Will you criticize your priest?

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SJstl said:
Will you?

Not in a demeaning way, or critical way though that is the definition.

I’m referring to constructive criticism and giving him feedback on a particular subject.

I’ve heard some homilies where the priest was trying to make a point but he didn’t hit the ten ring. He was close but hit the 9 instead. Had he carried the statement another 45 seconds he would have nailed it. So would you write him a note the next week and suggest that to him, maybe take him out for coffee, etc. to point out your thoughts?

I know people say to pray for priests and nothing is wrong with that but I think maybe they need some feedback as well.

How involved are you on a personal level with your priest? Is it a comfortable relationship, a casual relationship or just someone you see once a month that he may recognize you on occasion?
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Bringing up criticisms to the priest, or the music/liturgy director, or the director of religious ed, ought to be seen as an offer to volunteer.
If I’m not willing to put up the time or money to change what I think needs changing, I try my best to keep my mouth shut.
 
goout said:
Bringing up criticisms to the priest, or the music/liturgy director, or the director of religious ed, ought to be seen as an offer to volunteer.
If I’m not willing to put up the time or money to change what I think needs changing, I try my best to keep my mouth shut.
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🙂 Indeed. I think that’s just good advice in general. If someone is doing something and I think it would be better done a different way, I only speak up if I am willing to take over the task. Generally, I am not.
 
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SJstl said:
I’m referring to constructive criticism and giving him feedback on a particular subject.
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It depends on the context. And should be done in all charity. Better to pray for him and entrust the matter to God.
 
edward_george1 said:
There’s a big difference between “he could’ve said that one sentence better” and “he’s constantly leading people away from the truth.”
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The one thing I would like a way to say is that he had nailed the point, was at the perfect conclusion to drive it home . . . and continued . . . but unless I find an affirming and constructive way to say that, there’s no way that I’d consider it.
 
Can deacons give a personal blessing? A priest’s blessing is very valuable.
 
I wish I had on a few occasions but instead, I left a few parishes. I guess the instances when I have seen that correction was called for, the errant action was deliberate.

I live in a very liberal area (near Chicago) and unfortunately a number of priests here take a lot of liberties. I decided instead to leave the Chicago archdiocese and attend church in the Rockford Diocese, and found more faithful priests in a conservative parish.
 
With our former pastor, a good friend, I used to like be critical if his choice of whuch major league baseball team he was a big fan of. Does that count?
 
melonhead said:
On that note, I’m a fan of letting the priest know when he hit a home run, whether something he said in a homily, new times for adoration, etc.
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Priests need more of this. I think that few Catholics appreciate how much stress they’re under and how many vocal critics they already have.
 
blackforest said:
Priests need more of this. I think that few Catholics appreciate how much stress they’re under and how many vocal critics they already have.
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Most definitely. Especially in these crazy troubled times, good priests need all the support they can get.
 
OP I am confused if we are discussing the particular case of your priest or if it is a general discussion about criticizing priests…
 
don’t focus too hard on “criticism”. Some got wrapped around the homily example but that was just given as an example. It can be any topic. Pope Francis says he welcomes criticism. If given constructively, in the form of feedback, it can be productive. Critic does carry a negative connotation but can be also used as “to evaluate.”

Where you work, are you not evaluated periodically? How do you know you’re on the right track? Does your supervisor ever give you feedback so you know how you’re doing? Things to improve on? I think maybe we owe our thoughts and opinions to the pastoral staff. It’s another form of communication.

If a younger priest says during the homily (there’s that word again) “you know” or “uh” after every third word, would you not ever suggest to him to work on that or would you rely on charity and prayer alone?

If you see your priest in an informal setting outside of the parish grounds and he’s wearing something you disagree with, would you encourage him to wear something more positive? Give him suggestions? There’s nothing wrong with what he’s wearing but there is something he could wear that would promote the faith? Suggest maybe helping him pick something out or ordering something for him? Without being critical?

