Two “Fires” of Leadership: Is it Possible to Listen and Lead Parish Cultural Change?

Abstract

Pope Francis has claimed that “we are living through a change of epoch, the deepest level of which is cultural.” “A change of epoch” entails much change in Catholic parishes especially across the Western world. Change can be chosen or unchosen. Actively chosen change is explored in this paper. Examples include parishes self-consciously adapting to become more mission-focused or purposefully adopting more traditional liturgical styles. Drawing on empirical case studies of British parishes undertaken in the course of my doctoral research in 2017 and 2018, this paper explores two different styles of leadership using Pope Francis’s metaphor of two “fires.” While “powerful flame” stands for bold, visionary leadership, “charcoal fire” represents more mild and tender listening. I consider questions such as: What is the cultural impact on a community when listening is engaged in, and when it is not? How might listening impact a parish’s direction of travel if intentional change is pursued? And what limitations to change might a listening approach entail?