Say, that's a long title.
Rev. J. Ronald Knott gave this
Keynote Address
on April 24, 2007 to the National Federation of Priests’ Councils annual Convention. It's posted at MAPA [Milwaukee Archdiocese Priests Alliance].
Fr. Knott claims to advocate revival of the Presbyterium, that is, "a college of priests who surrounded the bishop to help him carry out his ministry." Is so, he chose an odd venue, given that, if MAPA is typical, priests' councils make a point of emphasizing their independence from their bishop, even acting at cross-purposes to him.
In Knott's terms, MAPA is an example of "tribalism"; I might have called it an unstable isotope of Presbyterium.
I cannot comment on the content of Fr. Knott's address, since I was unable to open it. I do agree with the prior comment writer on this point: the federation of priests' councils (or by whatever more correct name it is called) seems to be less a vehicle of honest and respectful dialogue with one's diocesan bishop than a union-type bargaining unit. Perhaps Fr. Knott should theorize less and return to the diocesan pastoral ministry for which (I assume) he once desired to be ordained. This might give him a more realistic insight re the issues about the diocesan priesthood he continually writes about--from afar. We have enough armchair quarterbacks already. Just a thought.
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