patent
by Eric Convey
Saturday, July 20, 2002
Nearly 5,000 lay Catholics assembling in Boston to launch a bid to democratize the church began their campaign yesterday by releasing a letter of support from academic theologians.
Some 60 professors or advanced students signed the petition backing the effort by Voice of the Faithful, the group that began in a Wellesley church basement six months ago and is drawing attendees from 30 states and several countries to today's conference.
``As Catholic theologians, we support the rights and responsibilities of lay Catholics . . . to gather in the spirit of Christ, who dwells within the whole church,'' the petition states.
The endorsement includes references to Vatican II documents that appear to suggest an active role for lay people.
The Archdiocese of Boston declined comment yesterday on the Voice of the Faithful event. On two previous occasions, a bishop met with the group's leaders to discuss its relationship to archdiocesan officials.
While stopping short of calling for Bernard Cardinal Law's resignation, Voice of the Faithful leaders have been highly critical of his handling of the sex abuse scandal. The group's slogan is: ``Keep the faith; change the church.''
Largely by exercising financial muscle, the group hopes to force the church hierarchy into including lay people more in decision-making.
The activists also want bishops held ``accountable'' to their flocks, spokesman Michael Emerton said at a Faneuil Hall news conference yesterday.
Emerton described today's meeting as ``the beginning of a constitutional process.''
``We are coming together to build a new church where the laity assumes a rightful role in its governance,'' he said.
The potentially confrontational stance toward church hierarchy has led some conservative Catholics to question Voice of the Faithful's motives. The critics' argument is essentially that Catholics should willingly accept guidance from the bishops who are appointed to oversee local flocks. They say that otherwise, they might as well become Protestants.
Many of the theologians who signed the petition in support of the Voice of the Faithful are known for what are essentially liberal positions on church governance.
Organizers such as Mary Scanlon Calcatera, a Wellesley resident, are undeterred by criticism.
``We're moving beyond words and we're getting down to work,'' she said.
Groups representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse will play an active role in today's daylong conference. Leaders of several national organizations praised Voice of the Faithful yesterday for reaching out to victims.
``We think this is an historic weekend, not just for the Catholic laity but for the Catholic Church,'' said Mark Serrano, a New Jersey resident and board member of the Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests, or SNAP.
Barbara Blaine, who founded SNAP, clutched a picture of herself taken when she was 12 - the same time during which she said she was molested by a parish priest. ``Thank you so much for coming together to support victims,'' she said.
Today's events will also include the presentation of an award to the Rev. Thomas Doyle, who is being singled out as a ``Priest of Integrity'' for his work to combat clergy sex abuse. He co-authored a 1985 church report on the problem that was eventually tabled but in hindsight appears almost prophetic.
Doyle yesterday credited the media with helping bring the problem to light.
Singling out the Herald, The Boston Globe and a Louisiana newspaper for praise, he said: ``We would not be standing here today because this cancer would still be hidden.''
In a reversal, some tickets to today's event are expected to be available this morning at the door of the Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center in the Back Bay.
patent
This is the sort of thing that brings me to tears but also strengthens me to resist such anti-Catholic "Catholics".
Reform doctrine through trickery like this? It won't happen. In fact, they will be called to account for these secular acts when they die.
This is just tragic and terribly sad.
Homosexual Supect Said By SkyPilot Need Good Grammar
One of the men (who seemed to be there just because he had to have a Catholic wedding, not that he cared too much about Catholicism and the Church), seized on this statement and asked, pointedly: "Oh, so it just represents the ideal, right?"
The unspoken meaning of his words were clear: "Oh, if it's only the ideal, I guess I don't have to worry about it after all ..."
I believe that was tried about 500 years ago. In fact, isn't that what the Episcopal Church is for? (A good place for these folks, now that I think of it.)
LOLOLOLOLOL!!!!! Snort! LOL! Oh, my gosh! Help me up, somebody!
since they are expecting 250,000 young people to attend, that means that this group obviously expects 4% of the attendees will not follow the church's teachings.
Guess they are ignoring the fact that 240,000 young people who follow the church's teachings are the wave of the future....
