The “sieve” priest

“The priest of the stars”: that’s how the British tabloids have dubbed Father Michael Seed in recent days, splashing his photo on the front page. But he forcefully rejects any such title. So, the humble Franciscan, adviser for ecumenism of Catholic Primate Murphy-O’Connor and spiritual director of famous Anglicans who have converted to Rome, the Duchess of Kent, first cousin of the Queen, and the Tory Ministers Ann Widdecombe and John Gummer, has had to endure another spate of publicity. This time the news is that Father Seed has for some time been celebrating Mass for the Blair family (Cherie Blair and her children are practising Catholics) and that Tony Blair could become a Catholic once he abandons power. The Prime Minister, according to reports in the British press, is said to have “entrusted” his spiritual life to this very likeable Franciscan friar, with an innocent eye, and with unlimited willingness to meet those who turn to him, whether they be important politicians, poor homeless people or journalists. Born to an unmarried girl in Manchester in 1957, the infant Michael was entrusted to foster parents, but had the misfortune to lose both his new parents soon. Dyslexic and lonely, educated in a school for problem children, he never held down a proper job. From the Salvation Army he passed to the Church of England, then to the Baptists, before finally ending up a convert to Catholicism, where he entered the order of the Friars of the Redemption. Ordained in the USA, he was a hospital and prison chaplain before becoming an adviser for ecumenism for the Catholic Primate Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor, at the time the decision of the Church of England to ordain women priests led to many Anglicans defecting to Rome. SirEurope interviewed him. Father Seed, you’ve been described, also recently, as the priest of celebrities. Do you see yourself in this definition? “I don’t like it at all and yet can’t get rid of it. It’s curious that I, who am adviser for ecumenism of the Catholic Primate Murphy-O’Connor and hence ought to try to understand Anglicans and help bring them closer to Catholics, should be presented as the one who converts them. I also find it very painful to find myself on the front pages of all the papers as the priest of the stars. I don’t like it at all. Unfortunately there’s little I can do about it. I certainly don’t go out of my way to seek these celebrities. It’s they who come to me and I am certainly on my guard about convincing them to become Catholics because I don’t think we have any monopoly of God, even though the position of the Catholic Church is unique because it was given to us by Christ himself. There’s no triumphalism in all this”. What do you think about characters like the Duchess of Kent or the former minister John Gummer being in the Catholic Church? “The Catholic Church was founded on Christ and on unity, a Church that embraces everyone so that everyone may believe what is written in the Gospel and that, like Christ, so too the Pope is responsible for the whole Church and the whole world, and that’s the reason why some Anglicans become Catholics, to be in communion with the heart of Christ. Unfortunately, I have to say that becoming Catholic, in this country where the faith of Rome reacquired the right of citizenship only in the early 19th century is still considered a subversive action, especially if performed by those who form part of the ruling elite”. Do you mean there still exist prejudices against Catholics? “I think that there’s still the idea that the Catholic Church is a secret organization, inhabited by very powerful individuals; in essence this is also the idea of the Da Vinci Code. It’s a point of view that is unfortunately still widespread. Time is needed for people to change their ideas and ways of thinking”. At what point is ecumenical dialogue in the UK? “If I may use a football metaphor, I think we have widened the goal posts too much and it has become too easy to score goals. We have difficulty in affirming the truth and therefore being ecumenical has become too easy and too laidback; it’s an easy way of congratulating ourselves and others. Understanding properly the significance of the role of the Pope is very important and following what the Pope says is essential. Ordaining women priests, for example, would be the source of enormous disunity. Of course, it is possible not to be in agreement with some positions of the Church, but there’s a difference between healthy criticism, which seeks unity in any case, and an unhealthy dissent that leads to schism”. How would you describe your ministry? “As madness and chaos because I end up letting myself be involved by so many different things and meeting people of all kinds. I consider myself a sieve through which pass conservatives and liberals and politicians of every kind, whom I try to bring closer to Christ”. What are your relations with Tony Blair? “I am very happy to be able to help, as far as I can, the Blair family. I consider celebrating Mass for them a small contribution to their life. I have a high opinion of the Prime Minister and of his wife and that’s something I’ll always have. I try to help them as well as I can, as I would do with anyone”.