The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Scottish book of the week
For 50 years a Roman Catholic priest, in Glasgow, Bangladesh and elsewhere, Willy Slavin has written a fascinating account of his ministry, which focused throughout on social justice and caring for the poor, in and out of the Church.
A faithful Roman Catholic at all times, Slavin nevertheless does not stint on outspoken criticism when he feels the Church is not moving with the times, or fulfilling its central pastoral ministry: “The Church is seen as encased instead in doctrine and ritual. Once upon a time it took part in initiatives that made a difference to people’s lives.”
Trained as a psychologist, Slavin successfully marries his religious and secular skills, as a parish priest, but also leading organisations such as Justice and Peace and the Scottish Drugs Forum, with half of his time spent in prison work and as a hospital chaplain.
His memoir is told through the filter of the three vows made by Catholic priests when they are ordained, namely Obedience, Poverty and Celibacy. Each of the three parts cover roughly the same events, but the nuance in each case is different, providing ever deeper insights into the writer’s philosophy and empathetic life’s plan.
His memory of events and people is prodigious, happenings from decades ago are reproduced in detail and never ring less than true. He guides his reader through all the major developments in the Roman Catholic Church over five decades, juxtaposed with national Scottish and also international events.
Despite the weight and complexity of the concepts he expresses, Slavin’s writing remains clear and accessible, well-seasoned with a wry humour. He emerges as a man and a priest of extraordinary stature, who counsels his readers to embrace the freedom we receive as we lose the things, material and physical, which have defined much of our existence; the freedom to reflect on our lives and find true contentment.
Now a “person living with cancer”, Father Slavin leaves his readers with his central philosophy: “At the end of the day, it all has to be how we were loved and how we loved others. This must include a particular concern for others, especially the stranger.
In other words, a sense of charity that amounts to real compassion, a willingness to suffer alongside others. It is a special kind of life of its own, uniting the person tangibly to a higher plane of contemplation.” 8/10