Generous Catholics

The Reverend John Chafy by Gainsborough (c.1750)

“I was asked,” continued Angus Lordie, “to paint a portrait of a Reverend Hector NacNichol, who happens to be the Moderator of the Wee Free Reformed Presbyterian Church (Discontinued).

I had set up a large canvas, you’ll understand – I normally paint portraits on a generous scale. But now, as I looked at this tiny, crabbit man, sitting there in his clerical black suit and staring at me with a sort of threatening disapproval, I found that I sketched in a tiny portrait, three inches square, right in the middle of the big canvas. This just seemed the right thing to do. He was a small-minded man, in my view, and it seemed utterly appropriate to do a small portrait of him.”

I recently read this lovely story, from Alexander McCall Smith’s 44 Scotland Street. It made me ask myself whether Angus Lordie would paint my portrait on a generous or on a tiny scale. I know which I’d like, but that may not be how the artist sees!

 The story came to mind when I was asked a few weeks ago what SCP stood for.  As I thought about this it made me wonder if SCP were to be painted how expansive would the painting be? 

What does SCP stand for? Sometimes I’m told SCP isn’t sufficiently ‘Catholic.’ Others say it is too ‘Catholic.’ Some maintain SCP is not a campaigning society, others say it should be much more outspoken and challenging. Some say SCP should openly support equal marriage, others say it shouldn’t…

Of course, this has been a feature of Anglo Catholicism in history. The merits of Ritual Notes have been proclaimed in opposition to The Parson’s Handbook. Some Anglo Catholics have been ultra conservative while others have been radically left wing, and so on. With this at times has come a  refusal to accept that a viewpoint may be wrong, and some have been quick to criticise others. I am sure most of us have encountered Hector MacNichol in catholic dress.

SCP is a broad, inclusive society of priests, and that is its tradition and it is a strength, not a weakness. There will be differences of opinion and outlook, and we will try to be open to them. The focus of our unity is the sacraments, the importance of spirituality and prayer, and our calling and mutual support of one another as priests in SCP. 

‘Broad’ sometimes seems a weak term, lacking in focus. However, it can also mean broad, not small, minded. It can mean welcoming and delighting in breadth of opinion and outlook.  Perhaps a better term is that used by Angus Lordie – generous. A hope I have is that SCP will never be a ‘tiny... crabbit’ society, after the example of the Reverend Hector MacNichol. But rather that SCP is composed of welcoming, inviting and generous priests who are committed to care for one another with kindness, and yet are open to challenge and able to celebrate difference. I like to think SCP makes a stand for such a kind and generous catholicity – on a large colourful canvas.

Ian Gomersall

Provincial Rector.