How about if he is in a discussion with a crowd of Protestants and points out two of the many points to salvation. Would you comment later to him and suggest to him what would have driven the point home for the crowd so they were all in your pews and not someone else’s? Maybe he hadn’t thought of what you told him?

To answer some of the questions presented by the members above, well yes, there is a scenario involved that I have some constructive criticism for him. Not critical criticism, but more of a feedback observation. I’m the type to take comments like that back home with me and think about how I might do something differently next time or maybe even research the topic so when it comes up again I have another tool in my toolbox to bring out.

I may start sending him a note card every week as well, with only positive comments. I’ll save the constructive stuff for the breakfast meeting.

A prayer here and there will also help.
 
Why should I criticize a priest?
Those who serve our Lord and Savior all of their lives deserve praise and support!
 
I think it depends on the age of your priest. Over all I imagine that priests only take it under consideration if it is a large number complaining about X and Y. Or if you and the priest are really good friends, and even then the priest might just consider you don’t “get it”.
Lately, because of the constant bashing in the press, priests are less open to discussions and criticism and are mainly concerned in defending their position in society. The spirits are all tensed so to speak. Don’t get surprised if he doesn’t take it too well.
 
SJstl said:
Where you work, are you not evaluated periodically?
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Is it your job to evaluate your parish priest?
SJstl said:
If a younger priest says during the homily (there’s that word again) “you know” or “uh” after every third word, would you not ever suggest to him to work on that or would you rely on charity and prayer alone?
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I would let a younger priest figure things like that out on his own and trust that his brother priests will help him along. You’re only going to fluster him more if you offer that critique.
SJstl said:
If you see your priest in an informal setting outside of the parish grounds and he’s wearing something you disagree with, would you encourage him to wear something more positive? Give him suggestions? There’s nothing wrong with what he’s wearing but there is something he could wear that would promote the faith? Suggest maybe helping him pick something out or ordering something for him? Without being critical?
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You mean he’s not wearing clerics? So what? Sometimes I go out in public in civilian clothes. I don’t make a habit of it. I usually wear my cassock. But if I’m going to a ballgame or a movie or the grocery store, I dress in civilian clothes. Doing so doesn’t hurt my clerical identity in the slightest. And again, not your job to police what the priest is wearing. We’ve had several threads about that on here in the past.

I won’t comment on the rest of your post particularly. But I still say you’re being nitpicky and you need to stay in your lane. I promise you that the way you’re proposing to go about things will not endear you to priests or parish staff. When those notecards and calls come in, they will largely be ignored. Not because priests don’t need correcting or help, but because you come off as a busybody if you keep going after it like that.
 
It is one aspect of our concupiscence that we see the missing slice rather than the pie. Our eyes and ears are naturally drawn to what we perceive as the incomplete, the imperfect. Our concupiscent response is often “Somebody oughta” or “Father I think that you should…” Log and splinter once again.

It is a struggle to restrain our thoughts and comments - since other parishioners may have been enthralled by what they heard. If only one heart turns because of what we think was a mediocre homily - are we missing God’s hand at work here?

Every Priest knows what the parishioners think. I’d hate to know what Father truly thinks about me.
 
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Both. It sounds like s/he wants to criticize a priest and was first fishing to see if others ever did so, as well.

I personally would do so only over major, major matters, e.g. preaching a pro-choice homily. And by then, the Bishop’s phone would be ringing off the hook, anyway. Fortunately, neither that nor anything as egregious has ever come up in my lifetime.
 
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For the scenario you describe?

No way.

I hate being nit picked at work, so I’m not going to do it to somebody else.
 
I remember when I was a kid our (Irish) priest once said something rather inappropriate and uncharitable about Northern Ireland and expressed unapologetic sympathy for people who had recently carried out a murder. This was during the 1980s when that topic was extremely divisive and a lot of people got very emotional over it. He didn’t say it in a homily but he said it publically while addressing a social event. It was not worthy of a priest.

My mother later criticized him for it and he apologized.
 
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I won’t criticize him; but, when I really like his homily, I do let him know. People are quick to criticize, but slow to praise.
 
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