Kevin Wells pleads for the recovering of a Roman Catholic priesthood steeped in the muscular Christianity of bygone days. Invoking especially the memories of his murdered monsignor-uncle, he makes a fervent layman’s appeal for priests to abandon the niceness and complacency that have contributed to the recent woes of the church.
The Priests We Need to Save the Church, by Kevin Wells (229 pages, Sophia Institute Press, 2019).
Kevin Wells’ monograph was started as a celebration of the priestly ministry of his uncle. Monsignor Thomas Wells was a devout and effectual priest whose ministry was cut short by his untimely murder. While compiling notes and tributes to write about the hallmarks of this pious priest, Mr. Wells unexpectedly found himself writing in the aftermath of the 2018-19 scandals that shook the Roman Catholic Church. The experienced journalist in him (he was a sports reporter for the Tampa Tribune) rose to the surface in response, and the resulting book is written primarily to priests as an exhortation to renew the vitality of their ordained ministries.
As such, The Priests We Need is a paean by a devout layman, for a worthy priest, to confront clerical malaise. Mr. Wells extends the virtues of priestly ministries he has known and studied into a rule he believes normative for all effective priestly ministries.
Let it first be said that such a zealous cry for the recovery of the church is welcome. Mr. Wells’ exhortation is clearly motivated by his love for the church, and his appeal for its wellbeing is thoughtfully encouraging in a way Catholics ignore at their peril. The appeal for uncompromising clergy and direct confrontation of sin and error in the church is equally a challenge all Christians should accept—if the Roman Catholic Church in our day is subject to condemnation, this is certainly a guilt in which all Christian traditions share.
Mr. Wells’ manifesto against clergy on behalf of the faithful might smack of insubordination, but he in fact appeals to church authority by quoting Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s 1972 exhortation to the laity:
“Who is going to save our Church? Not our bishops, not our priests and religious. It is up to the people. You have the minds, the eyes, the ears to save the Church. Your mission is to see that your priests act like priests, your bishops like bishops and your religious act like religious.”[1]
Abp. Sheen’s exhortation has been taken up frequently in light of recent events, and Mr. Wells is not reticent to shine stronger light so that sin and corruption cannot hide under the shadow of authority.
Other critics may object to the author’s credibility, but this is a weak response given that he turns out to be on very traditional—if perhaps presently-unconventional—ground regarding the hallmarks of the Catholic priesthood. The reforms for which he pleads are returns to longstanding Catholic practice. Non-Catholics or progressives may resist, but Mr. Wells is intent on a restoration of ministries with a proven track record for bearing fruit. For a church in crisis there can be no half-hearted corrective. When priests become saints the church will listen to them.
In the fifth chapter, The Priests We Need moves beyond context and biography to present eight characteristics of excellent priests. Each is treated in detail by a succeeding chapter. The excellent priest:
- Adores the Eucharistic Jesus
- Is devoted to Mary
- Prays devoutly
- Assumes a victimhood
- Is a father
- Is persistently available
- Preaches divine truth
- Dives into souls at a moment’s notice[2]
In this eight-fold identity, the priest marries holiness and victimhood in a life wholly devoted to self-sacrifice and becoming Christ-like. The church should never expect less than heroism from its clergy. When priests become holy, the church will follow. Through such priests the church may be saved.
This strength of idealism is surely uncomfortable, but it cannot be faulted. Especially for Roman Catholics, priestly devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, to Mary, to prayer, and to the souls in his care must be an inspiring challenge. For Catholic laity, the implied exhortation is equally strong to expect these characteristics of their clergy and to uphold them in prayer toward that end.
