At its 59th ordinary session, the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) signed a Document entitled: "At the school of Jesus Christ (cf. Eph 4:20). For an authentic priestlylife. Exhortation of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) to Priests on Priestly Chastity and on the Rights of Children and Vulnerable People" (Kinshasa, March 4, 2022). Signed by 47 bishops, this document, which was addressed privately to priests, eventually leaked. It became a buzz on the web in the DRC, at the risk of combining the true and the false. But what did the bishops of Congo really say?
1. The document distinguishes the tares from the wheat (Mt 13:24-30)
In their exhortation, the bishops do not indiscriminately accuse all priests. Already in the first number, they say: "Many of you faithfully live your priestly commitments. For your witness never ceases to build up the People of God and the whole Church". However, they say they are "saddened to find that some of you do not live an authentic priestly life." (n.1) Critics of priests have paid attention only to the last part of this number forgetting that the bishops were keen to distinguish the tares from the wheat (Mt 13:24-30). It is therefore not true, as is spread on social media, that it is the majority of Congolese priests who has children. Numerically, it is a small group that the bishops denounce (n. 2). It is true that this small group - some unfaithful priests - (n. 2) is difficult to identify because of the culture of silence that reigns on this subject. Such a courageous document, which aims to do justice to the children of priests and their mothers (n. 37), risks being used as a pretext for some anticlericals to accuse all priests without proof. Which is not fair.
2. A courageous document
In their Document, the Bishops show exceptional courage. Because by talking about the infidelity of some priests and the suffering of their children and concubines, they break the silence about a subject that we often prefer to talk about with "the hand on the mouth". Two numbers of the Document clearly state the firmness of the bishops. They stipulate: "Considering, on the one hand, the rights and obligations of parents towards their offspring and their parents, and on the other hand the incompatibility of the office of 'father of the family' with the ministry and priestly life under the Roman Catholic rite, we ask every priest of the Church-Family of God who has a child to go and take care of him completely and to do so to seek exemption from priestly obligations with the Holy Father. Each diocesan bishop is willing to accompany by canonical means any cleric of his jurisdiction concerned by this situation” (n. 40). And the bishops add: "In the event that the priest with descendants resists and does not want to ask for the exemption from clerical obligations, with the prudent judgment of the diocesan Bishop, if the situation requires that the priest take charge of the responsibilities deriving from his paternity, the Bishop must present the case to the Holy See for the maximum penalty of dismissal from the clerical state" (n. 41).
3. The document says more than denouncing
The attention of many readers of the Episcopal Document were drawn by parts 2 and 3: The Rights of Children and Vulnerable People and Justice and Reparation. In reality, the Document is not limited to the denunciation and warning of unfaithful priests. Its whole first part is a praise for the virtues and beauty of celibacy and chastity in the life of the priest: chastity, a gift of self for spiritual fecundity (n. 6), priestly celibacy, expression of the mystery of configuration to Christ (n. 7-10), priestly celibacy for service in freedom (n. 11-14), chastity for sanctification (n. 15-21).
Also, in the Document, the bishops reiterate their attachment to the rule of celibacy, according to the discipline of the Latin Catholic Church (n. 22-31). At number 5, they remind all priests that chastity and celibacy are a free choice. No one is forced to do so. Because on the day of ordination, the question is clearly put to the candidate: "N., you are ready to commit to celibacy. Will you, to signify the gift of yourselves to Christ the Lord, always keep this commitment because of the Kingdom of Heaven, putting yourself at the service of God and your neighbor?” And the candidate answers personally and freely: "Yes, I will." This is to say that in this prophetic document, which is in the line of the dynamic desired by Pope Francis, the bishops do not unjustly incriminate unfaithful priests. They just invite their collaborators to the coherence of life. And on this matter, no one can claim himself of it; not even the bishops. It is given only by the grace of God, as specified in the ritual of the ordination of priests.
