the Priesthood is a remarkable survey of the state of American Catholic clergy today. Donald Cozzens, the president-rector of Saint Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology in Cleveland, combines personal reflection and analysis of empirical data in this brief but wide-ranging book. To explain the shrinking of clerical ranks that has occurred in recent decades, Cozzens tells a familiar story: "As the vision of the \oSecond Vatican Council\c became ever clearer, the cultic, pre-conciliar model of priesthood entered into a creative balance with the servant-leader model. The clear identity, the unquestioned status, the exalted privilege--features that helped priests deal with the sacrifices and crosses inherent to their vocation--began to blur." With astonishing candor, Cozzens also zeroes in on some of the more provocative issues among clergy; his discussions of celibacy, homosexuality, and sexual abuse of children are particularly insightful. Each of these discussions is driven by the author's fascination with the way that priests since Vatican II have "haltingly acknowledged a need, linked to the very soul of their spirituality, for authentic, human intimacy." This is a smart and loving way of understanding some of the biggest problems of the priesthood. And readers who learn to emulate this book's clear-eyed compassion will gain great advantage in that never-ending process of helping to heal the church. --Michael Joseph Gross

Internal Hallmarks and Christian Identity:
Cozzens wrote: "The very face of the priesthood - the external cues and customs, the internal hallmarks of identity and function - seemed to be changing..." (P. ix). I read this book seeking these "internal hallmarks" and found them most clearly expressed in Part I. In Part I Cozzens defines his topic for reflection, that is, the human transformation necessary for a priest of Jesus Christ, and then he turns his attention to external cues and customs current in the U. S. Catholic Church. Only after reading Cozzens' book (twice) did I read the customer reviews. To my mind, the reviews written by DelMonico, irisharsh, Merryman and Zee grasped the deeper significance of Cozzens' book for the spiritual life. This is, in fact, primarily a book on the deeper concept of spirituality, not a book on the sociological or psychological insights of the spiritual life. The enduring value of this book is that Part I touches on the human psyche and pneuma and effectively introduces the principle of "gratia praesupponit naturam" (grace builds on nature). In this context, I found it helpful to read Cozzens' book in light of James Forsyth's (1997) work, "Faith and Human Transformation: A Dialogue Between Psychology and Theology", which thoroughly elaborates Aquinas's second principle "gratia perficit naturam" (grace perfects nature). Cozzens' book is about the Catholic Church in the United States which provides the sociological and psychological context for his external cues. However, to my mind, the book's fundamental concern is the appropriate understanding of spirituality of the part of the individual seeking to discern the internal hallmarks of Christian identity.

Heterodox approach to the issues:
Cozzens presents a heterodoxical view of the issue of priesthood. Read "Goodbye, Good Men" by Michael Rose for the true reason why the priesthood is being changed and challenged. It is because orthodox men are turned away by vocation directors who are pushing a heterodox agenda. One of the sources of heterodoxy is the rise of psychological 'theory' over church doctrine and teaching. This is so backwards. In every generation for 2000 years, the orthodox deposit of the faith has produced saints - men and woman who heroically live lives of self-sacrifice for others and manifest supernatual grace in the world. They are the fruits of orthodoxy - the True Deposit of the Faith. Cozzens makes no use of the orthodox sources on priestly life. Cozzens would rather rely upon psychologies such as Freud and Carl Jung. Both of these men's theories are in stark opposition to the orthodox teachings of the faith - they promote a neo-paganism clothed in psycho-babble. Freud is the High Priest of Eros (the god of Sex) and Jung the magician of the Occult and Gnosticism (under the heading of 'Individuation'). How could a priest elevate these theories to view the church's priestly ministry and ignore the Early Church Fathers? And what is the fruit of Freud and Jung? Well Woody Allen is the poster boy of psycho-therapy and after years of years of it, what does he do? He walk out on Mia Farrow and her children, because of his affair with one of her adolescent children from the third world! Where are the Freudian and Jungian saints? Where are the men and woman who have poured themselves out for others under these theories? So, Cozzens writes this sensitive account which disguises the fraud behind his writing - that of elevating failed theories of analysis over the time proven approach of the Church. Try reading "Goodbye, Good Men" by Michael Rose instead for a more honest and penetrating account.

Facing the Truth with the Changing Face:
Donald B. Cozzen's stimulating The Changing Face of the Priesthood is divided into four parts: Issues, Challenges, Concerns, and Realities. Most notable in the first half (in effect, a warm-up for the meatier and more compelling second half of the book) is the change that Cozzens explicates concerning the transition from a pre-Vatican II cultic model of "priest on pedestal" to that of the Vatican II "servant-leader". As well, a delving into the Jungian archetype of priest as "shaman" versus a companion archetype of "Puer Aeternus" (Eternal Boy) is useful in examining the relationship of one identified as a priest to his faith community, institutional church, himself, and others with whom he interacts. It is in the chapters relating to "Concerns" and "Realities" that the greatest challenge awaits those unafraid of confronting the major questions this book presents to all who care about the priesthood. Correctly, Cozzens does not attribute the rash of ephebophilia molestation (crimes deriving from sexual fixation on post-pubescent teenagers) to the homosexual orientation of high numbers of priests. But he does raise the very necessary question of how these activities are related to the institutional church's "systemic structure" ("ecclesial patterns of communication, operation, and discipline that both define the lives of the ordained and facilitate their exercise of authority and power"). I will confess myself as one reader who does not consider two of the "realities" to which Fr. Cozzens directs our attention as "crises" -- in the arenas of vocation (lack of) and gay orientation (of high numbers of seminarians and ordained). The fact is that diminished numbers of priests have enabled the laity to step forward as maturing Christians and fulfill their roles as Catholic leaders. And to my mind, a heavily "gay" orientation of the ordained is a gift -- "gays" recognize their identity, as opposed to "homosexuals" who cannot or will not come to terms with this very essential part of their personality. As such, the former know they are not the freaks and perverts that many might paint them to be, while the latter remain at a remove from their authentic selves. The actual crisis exists with Church authority, and, at its heart, in the intellectual realm as Cozzens shows us. Confronting this reality will lead to the unfolding of truth and the upholding of the good as our Church steps into the new century.

