Posted on 03/15/2005 11:27:35 AM PST by corpus
The laity must get more involved in the governance and operations of the Catholic Church, leading theologian says
The Roman Catholic Church is at a critical juncture, one that requires radical and fast-moving reform, according to an American theologian.
"I think we have 20 years and then we've lost everybody," said Paul F. Lakeland, who was interviewed by phone from Fairfield University in Connecticut, where he is professor of Catholic Studies.
On Thursday, Lakeland brought his message to Buffalo for the conference "The Liberation of the Laity," also the title of his book, named by the National Catholic Press Association as the best theology book of 2004.
Held at Christ the King Seminary, the event was co-sponsored by the Diocesan Office of Church Ministry. "This is the first time I've come to this kind of assembly since I've been in Buffalo," said Bishop Edward Kmiec, who welcomed the 183 participants representing staff and volunteers from around the diocese. "I want to affirm you in your ministry. You have something you love and you want to share it."
Before he left, Kmiec added: "I wish I could go around and shake hands with all of you ... but I have to go to work."
Lakeland said this was the first time he'd spoken at the invitation of a diocese. "I hope it won't be my last," he added.
For too long, Lakeland said, the laity has been treated as if it's the "apostolate of the second string. Then when the starting team gets tired, the coach turns to the bench and says, "Get out there and do the best you can.'"
But the laity and the church deserve better treatment than that, Lakeland suggests, theologically based on their membership in the church, which begins with Baptism.
The main problem affecting the contemporary church, Lakeland said, is that it operates out of a structure of oppression. "One thing that's clear is that the laity has no official role in leadership or governance," Lakeland said. "I'm not saying that the bishops are running around and hitting people over the head, but people are kept in infantilized positions.
"It's different than it was at the end of the 18th century when the dominant structure of the American church was lay trusteeship where parishes were owned and managed by a corporation of lay people, but we got away from that because Rome got nervous when they fired pastors," he said.
Lakeland said he doesn't want to pit people against each other or say that there are "bad people and good people," but he wants to see the church structure revamped and revitalized.
"There isn't a place to even have civil discourse," said Lakeland. "You can have as many good ideas as you like, but if you can't get through the system, you'll have little impact."
For starters, he suggests that the laity become conversant with church history to learn how the institution operated in the past. For example: clergy were once allowed to marry; members once owned and ran parishes; communities of faith helped select their bishop, who remained with them.
"It's not that we can pluck things from the third century and say that they'll work now," said Lakeland, "but at least we can know that some of these things have been done and they aren't against the nature of the church. It's very freeing to have that kind of information."
Lakeland said that the laity can be the "teachers of accountability," adding that the system of having a lone priest living in a rectory and being accountable only to himself can too easily give rise to such abuse, to alcoholism and to other problems.
Lakeland alleges that had the laity been more vocal and held the clergy accountable - "to at least live up to the demands of secular society" - the sexual abuse scandal could have been considerably lessened.
But for too long: "It was as if the laity had been put in a lock box in the theology room with a note: "not needed for the voyage,' " he said.
That has left the church with members who haven't acted as adults. "We are children of the Lord," said Lakeland, "not children of the Bishops.
"Becoming adult is a major theme. Adults, in the end, have to make their own decisions. They pay serious attention to the church, give the church benefit of the doubt, but in the end they go where they go."
"If we can't present younger members with a church that allows them to be adults, then they won't come trotting back," he said.
Lakeland offered suggestions for ways in which laity could become more involved: a periodic performance review of clergy and bishops; learning church history; integrating seminarians into the life of parishes; expressing their opinions to their pastors; participating in the selection of pastors and bishops; supporting colleges, universities and other places where a free exchange of ideas is allowed; giving preferential treatment to women in responsible roles within the church; open meetings by the National Council of Bishops.
One encouraging change Lakeland sees is the 45,000 lay ecclesial ministers (pastoral ministers and directors of religious education, for example) who have taken on roles once reserved for priests.
"Parish clergy understand the need for more lay involvement and the bishops may understand it, but they are more close-mouthed about any structural changes," Lakeland said. "It's tough to get bishops to open up on these issues because they tend to look over their shoulders to Rome. And even if they think "maybe,' they say "no.'"
In Lakeland's view, it's an unstoppable process that married men will become priests, as some already have done by joining from other denominations. "It's only a few," Lakeland said, "but it's evidence that the church thinks it's perfectly possible."
The second group to be re-admitted, he believes, will be priests who resigned. "Many would be more than willing to return to the ranks and that would be a short term solution to the shortage, but Rome is unlikely to do that quickly because they think of them as abandoning that which should not be abandoned."
