Scottish Catholic Observer

One of the Vatican’s most senior officials has told Scottish priests they must not be intimidated by secular hostility. Archbishop Joseph Augustine Di Noia OP, adjunct secretary of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, visited last Thursday to speak with the clergy in St Andrews and Edinburgh Archdiocese. He said he understood that hostility to religion is something that can ‘make it more difficult for the priest to function.’

“We cannot be intimidated by hostile audiences, because often that hostility is misplaced, the result of ignorance and confusion,” Archbishop Di Noia said. “So we need to confront that, but we don’t confront it in an ill-humoured way.”

The archbishop, a US member of the Dominican Order, also told the priests that ‘despite the difficulties’ he was very impressed by the Faith in Scotland.

“It’s very strong and cheerful and certain,” the theologian (above right) said. “Pope Benedict always said the Church is going to be smaller, but if it’s got people like this in it who cares!”

The archbishop said the message he had brought to Scotland was intended to be ‘as encouraging as possible’ to the priests here.

“I want to give them a vision of the priesthood as living in conformity to Christ,” he said. “The heart of what I wanted to say is the most important element of their ministry, that is being celebrants of the Sacraments.”

He stressed that ‘that’s not a sideline, it is the chief thing, it is through the Sacraments that Christ reaches the Faithful.’

He said the response from the Scottish priests had been very good, adding ‘if you talk about the basic things of our Faith, in a way that’s appealing, people say wow!’ “One priest did come up to me after the talk and said he really appreciated not just the message, but also that I was talking from the heart,” he said. “The Celts they want you to talk from the heart, not the head. They’re not Germans!”

Archbishop Di Noia’s visit is just the latest in a series of clergy training days initiated by Archbishop Leo Cushley of St Andrews and Edinburgh (above left) in recent months. Hosted by the Gillis Centre in Edinburgh, the format for the day consisted of a morning and afternoon presentation with a break for lunch and time for communal prayer.

“I am delighted that Archbishop Di Noia has joined us in Edinburgh to share some of his theology and thoughts regarding conformity to Jesus Christ for our priests,” Archbishop Cushley.

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—This story ran in full in the March 4 edition print of the SCO, available in parishes.