Perhaps Mr. Wells’ most provocative point is his call for all priests to voluntarily submit to the bloodless martyrdom of self-sacrifice. Christianity has long recognized the white martyrdom of those faithful called to witness Christ through lifelong sacrifice, and venerated such witness alongside the blood martyrdom of those who witness Christ through their death. Mr. Wells has scarce regard for the physical or mental wellbeing of a priest, presuming both should be subsumed by the spiritual health of the priest-as-holy-victim. Appealing to the lives of John Vianney, Padre Pio, and priests he has known personally, Mr. Wells is unremitting: Priests must choose the path of martyrdom. If they are not granted red martyrdom, priests must choose the even more difficult white martyrdom of lifelong self-sacrifice, and by this Christ will strengthen their muscular Christianity that the church needs. Through self-mortification a priest will be victorious, and no sacrifice will have been in vain.
This insistence is bound to cause controversy. It will strike many as controversial to suggest that white martyrdom is a greater calling than red martyrdom. But this controversy is the sort that should inspire the faithful to reflection and devotion more rather than less. Other controversies are more difficult. Catholic teaching is that the priest stands at the sacrifice of the mass in persona Christi, and as such assumes also the role of sacrificial victim. To extend the sacrificial role into all aspects of life as far as Mr. Wells does, and to insist it is normative for the priesthood, will present not only practical challenges. Some may object that disregard for physical and emotional health have brought down many a vibrant ministry. Some may object that demanding such a sacrifice would further diminish already-limited prospects of future vocations. Some may object that even if the spirit of Mr. Wells’ exhortation is right (and we should charitably think it so), the proposed solution will not be sufficient to save the church.
There are three reasons for concern that Mr. Wells’ solution may be right but not sufficient: First, the priesthood cannot be limited to the functional role of parish priest. Second, priests alone cannot save the church. Third, the author neglects the good priest’s character as scholar and teacher of scripture.
First, the need for good priests is not limited to the parish. Historically the church has depended not only on parish priests, but also priests who were scholars and friars and canon lawyers. The need for good parish priests is great, but the functional roles of the priesthood exceed those Mr. Wells identifies. Or, to put this objection in another form, the priesthood is not a functional role but an ontological character that can be fulfilled in many ways. While all Mr. Wells’ characteristics of a good priest can be integral to such a sacramental ontology, The Priests We Need may err towards a functional view of the priesthood from the perspective of the lay faithful. I doubt that this criticism is a matter of disagreement so much as a difference of emphasis.
Second, good priests are essential to the wellbeing of the church, but they cannot be a substitute for deficiencies in the laity or ecclesiastical authority. The church has also been saved by bishops, religious, and laity as well as priests. Abp. Sheen’s exhortation demonstrates the necessity of the laity, but does not dispense with the necessity of good bishops and religious as well. I at least would welcome sequels from the author on those subjects. This criticism too is not likely a matter of disagreement so much as an expansion of the subject from Mr. Wells’ starting point.
Third, The Priests We Need does seem open to one major criticism. As Mr. Wells articulates the eight characteristics of a worthy priest, the study and teaching of scripture is not given any singular attention. He himself is thoughtful in his use of scripture to articulate his points, and gives anecdotal evidence about the importance of scripture in preaching, but “Is devoted to the study of scripture” is not a characteristic Mr. Wells distinguishes, and indeed this is likely the biggest sticking point from an ecumenical perspective. In his Epilogue, the author makes a separate list of twenty identifiers of a good priest, and although he includes among these praying the Divine Office and daily reading of a spiritual masterpiece from a Church Doctor, the study of scripture is not listed. Love of scripture seems integral to every characteristic of the priesthood that Mr. Wells identifies, and this is a strange omission.
Kevin Wells is right to bring to task the clergy of the church he so clearly loves. Every voice pleading for the healing of the church is vital and welcome, as is the vigilance of every faithful congregant who will no longer abide sinfulness, or even mediocrity. His perspective on the needs of lay people within and without the church is one to which clergy, and the church as a whole, should hearken and respond.
[1] As quoted by Wells.
[2] Wells, p.72.