Lakeland said that a majority of church-going Catholics approve the ordination of women. "So, you can draw your own conclusions," he said. "Either the pope isn't teaching properly or is not teaching the proper thing."
Lakeland said that lay involvement is not a panacea for all the problems confronting today's church, but he thinks that the laity is poised and prepared to take a much more responsible role.
"Protestant churches do lay involvement much better," he said. "My Protestant friends tell me horror stories and say they hope we know what we're getting into. But I say it's better to have the problems of adults than the problems of children.
"What's central to the church isn't the structure - it's that the church should be a community of equals," he said. "And I don't think there will be any significant change unless ordinary people make changes right in their own parishes."
"I think we have 20 years and then we've lost everybody," said Paul F. Lakeland, who was interviewed by phone from Fairfield University in Connecticut, where he is professor of Catholic Studies.
Well, first of all, how can that be when we’re all told, the numbers tell the whole story? Look at the numbers, baby, look at the numbers!!! How are you going to lose 1 billion people, Poindexter?
Secondly, it sounds to me like it’s time for Vatican III. Kasper can head the whole thing up, taking much of his lead from my bishop, Matthew Clark, and Schiavo’s bishop. Throw Pilla in for good rainbow sash-y measure.
If we’re going to have female priests, let’s be done with it. If homosexuality is going to be raised to parity with heterosexuality, let’s be done with it. If abortion and euthanasia are going to be relegated to that big morass of ‘grave sin’, which may or may not be mortal, let’s have at it.
Thanks for the ping Pyro and huge, full-throttle repudiation bump, for my part.
I, for one, am never comfortable with such men preaching their "theology". St. Pius X said the most dangerous Modernists are those that are in the church: (Pascendi)
"Through pride the Modernists overestimate themselves. . . . We are not like other men . . . they reject all submission to authority . . . they pose as reformers."
3. "...Hence, the danger is present almost in the very veins and heart of the Church, whose injury is the more certain from the very fact that their [the Modernists] knowledge of her is more intimate. Moreover, they lay the ax not to the branches and shoots, but to the very root, that is, to the faith and its deepest fibers. And once having struck at this root of immortality, they proceed to diffuse poison through the whole tree..."
50. "It is also the duty of the Bishops to prevent writings of Modernists, or whatever savors of Modernism or promotes it, from being read when they have been published, and to hinder their publication when they have not. No books or papers or periodicals whatever of this kind are to be permitted to seminarists or university students. The injury to them would be not less than that which is caused by immoral reading-- nay, it would be greater, for such writings poison Christian life at its very fount. The same decision is to be taken concerning the writings of some Catholics, who, though not evilly disposed themselves, are ill-instructed in theological studies and imbued with modern philosophy, and strive to make this harmonize with the faith, and, as they say, to turn it to the profit of the faith. The name and reputation of these authors cause them to read without suspicion, and they are, therefore, all the more dangerous in gradually preparing the way for Modernism."
Believe me, I agree. I'm just saying these perfidious morons have also sown the seeds of their own destruction. They're headed the way of the Arians et al.
"Where's the need to be a Bibleist, and seek truth through the only form of TRUTH."
So much error in your post, but I'll start here: Where do you think the Bible comes from? Who decided it was truth? What on earth is a "Bibleist"?
P.S.
I thought the Catholic Church had bought up all the "Trail of Blood" books and burned them?
By the way those 144,000 elect who never knew women Saint John spoke about in Revelations; the priesthood. Sorry to tell you that but there it is.
I did a Google search on that "Trail of Blood" book. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. The link went to an "Independent" Baptist church, and was full of the typical rants against the Catholic Church.
"The bible comes from the inspired word of god through "HIS CHOSEN" disciples."
Where does it say this in the Holy Bible? "HIS CHOSEN" did not have the Holy Bible. Nor did Christians for centuries until the Holy Bible was completed as a single book - how did they know they were following Christ's or the Holy Bible's teachings?
And don't believe all the mean stuff you hear... Jack T. Chick really does love Catholics.
Have you ever read the bible? That was just the most asinine question yet.
Then why oh why, do Catholics feel the need to speak to a Priest to repent for their sins.
Try the Gospel of St. John, Ch. 20..."Receive the Holy Spirit: Whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven them: Whose sins you retain, they are retained."
That being said, this posting has now gone completely off subject thanks to you. Try starting another post of Catholic bashing instead of diverting this one. I for one don't appreciate the fact that you have single-handedly knocked the topic here off course.
LOL...Chick loves all.
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