20190222 UNITY THROUGH
DICTATORSHIP OR BUILDING CONSENSUS
22 FEBRUARY,
2019, Friday, Chair of St Peter, The Apostle
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour:
White.
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First reading
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1 Peter 5:1-4 ©
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Watch over the flock, not simply as a
duty but gladly
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Now I have something to tell you elders: I
am an elder myself, and a witness to the sufferings of Christ, and with you I
have a share in the glory that is to be revealed. Be the shepherds of the flock
of God that is entrusted to you: watch over it, not simply as a duty but
gladly, because God wants it; not for sordid money, but because you are eager
to do it. Never be a dictator over any group that is put in your charge, but be
an example that the whole flock can follow. When the chief shepherd appears, you
will be given the crown of unfading glory.
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 22(23) ©
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The Lord is my shepherd:
there is nothing I shall want.
The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures
where he gives me repose.
Near restful waters he leads me,
to revive my drooping spirit.
The Lord is my shepherd:
there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me along the right path;
he is true to his name.
If I should walk in the valley of darkness
no evil would I fear.
You are there with your crook and your
staff;
with these you give me comfort.
The Lord is my shepherd:
there is nothing I shall want.
You have prepared a banquet for me
in the sight of my foes.
My head you have anointed with oil;
my cup is overflowing.
The Lord is my shepherd:
there is nothing I shall want.
Surely goodness and kindness shall follow
me
all the days of my life.
In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell
for ever and ever.
The Lord is my shepherd:
there is nothing I shall want.
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Gospel Acclamation
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Mt16:18
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Alleluia, alleluia!
You are Peter,
and on this rock I will build my Church.
And the gates of the underworld can never
hold out against it.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Matthew 16:13-19 ©
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You are Peter and on this rock I will
build my Church
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When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea
Philippi he put this question to his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of
Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and
others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I
am?’ Then Simon Peter spoke up, ‘You are the Christ,’ he said ‘the Son of the
living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because
it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven.
So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And
the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. I will give you the
keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered
bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in
heaven.’
UNITY THROUGH
DICTATORSHIP OR BUILDING CONSENSUS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 PT 5:1-4; MT 16:13-19 ]
Today’s feast is rather
odd because the Church
celebrates the Chair of St Peter. This is strange because practically all
feasts are concerned with some people and so it seems to be out of place to
celebrate a chair. Yet, the fact that this day is given a celebration with
a rank of a feast implies that this commemoration is important for the
Church. What then does the feast really celebrate?
Certainly, we can discount the idea of a chair as something material.
Rather, the Chair has a symbolic meaning. Firstly, the Chair symbolises
authority and power. Secondly, the Chair, as in the university when a
professor holds the chair of philosophy, means that he is the chief teacher for
that particular subject. Thirdly, the Chair refers to the person who
conducts and regulates a group, as in a meeting.
Transferring these connotations to the
Chair of St Peter, this feast would then celebrate the authority of St
Peter and his successor; the authority of being the Chief teacher of the faith
so as to preserve the purity of the Faith and also to be the sign of the unity
of the Church. These ideas are present in the scripture
readings. In the First Letter of Peter, we have St Peter addressing his
fellow elders, implying that he must be in a position of preeminence to address
them as such. Then in the gospel, we find again and again the position
held by St Peter as the spokesman of the twelve. In uttering the
confession of faith, St Peter spoke on behalf of the apostles.
Consequently, his faith is the faith of the Church and on this faith of St
Peter, Christ promised authority, victory, fidelity and purity.
The issue that confronts us in today’s
liturgy is how should the Church, particularly in this instance, the
pope, maintain the purity of the Faith and also the unity of the Church? Should
he exercise his authority in an arbitrary way, that is, in a dictatorial
manner, or should he exercise his authority in a democratic approach through
consultation, dialogue and common consensus? If today’s feast is
ecumenically sensitive it is because in the history of the Church, there were
bad experiences of the Pope being too dictatorial in his decisions. For
this reason, Protestants speak disparagingly of the Papacy. This
over-centralisation of power in the Pope climaxed in the declaration of the
dogma of the Infallibility of the Pope in Vatican 1 in 1870.
