Why do so many educated, faithful Catholics defer their discernment to clergy? A reflection on systemic passivity in the Church and the call to active faith.
A Faithful Friend and a Strange Image
Catholicism is often accused of being rigid or overly hierarchical, but perhaps one of its deeper, more insidious issues is not rigidity, but passivity. A crisis of discernment is unfolding, and it is marked not by heresy or rebellion, but by excessive deference. A sort of spiritual outsourcing of one’s conscience.
Let me tell you a story. A friend of mine, deeply pious, holds a master’s degree, is active in church ministries, and even instructs altar servers. In her home lies an odd image of St Anthony that includes elements of sacred geometry and mysterious symbols. When asked about its meaning, she replied it was believed to bring luck when placed at the threshold. When I gently suggested it might lean more towards superstition than devotion, she didn’t argue. Instead, she said she’d check with a particular priest.
Here is an intelligent, devout woman with years of catechetical service, and yet the reflex wasn’t to reflect critically, or even to converse deeply. The impulse was clerical confirmation.
The Systemic Failure of Faith Formation
This is not an indictment of my friend, nor of any one priest, but of a wider system.
The passivity of many lay Catholics isn’t accidental; it is a feature of how the Church has historically formed its people. For centuries, Catholic identity has been shaped by a culture of deference to clerical authority. This deference, once perhaps necessary to preserve orthodoxy in pre-literate or hostile societies, now often functions as a barrier to spiritual maturity and critical engagement.
A major failing lies in the Church’s ongoing neglect to empower laypeople with real theological tools. Catechesis too often ends at Confirmation, and adult formation is scarce, shallow, or moralistic. Instead of training Catholics to discern and reason through the lens of Scripture and tradition, many are simply taught to “believe what the Church teaches” without ever being equipped to understand or question it.
The Consequences of That Failure
The outdated model of “pray, pay, and obey” has lingered well into the 21st century. The laity are expected to pray faithfully, contribute financially, and obey whatever comes from the pulpit or chancery, often with minimal dialogue or accountability. In such an ecosystem, it is no wonder that even educated, active Catholics defer instinctively to priests on matters they could resolve through thoughtful Scriptural reflection.
It’s easy to see the impact:
- Adults who are hesitant to interpret Scripture for themselves.
- Parents outsourcing moral questions to confessors.
- Women—powerful, educated women—still wondering if it’s appropriate and permissible to serve at the altar during menstruation, because they were told once upon a time that their bodies were impure.
Discernment Over Dependency and Deference
Deference to priests isn’t duty or humility but spiritual infantilisation. An approach that breeds pious compliance while discouraging theological imagination or moral courage.
Jesus didn’t say “Ask the Pharisees what to think.” He said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength” (Mark 12:30-31). He didn’t say “Call the rabbis to interpret everything for you.” He said, “The Holy Spirit will teach you all things” (John 14:26).
The Church needs more people who believe, understand, and embody Christ’s message. Believers who don’t just parrot doctrine but wrestle with its implications in their lives.
The Role of Clergy and the Responsibility of Laity
Of course, priests can be wonderful spiritual guides and companions if they choose to be. But when the sheep are never encouraged to walk on their own, you don’t have a healthy flock; you have a dependency model. Lay Catholics must be taught not merely what the Church teaches, but how to engage critically and prayerfully with the Bible itself. It is Scripture, not superstition or unchecked institutional authority, that must form the foundation of Christian life.
Scripture Calls Us to Engage
The problem with this passive model is that it has no basis in Scripture. The Bible is full of men and women who question, challenge and wrestle with God:
- Mary, in the Annunciation, asks how her conception will be possible.
- Martha confronts Jesus over her brother’s death.
- The Syrophoenician woman dares to argue with Jesus (and He listens).
Jesus never asked for blind obedience.
- He called His disciples to follow Him, not as servants who know nothing of their master’s business, but as friends.
- He taught through parables that demand reflection.
- He praised those who sought understanding.
- When people asked tough questions, He didn’t dismiss them; He welcomed their engagement.
He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that I am?”, and more importantly, “But who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:13-20) This wasn’t for His information. It was a deliberate invitation to articulate faith. When Peter responded rightly, Jesus praised him for receiving divine inspiration. Likewise, Jesus praised the Roman centurion for his understanding of authority and faith, saying, “I have not found such great faith in Israel” (Matthew 8:10).
The early Church, as described in Acts, functioned not as a dictatorship but a discernment community. They debated, prayed, disagreed, and sought the guidance of the Holy Spirit together. They trusted in the risen Christ, not in those who wore robes and bore titles.
Faith Must Grow and Grow Up
True maturity in the faith means being able to hold the tension between devotion and discernment. It means engaging with Scripture and Church teaching consciously, rather than deferring out of fear.
We don’t need more people asking what to believe. We need more people who are equipped and encouraged to ask better questions. Belief alone is not enough. What’s needed is a culture of critical engagement, where faith is not passive assent but an active, discerning pursuit of what is good and true.
Catholicism needs less superstition and more Scripture. Less outsourcing and more ownership. Less passive piety and more prophetic courage.
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