I hear the word “clericalism” a lot these days. Depending on which Catholic journals or blogs you read, it’s either a rampant scourge upon our church, or it’s hardly a problem at all. The term is pejorative and often directed at younger priests. It implies a pronounced haughtiness, intransigence, and the use of authority for the sake of domination. I must admit that I have met very few Catholic priests who exhibit those traits. Yet clericalism has been named by some as the “central obstacle” to the Church fulfilling her mission, as the reason why Mass attendance and vocations are down, and as the cause of sexual abuse in the Church. That strikes me as a facile explanation for some of the Church’s greatest challenges.