Closure of Department for Pastoral Formation - Portsmouth

[JW]

Portsmouth Diocese have announced the closure of their Department for Pastoral Formation, with several jobs redundant, including that of Paul Inwood.

http://www.portsmouthdiocese.org.uk/docs/Review-Announcement-210213.pdf

This is a result of a review into the governance of the Diocese and driven mainly by financial constraints.

The report states that

The expectation is that responsibility for the development of music and liturgy will pass to members of the clergy across the diocese, coordinated by the Department for Vocation.

Personally, I have long admired the quality of musical oversight within Portsmouth Diocese and it is sad that they can no longer afford to provide this level of oversight.

There is also the question of what are the circumstances when it is acceptable to make people redundant. From Caritas in Veritate, paragraph 25:

Being out of work or dependent on public or private assistance for a prolonged period undermines the freedom and creativity of the person and his family and social relationships, causing great psychological and spiritual suffering. I would like to remind everyone, especially governments engaged in boosting the world's economic and social assets, that the primary capital to be safeguarded and valued is man, the human person in his or her integrity: “Man is the source, the focus and the aim of all economic and social life

Nevertheless, many of us find that redundancy has enabled us to make progress in our lives, and this will, hopefully, be the experience of those at Portsmouth.

[Hare]

Sad and depressing for all concerned. And another kick in the teeth for music in the liturgy.

[alan29]

Hmmmm.
Department for Vocation ..... now would that be vocation in general, or only clerical vocations? It would seem to be replacing a layman with a very obvious vocation for what he does, with what exactly?
A sad day.

[HallamPhil]

It is not just Paul Inwood affected by this. The highly regarded Nicky Stevens is among other staff involved.

[mcb]

The report states that

The expectation is that responsibility for the development of music and liturgy will pass to members of the clergy across the diocese, coordinated by the Department for Vocation.

This is risible. Anyone who has ever been involved in liturgical and musical formation knows that it is generally the clergy who are most in need of help. They have responsibility for these things but in general act as though they are powerless, because they don't know enough about it. I wonder how Portsmouth diocese plans to solve that?

The review in Portsmouth had as one of its aims:

to have a governing structure which better reflects the bishop’s three roles as priest, prophet and king

If you look up priest, prophet and king in the Catechism, this is what you find:

the faithful, who by Baptism are incorporated into Christ and integrated into the People of God, are made sharers in their particular way in the priestly, prophetic, and kingly office of Christ (897)

Should we be disturbed that the document assigns this office to the bishop, but doesn't mention, say, the spirit of service, which the Catechism (894) does state to be proper to the bishop?

[Hare]

This matter is also being "discussed" here http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/organists/

[alan29]

The report states that

The expectation is that responsibility for the development of music and liturgy will pass to members of the clergy across the diocese, coordinated by the Department for Vocation.

This is risible. Anyone who has ever been involved in liturgical and musical formation knows that it is generally the clergy who are most in need of help. They have responsibility for these things but in general act as though they are powerless, because they don't know enough about it. I wonder how Portsmouth diocese plans to solve that?

The review in Portsmouth had as one of its aims:

to have a governing structure which better reflects the bishop’s three roles as priest, prophet and king

If you look up priest, prophet and king in the Catechism, this is what you find:

the faithful, who by Baptism are incorporated into Christ and integrated into the People of God, are made sharers in their particular way in the priestly, prophetic, and kingly office of Christ (897)

Should we be disturbed that the document assigns this office to the bishop, but doesn't mention, say, the spirit of service, which the Catechism (894) does state to be proper to the bishop?

its all a part of particular view of vocation that confines it to those in orders or the religious life, to the obvious exclusion of lay vocations. I find the whole thing bizarre.

[Southern Comfort]

This matter is also being "discussed" here http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/organists/

I note that a robust series of responses has recently been appended to the thread in question.

[alan29]

After so many years associated with liturgical music, you would think I would be hardened to the kind of vile abuse that some consider to be appropriate discourse among those in the church. But some of the posts on that thread have made me wince and shake my head in sorrow.

[Hare]

This matter is also being "discussed" here http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/organists/

I note that a robust series of responses has recently been appended to the thread in question.

Indeed - and I think that one of the conributors (a "protester" - not AHON thank goodness!) is a member of this forum....

[Hare]

This matter is also being "discussed" here http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/organists/

I note that a robust series of responses has recently been appended to the thread in question.

Indeed - and I think that one of the conributors (a "protester" - not AHON thank goodness!) is a member of this forum....

And still it goes on...........!

[musicus]

And still it goes on...........!

No surprises there then.

More productive, I suggest, would be for us here to consider the issues underlying the Portsmouth closure. It does seem to smack of "Father knows best (and the laity should know their place)" - and I write this having read the Portsmouth report in full.

[SOP]

This is not good news and I am sorry Paul has lost his job. Only know him from the Summer Schools but I wish him well for the future and have no doubts whatsoever we will hear more from him.

Unfortunately I read the link in one of the threads above and found it very, very sad. That is not my idea of Christianity and in many ways I wish it had not been posted on here.

[musicus]

Agreed; which is why I suggest (again) that any discussion would be more usefully focused on the topic.

[SOP]

I know at least one lay person in my diocese has been made redundant, not recently but in the last few years, and his jobs has been taken on by a priest. It puzzles me as there is supposedly a shortage of vocations to the priesthood and we should be doing more to help but then one of these oh precious priests is brought in to replace a lay person. Obviously it will not be a direct replacement as that would be illegal - either the job is redundant or it isn't - but it is a puzzle. Perhaps there are different employment rules and officially the priest is not paid a salary?

There again, I am not involved in any way and do not know all the ins and outs of the situation so perhaps there is more to it than I know.