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I am not a Catholic, nevertheless this read makes me sad and the thoughts expressed here that the Church needs saving leaves me speechless. It makes me want to remain a Baptist where every Believer is in the Priesthood and no Monopoly is given to anyone, or such high, almost UN-natural expectations rendered to any head for a flock to follow. May God be with the Catholic Church. I have always admired the Academics, the learned, but have also learned that they are not always true to their own teaching.. Christ was 33 when he was crucified. For a Priest to be truly leading Christ-like, he would also have to die young, for this world is contaminated and perhaps that is why your Church, as so many others, are in trouble. Where are all the Churches confessions? How can it speak Holy Words, when it is itself not Holy and in need of saving? God have Mercy, I am speechless indeed..
Maria W. Not being Catholic is the very reason you are speechless. There is so much knowledge of our history and essence that you are unaware of. And the reason behind the book in the first place. Pray for all of us to live out our Christianity well and not live in Laodicia. Be strong to fight the wickedness and snares if the devil who is rearing his ugly head in so many aspects of society today. Abortion, pornography and complacency to name a few. Pray that all us Christians live out our faith well. And stay close to Jesus so we are strong enough to do it.
Vatican 2 needs to be overturned and the Church restored to Trent Catholicism which includes the Latin Mass which unified the world’s Catholics. Ecumenism is a heresy, there is no salvation outside the Catholic Church and this Pope needs to go, he is destructive and embarrassing disaster. It’s time to recognize the infiltration and frauds since Pius the IX called them out in the Syllabus of Errors. If the Church needs to shrink to a remnant of real Catholics so be it.
I am a faithful priest. I celebrate the Extraordinary Form, teach the fullness of truth, etc. This article concerns me deeply. If we need these “elite” kinds of priests to save the Church, do we need the Lord Jesus anymore? Sure sounds like the author doesn’t see Jesus as the Savior!
Also, a holy priest neglecting his physical and emotional well-being is a recipe for disaster. I’ve seen so many cases of priests who were faithful to the 8 points raised by the author but they were terribly physically unhealthy (overweight, diabetes, gout, addicted to alcohol and tobacco/nicotine, heart disease) that they became an embarrassment to the parish. Same thing about faithful priest who are emotionally unhealthy — the most common symptom being anger-management problems.
I’d rather have holy, happy, and healthy priests!
I listened to Kevin Wells speak today in Lewes, Delaware and I think your concerns are unfounded. Mr. Wells cited a priest who had been his deceased uncles closest friend and spoke several times of the athleticism of both and how that priest fell away from that lifestyle. Just the opposite of what you are inferring, I think Mr. Wells expects priests to be fit and refrain from alcohol abuse, overeating, tobacco and sloth. I know Mr. Wells covered those areas when he spoke, though I haven’t read the book yet.
I wholeheartedly concur with you there are far too many priests whose unhealthy lifestyles hamstrings their vocation, and shortens their life.
I would be more specific….it is a lack of any interior spirituality which afflicts what is today only a pharisaeic institution of rules, with no interior spiritual light guiding the way, and cuts across all levels from laity to current papacy.
Jesus was quite clear, we should love God with ALL our heart, mind and strength, as not doing this was the constant failure of Man and Israel, where tapped into Divine love, we are able to love neighbor as self.
This ALL he preached is utterly ignored and negated and always put off as somebody else’s job, as if only hyperbole, when it is the core of the gospel….there is no room in the heart for love of God when love of the created world occupies all of the time and energy of Man.
And laity practicing this properly is from whence the type priests wanted are formed…the priests and bishops and popes arise out of us, and can only be as good as what we send…and right now, that is utterly worldly laity generating utterly worldly priests, bishops and popes.
There is nothing new under the sun… This essay almost reads as a parallel to the Reformation!
Rebecca Simpson,
I will in what ever capacity….for strength, endurance and an unfailing love in all Believers. He and His mean that much to me. God bless you!
