On Virility

My new job is an incredible source of stress and I'm finding that I'm not as patient of a person as I thought.  Sure, I can be nice when things are easy.  When I'm an overwhelmed ball of anxiety?  Not so much.  Hence maybe some of the bluntness of this post.  (apologies)

Between a book and a movie, I've been really impressed at what masculinity can bring to the practice of faith.  That might sound like a weird thing to say... but in the age of cafeteria Catholicism (believe what you want and discard what you don't want), it's striking at how absent it's been in the Church.  During my seminary years, there was great emphasis on being pastoral and sensitive.  Speak carefully and in couched terms, lest you seem clericalist.  Being pastoral is a very good thing, of course, but I think it was overemphasized.  There is a power and virility to masculinity, and it enriches our faith!  It contributes something unique that femininity can't; just as authentic femininity contributes something to our faith that masculinity never could.

The book was Henri Daniel-Rops' "Paul: Apostle of Nations."  He took the Acts of the Apostles and clues from St. Paul's letters and traced his entire Christian life.  HDR takes the details and uses history and speculation (not in a bad way, I believe) to fill in St. Paul's life.  Fascinating!  What struck me most about St. Paul was his boldness.  Here was a man tough as nails who could speak so eloquently about love (see 1 Cor 13); here was a man who had the guts to preach the Gospel in a public square and the personal touch to connect with families (Acts 16) and individuals (see both letters to Timothy).

The movie was 1963's "The Cardinal."  It was based on a book by Henry Morton Robinson, covering the life of a fictional American priest from WWI to WWII.  I'd read the book previously; although I didn't remember it all that well, I can promise that it was better than the movie.  Fr. Stephen Fermoyle was a priest who was confident in his identity, unwavering in his commitment to the faith, and willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good of those around him.  The actor that played him in the movie had this great deep voice; everything he said exuded strength, whether it was a kind word or a harsh rebuke.

With the examples of St. Paul and the fictitious Fr. Fermoyle, here is a list of the good kind of virility (distinguished from the egotistical, macho kind of virility).  If I had any say in the formation of priests (which I do not), here is what I would ask of them:

1) Be bold in proclaiming the Gospel
2) Love what you do and whom you serve
3) Commit your whole mind, heart, and soul to the faith.  Anything less is not enough.  If you don't believe what you preach, your people won't, either.
4) Carry yourself so that you command respect.  Not demand.  You are a leader and people expect you to lead!  No amount of committees can compensate for a vacuum of leadership.
5) Your words should be worthy of being listened to
6) You are a Father.  Sometimes you need to discipline those in your charge.
7) Be strong and comfortable in your masculinity.