St Vincent Pallotti and the Irate Priest
As a seminarian, Vincent helped lead a
youth group at a local school called the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin. At
this time most priests abandoned normal clerical garb and dressed as we would
imagine Benjamin Franklin. St Vincent instead choose to dress in his cassock.
One day he was leading his youth group on an excursion when a diocesan priest
dressed in the “Benjamin Franklin” style berated him as a hypocrite for several
minutes because he wore a cassock. The priest kept ranting and raving but
Vincent Pallotti slipped away after a few minutes. Later, members of the youth
group found him in a nearby church singing the Te Deum, a hymn of praise and thanksgiving, for the treatment he
received from this priest. (cf. Fr Robert J. Fox, Saints & Heroes Speak, Harmony Media, Gervais, OR)
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| Benjamin Franklin |
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| St Vincent Pallotti |
8 comments:
The more things change the more they remain the same!!
Fr Bernard Payne, (of sainted memory) spent almost all his priestly life in Ushaw. In fact, it was said he never left the place since he joined the Junior House in Underlow. He devoted his life to the Big Library, and trying to teach elocution to some of the younger students.
He always exuded an aura of other-worldliness, and had all the trappings of great sanctity.
What's this got to do with the thread? Just that on one famous occasion, Barney was laid up with some sort of bug, and was confined to his room. I had some reason (can't remember what) to visit his room. There was Barney, propped up in bed in his striped pajamas, but wearing his biretta. That somehow personified pre-Vat2 clergy.
For several years in my parish, we had priests who never wore clerical dress - not even when they were bringing Communion to the sick. Not, I hasten to add, my last PP, but he did things properly - he was, after all, an ex-Anglican.
I recall being on a school holiday to Bellinzona in Switzerland accompanied by, among others, teachers Frs Anderson & McKeown. All the way there they were in perfect clerical dress but on our first morning at breakfast they both turned up in white, open-necked shirts. We were all convinced they had travelled to Switzerland to leave the priesthood.
Looks can be very deceptive surely integrity and deep down honesty are far more important that what someone looks like. "Watch out for the teachers of the law, who like to walk around in their long robes and be greeted with respect in the market place ...... and make a show of saying long prayers" mark 12
Anonymous makes a comment about external appearances. To some point I agree, but if I am going out (on bereavement visits, housebound visits, meetings etc.,) I wear a collar, but not a cassock. Still, if only the perfect could walk around dressed according to their vocation, how many wedding rings could be worn with complete integrity?
I agree Fr G. that many a wedding ring is worn without integrity and that too is wrong. My whole point is that traditional garb does not always signify traditional values, I value honesty, integrity and deep truth in all relationships and we can all serve our maker and follow the teachings of His son only through His teaching of LOVE, without real honest love no relationship is of value no matter what outward signs and symbols we choose to wear or display!
Sadly whilst traditional garb doesn't always equate to traditional values, I think that non-clerical garb "on duty" does tend to point to very liberal values.
I completely disagree David, I think it is wrong to judge anyones values by their outward appearance. Although in many cases liberal views and attitudes may be accompanied by liberal dress so too liberal views and life style choices can be masked by traditional attire giving the impression that views and values are traditional. The truth is we can never know what is in another man's (or woman's) heart and mind and sometimes focusing on outward appearance or traditional ritual can become for some people more important than the values themselves. Having said that I do think that if a 'job' has a uniform then wearing that uniform to attend matters relating to the job can sometimes inspire more confidence in those with whom you are dealing.
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