We're all familiar with the metaphor Jesus uses in today's Gospel (Mt 5: 13-16) in which Jesus compares His disciples to the "salt of the earth" and asks what can be done with salt that "loses its taste." In such a situation, Jesus says, the "salt" is good for nothing except to be thrown out and trampled under foot. I put the word "salt" in quotations because scientists tell us that salt itself cannot lose its taste. The situation to which jesus is referring is one where salt is found with other similar compounds, that look like salt but aren't, and the mixture is exposed to moisture. The salt itself will dissolve in the moisture, leaving behind compounds that look like salt but are something different, are not salty. The point, of course, is that something can cease to perform the function for which it was made or intended, even though it was originally quite valuable (as salt was in the ancient world), and in such a case the thing becomes worthless. That can happen even to disciples, Jesus seems to be saying, by using the metaphor in relation to them. I hear people these days asking the question of whethre the Church, at least as currently configured, has "lost its saltiness." James Carroll, whose book "Practicing Catholic" is in my bookshelf, is one of those, and he wrote a long and provocative article in The Atlantic recently saying that the cure for the current crisis of clericalism is to get rid of the priesthood, at least in its current form. I understand the criticisms. They are easy to state and even defend. But I have trouble with the solution people like Mr. Carroll propose. There are too many good priests, good bishops and good cardinals-- and a great pope-- to just throw the whole thing out. That kind of solution-- the throw the bums out alternative-- always looks good because there is no track record, so no problems are apparent. But just wait until you try it. It always seems to end badly (communism, the French Revolution, the Cultural Revolution all come to mind, but there is a long list of similar examples). I think the solution is a reform from within. I think the Holy Spirit is leading the Church to rebuild from the bottom up, with non-ordained people doing virtually-all the management of the place. Maybe that's why there are so few priests being called these days. Maybe their role is critical-- but limited-- and mostly the Church is a place where people very-much like those in the pews are in charge. I think we can have clerics (I include deacons in that category) who are truly servants, and who lead by example, not fiat. I think we can have bishops who don't think it is their place to live in luxury, or to order people around, or to flatter to wealthy to get money. People will vote with their feet until that happens. No one wants a Church filled with salt substitutes. We need the real thing.