Nevertheless, we must understand that such a reaction was in response to the
Reformation and the cultural and intellectual epoch of that time.
Or should the Church adopt the democratic
approach of the Protestant where people are elected into the board; and
decisions are made by the board that has been elected by the community?
Which method could be considered the right approach to preserve the truth and
the unity of the Church?
Today, all of us in our own right hold
positions of authority. As leaders we, too, are called to preserve
the unity of our community and the truth as well. How should we
discharge our responsibilities as leaders? Should we adopt
the dictatorial or the consensus approach? There are difficulties
with regard to these two approaches. A dictatorial approach certainly is
not in line with today’s contemporary mentality. More and more,
governments today see the need to consult and to dialogue. Even the harsh
and authoritarian communist governments are changing the way they govern their
people. Dictatorial leadership styles, such as that of Marcos and
Suharto, including Lee Kuan Yew, are relegated to history. Today, the
emphasis is on building consensus.
But the danger of the consensus
method is that one can appear to be weak and indecisive. The downside
of such an approach is that in trying to please too many people, we cannot
react to the challenges quickly because too much time is spent on consultation
and building consensus. The more serious weakness of the democratic
approach is that truth can be compromised by the need to win
over the people. If that were so, then governing by popularity, even
though it might bring unity, would also bring decadence and destruction as
well. In the long run, it is self-destructive especially if the people
are immature and lacking foresight and judgement. But precisely, as
leader, it is important that we are able to lead our people forward and not
simply follow the herd. We are called to lead and not to be
led. At any rate, trying to please everyone would only end up pleasing no
one.
Consequently, neither the authoritarian
nor the consensus approach is the key to preserving the unity and purity of the
Church. What is required is collegiality. Thus, in
Vatican II, such a lob-sided emphasis on the almost exclusive authority of the
Pope is replaced by the emphasis on the collegiality of the bishops in union
with the Pope. Vatican II clearly teaches that the Pope and his fellow
bishops must always act as a college; and even if the Pope acts alone, it is
always in union with the college, just as St Peter confessed the faith on
behalf of the apostles. The convocation of synods and conferences
precisely is an attempt of the Church to exercise more consultation and
collegiality. Hence, although the pope should consult his fellow bishops
and the Church as a whole, it is he who makes the final decision on weighty
matters. The Church in this sense is not democratic, otherwise we cannot
preserve the truth of the gospel. We would lose our autonomy and
authority to proclaim what is right.
Therefore, the gospel today
invites us to recognise the ways God works in our lives. We are
called to respect authority. Yet, it must be remembered that those who
exercise authority must, as St Peter advised, “never be a dictator over any
group that is put in your charge.” Rather, we must act like
shepherds interested in the needs and feelings of our flock. At the
same time, whilst consulting and having sincere and open dialogue with those
under our charge, we must be courageous enough to make honest decisions, even
when such decisions are painful and difficult; after all, shepherds are called
to witness to the sufferings of Christ. Thus, the approach that is
considered appropriate for the Church, which is the Church of Christ, is that
of collegiality, not democracy nor authoritarianism. This implies that we
must exercise our responsibilities with courage, conviction and fidelity to the
truth; yet seeking dialogue and understanding through consultation before
making decisions.
As for those of us who are under
authority, let us submit ourselves to those who are placed over us.
If we disagree, we certainly have a right to voice our opinions. But
because views especially, in a community, can be so diverse, it is important
that once such views have been aired and the superior has made a decision, all
must support the decision and put aside one’s individual and limited
self-interests. In this way, the unity of the community and the purity of
the truth of the gospel will be lived and preserved.
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
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