The Saviour Syndrome in Religious Priests and Leaders

The Parish Priests, Priest Principals, the Religious superiors want to save situation and take the chance to save so for the sake of Christ, Church or the Saint whose charism they propagate. But this saving takes place within a narrow door, protected by rules and norms that are meant to break. It is not unjustified that this saving is done according to the spirit of the law laid down by the Church authority or the institutions. Often so, the relationship between the Office holder and the under-charged are not that friendly. Avoidance is a common answer, therefore, they have lesser friends in the course of time, instead have hostile reaction.

In the closed-up living within a limited community setting, the members grow up with little beyond their own company. That is how the attitudes are developed. The silent or semi-silent hate and hostility goes on nurturing within unnoticed though. For the saviours that we are talking about, it is the feeling that a legacy of leadership has been handed down to others. In this inhuman state of functioning they try to prevent things getting worse. In the meanwhile, implicit criticism pulls down the good effort of saving the situation. This repetition goes on, as imbibed from generation to the next, to keep the candle burning. This is understandable that this happens in continuity with little achievements. The real question is whether too much of admonition or preaching will save the occasion.

One needs to be first among the equals and encourage others to be so. It is easy to understand, therefore, that the organizations in which they belong are moribund; they are born losers, trying to win always. That’s why they go out to save the Church or the Society and not the soul! Neither can we say that they do so out of family spirit, though assumes to be. Does this saving tactic work? This strategy does not work, it becomes a group of sycophants. In the long run the submissive members get a nauseating feeling because of their coddling. What we need is leaders equal to the rest, who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way as equals. Otherwise this stupidity will not have an end.