I have worked in parish ministry for two decades alongside of numerous priests, many of whom I have blessed to get to know as spiritual fathers and friends. I think one of the gifts of Vatican II in its actual documents was the challenge to the laity to really grow up and own their responsibility of evangelization and discipleship. Most of the priests I know are exhausted and overwhelmed by administrative duties and a laity that seems apathetic and non-responsive much of the time. It is simply clericalism to suggest that if priests were only more…. than the Church will be better. If Father would only work harder, let Father take care of it, that’s Father’s job. This attitude is something we lay people will answer for, because we are simply passing the buck. We are all baptized priest, prophet, and king. The priest is there to give us the sacraments, to teach and to guide. The hundreds of thousands of laity by whom he is outnumbered are responsible for bringing Jesus to the whole world through their secular lives. I think the author has it backwards. If we want to see holy priests, than we laity need to grow up and let Jesus make us saints and stop waiting for Father to do it for us.
I agree with Bob and would add this: sounds like some haven’t read the book being discussed. The book comes about because of a love of the priesthood, which Jesus himself established & gave it a vital role – so the laity would not be left to their own device exclusively. Clericalism is sometimes described as cronyism & cloistered political environs of hierarchical religions. Those priests guilty of sex abuse and related crimes certainly had the financial & physical means to commit their crimes repeatedly, partially because of the clericalism established by the church not the laity. There are many priests, possibly not the ones defended, who work 9-5 and condemn themselves by not submitting themselves to the will of God (If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me). Confessions by appointment is a red flag for these unworthy priests. It is a furtherance of clericalism to defend priests as if they have no responsibility for the corruption of the church and much of the laity. Jesus established the priesthood for a reason (To whom much is given, much will be required). The author is simply loving priests by fulfilling Fulton Sheen’s prescription. “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” Many priests & lay daily communicants alike study scripture daily, which is so taken for granted it often doesn’t make it on some lists (when it should).
The Church is primarily the Mystical Body of Christ, the whole body (that’s us) of which the Lord is the Head. It is Christ’s Spouse which he loves and cares for her. People often forget What and Who is the Church. We need to read “Lumen Gentium” the dogmatic constitution on the Church from Vatican II. Also, the whole chapter 9 on the Church from the Cathechism (paragraphs 748-870). Then and only then, reconsider whether the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church needs to be saved by its priests… -Jorge E. Benavides B.
Maria, the catholic Church teaches that at every baptized Christian is a priest, prophet, and king being part of the mystical body of Christ, the High Priest, Prophet, and King. Scripture most definitely speaks of a ministerial priesthood, the administration of sacraments, the laying on of hands, the authority of Peter and his successors. All followers of Christ have a unique role and their own gifts, charisms, and responsibilities. All the author is doing is exhorting priests as Paul did Timothy:
2 Tim 1:6 6 For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.
1 Tom 2:2 The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 3 Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
Every priest I know who truly is another Christ fits so much of what Mr. Wells wrote about in his book. The most important thing for priests is for them to have a serious and deep prayer life. That means an hour a day in Adoration. If all priests followed this one thing, they would become the priests we need to save the Church.
Then, if the laity followed this, just think of how people would flock back to a Church filled with people who are in deep relationship with the Lord! That is what it is all about. You cannot get holy by showing up for Mass once a week. You have to be invested every day.
Holy priests do bring about holy laity. I have seen this myself. Praise God for the holy priests who speak the truth.
Totally agreed.
In my humble opinion, there is something awfully wrong with illegal immigrants from Asia and Africa to European cities. Fathers abandon their wife and children to serve as underpaid workers under slave like conditions, and mothers abandon their husbond and children to serve as prostitutes under slave like conditions. So they can send money home to their families. Who benefits are their criminal overlords as well as European abortion mills. Catholic priests must preach holy baptism for remission of mortal sin. Long live the Humanae Vitae last dike standing against the tidal wave on human dignity. “Love one another, that is what the Lord taught.” (Saint John)
This work covers all the bases, regarding what is needed and lacking in the shepherds of our Church. The write-up above is a perfect vignette for concisely sharing the essence/purpose for the book. Well written – “be not afraid” to gift this to our clergy and form community groups in this awareness/opportunity for feedback/dialogue and the need for the laity to help form/share the burden with these men of the apostolic succession, in the person of Christ.