My letter to the parish priest

 We were asked to send in thoughts on the future of the church. A wonderful opportunity although I wonder if the church realises what it is in for?! 

Here is what I wrote in my email:

During my prayer this morning it became clear that I should make a contribution to the debate thus:

The role of the celibate priesthood must remain sacrosanct but it has to be acknowledged that celibacy is a very high calling, There is a constant duplicity in the church over this issue which has to be acknowledged and redressed.

Persons who are married should be able to become priests and, when the priest feels unable to continue because he has fallen in love or needs to find a pertner, he should NOT be required to relinquish his priesthood. 

The churches teaching on sexuality remains too negative - centuries of sexual guilt are written into the churches literature and this needs to be contradicted and understood in the light of scientific research   . . and just simple compassionate commonsense. 

The churches teaching on homosexuality likewise needs to radically alter - again, in the light of modern scientific understanding. Instead of dragging it's feet on this issue it should be blazing the way for better understanding and better tolerance in numerous countries throughout the world where there is violent oppression and suppression of homosexuals. 

The church needs to face up to the fact that there are many many priests who are homosexual. At present, they have to hide all of that away and this should not be the case. Such intolerance bleeds into the fabric of the societies in which we live and the church should be, above all, a place of tolerance and compassionate understanding of human nature. (One could argue that it always has been covertly but the veil needs to be drawn aside and honesty prevail.) 

As the  number of priests diminish, the role of the deacon needs to be extended and the role of the "services of word and communion" need to be better known and accepted as an integral part of the church's liturgical calendar.

The services are presently viewed as a sort of "second best". I have sometimes been asked by   apologetic deacons at the church door if I mind that "there will be no priest today". 

Women should definitely, most definitely, be allowed to become deacons in the church. 

St. Paul’s writings, 1 Timothy 3:11, Romans 16:1, indicate that women functioned as deacons in the early church. Again, instead of dragging it's feet, the church should be blazing a path toward true sexual equality. It may be centuries before the church finally allows women into the priesthood but, rest assured - just as night follows day - it will happen and I rejoice that I can go to my grave knowing this! 

One  more thing: locked churches.

When I was a young man it was possible to go into almost any church for quiet time and it grieves me to the core that churches are locked up for more than 90% of the time. For many many people with busy lives and families at home it means that they hardly ever get the opportunity for silent prayer. This is a catastrophe. Silent prayer is at the heart of all of our spiritual journeys and the church must understand how crucial it's role is in fostering this. Silent prayer is not an option: it is a necessity if we are to sustain our life with God from day to day. It must be the sacred role of the laity to ensure that churches are kept open at least for a few hours daily.  I would be utterly willing to help with this.

Thank you. Stephen Yates