An Unfortunate Blinded View of the issues.:
Cozzens relies upon modern pagan authorities to look at the church - how could he possibly come up but empty? The large number of positive reviews of this book is telling of the deep crisis in our Church and society - pagan views are so prevalent that they have seeped into our educational institutions to replace the pillars of Catholic tradition (mind you it is these pillars that we have to thank for such civil ideas as Universities, human rights, democratic institutions, human dignity, freedom, scientific inquiry, great art, etc.). What pagan thinkers are we talking about? Freud and Jung. Freud could be considered the High Priest of Eros (the Greek God of Sexual love) Jung was the High Priest of Gnosticism (an early heresy that never left us) - both see the ground of meaning in the various animalistic "drives" or instincts. The Gospel message is all about transforming these instincts, Christianizing them. This is a process of Transformation, through transcendence and loving self-sacrifice. Freud and Jung would have us give the instincts their due for the goal of "psychological health" or "Individuation". As Mary Ann Glendon J.D. - the Harvard University Learned Hand professor has written, this past century is the century of "failed theories" - some of these failures include facism, communism, Freudianism, Jungianism, the "sexual revolution", secular scientism, the list goes on. The genius of the gospel is that it is perennial and its truth is in its fruit. The Catholic Faith - as a flawed institution, is also divine and has produced saints in every generation. Saints are those men and woman who have demonstrated heroic virtue and sanctity. They have become so because of the Catholic Faith - and while it is sinful - not inspite of it. Is there a link between the sinfulness of the Church and ourselves? Is there a 'Way' to holiness through the sacraments that are divine? What proof do we have? St. Francis, St. Anthony, St. Edith Stein, St. Joan of Arc, St. Theresa, etc. To suggest that the Catholic Church needs to be changed rather than the deposit of the faith rediscovered and renewed in the present day, is to be terribly blinded. Renewal is the key, the Church does not need to be Jungianized or conform to other psychological theories that are less than 100 yrs old. The Church as been with us for over 2000 yrs and every generation has produced results. We have just begun to suffer the fall out of these "infant failed theories" Look at the best example of Freudianism for its fruit - Woody Alan. At mid-life he turned his back on Mia with all her children and shacked up with one of her children! The fruits of failed theories are spoiled and rotten. We have just begun to see the impact of these on our society - single parent homes, abortion, violence, a hardening of society, greed rampant, corruption thriving, just have a look. Read Benedict Groschel's "Spiritual Passages : The Psychology of Spiritual Development 'for Those Who Seek'" if you want a sound use of psychology and authentic spirituality. He separates the wheat from the chaff, Cozzens is the chaff. Don't be fooled by by the back slapping reviewers! Read Groschel and find the seeds of renewal rather than the bile of dissent (no matter how neatly packaged).

An Honest, Loving, yet Critical Look at Priesthood:
When I heard Donald Cozzens speak about a year ago, he started off his talk by saying something to the effect of "Some of you may have heard I wrote a book and you know about chapter 7. There are other chapters as well." Chapter 7 deals with sexual orientation and the priesthood and at the time, it got quite a bit of press coverage. The heart of the book went largely ignored. Interestingly he even included a chapter on clergy sexual abuse, why it needs to be addressed and how it can be remedied, but the interest in this chapter was scant as compared with the chapter on sexual orientation. Many of the issues covered were hardly as sensational. Other reformers had called for optional celibacy. Others studies noted the discontent in priesthood or the identity crisis facing many in the priesthood. Still, many who read this work believed it could not be ignored. Fr. Cozzens was after all, a former seminary rector, charged with the responsibility of training priests. He should know, shouldn't he? Shouldn't his words be acknowledged as accurate? Interestingly, in January 2002, when the clergy sexual abuse crisis hit the front pages of newspapers, and rumors people believed to be malicious turned all too often turned out to be true, many realized that Fr. Cozzens book was not a critical look at ministerial priesthood, but rather prophetic. Cozzens book is important to the debate on how the priesthood needs to be reformed. His words are impassioned, but not biased. He clearly loves his priesthood, but knows that the ministry of a priest is far more important than clinging to models which may be impractical and ideals which may be impossible to attain. His book is not one that offers simple solutions, but rather challenges a person to examine the priesthood and the Church itself with the goal of saving, and not destroying and institution through which many find Christ.