At its 59th ordinary session, the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) signed a Document entitled: "At the school of Jesus Christ (cf. Eph 4:20). For an authentic priestlylife. Exhortation of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) to Priests on Priestly Chastity and on the Rights of Children and Vulnerable People" (Kinshasa, March 4, 2022). Signed by 47 bishops, this document, which was addressed privately to priests, eventually leaked. It became a buzz on the web in the DRC, at the risk of combining the true and the false. But what did the bishops of Congo really say?
1. The document distinguishes the tares from the wheat (Mt 13:24-30)
In their exhortation, the bishops do not indiscriminately accuse all priests. Already in the first number, they say: "Many of you faithfully live your priestly commitments. For your witness never ceases to build up the People of God and the whole Church". However, they say they are "saddened to find that some of you do not live an authentic priestly life." (n.1) Critics of priests have paid attention only to the last part of this number forgetting that the bishops were keen to distinguish the tares from the wheat (Mt 13:24-30). It is therefore not true, as is spread on social media, that it is the majority of Congolese priests who has children. Numerically, it is a small group that the bishops denounce (n. 2). It is true that this small group - some unfaithful priests - (n. 2) is difficult to identify because of the culture of silence that reigns on this subject. Such a courageous document, which aims to do justice to the children of priests and their mothers (n. 37), risks being used as a pretext for some anticlericals to accuse all priests without proof. Which is not fair.
2. A courageous document
In their Document, the Bishops show exceptional courage. Because by talking about the infidelity of some priests and the suffering of their children and concubines, they break the silence about a subject that we often prefer to talk about with "the hand on the mouth". Two numbers of the Document clearly state the firmness of the bishops. They stipulate: "Considering, on the one hand, the rights and obligations of parents towards their offspring and their parents, and on the other hand the incompatibility of the office of 'father of the family' with the ministry and priestly life under the Roman Catholic rite, we ask every priest of the Church-Family of God who has a child to go and take care of him completely and to do so to seek exemption from priestly obligations with the Holy Father. Each diocesan bishop is willing to accompany by canonical means any cleric of his jurisdiction concerned by this situation” (n. 40). And the bishops add: "In the event that the priest with descendants resists and does not want to ask for the exemption from clerical obligations, with the prudent judgment of the diocesan Bishop, if the situation requires that the priest take charge of the responsibilities deriving from his paternity, the Bishop must present the case to the Holy See for the maximum penalty of dismissal from the clerical state" (n. 41).
3. The document says more than denouncing
The attention of many readers of the Episcopal Document were drawn by parts 2 and 3: The Rights of Children and Vulnerable People and Justice and Reparation. In reality, the Document is not limited to the denunciation and warning of unfaithful priests. Its whole first part is a praise for the virtues and beauty of celibacy and chastity in the life of the priest: chastity, a gift of self for spiritual fecundity (n. 6), priestly celibacy, expression of the mystery of configuration to Christ (n. 7-10), priestly celibacy for service in freedom (n. 11-14), chastity for sanctification (n. 15-21).
Also, in the Document, the bishops reiterate their attachment to the rule of celibacy, according to the discipline of the Latin Catholic Church (n. 22-31). At number 5, they remind all priests that chastity and celibacy are a free choice. No one is forced to do so. Because on the day of ordination, the question is clearly put to the candidate: "N., you are ready to commit to celibacy. Will you, to signify the gift of yourselves to Christ the Lord, always keep this commitment because of the Kingdom of Heaven, putting yourself at the service of God and your neighbor?” And the candidate answers personally and freely: "Yes, I will." This is to say that in this prophetic document, which is in the line of the dynamic desired by Pope Francis, the bishops do not unjustly incriminate unfaithful priests. They just invite their collaborators to the coherence of life. And on this matter, no one can claim himself of it; not even the bishops. It is given only by the grace of God, as specified in the ritual of the ordination of priests.
