Disaffected Catholics: Leave, or Stay?
NEW YORK TIMES
To the Editor:
Re “The Rottweiler’s Rottweiler” (column, June 18):
It seems to me that both Bill Keller and Bill Donohue, the president of
the Catholic League, misunderstand the catholicity of the Catholic
Church. Mr. Keller’s advice to disaffected Catholics, including priests,
nuns and vowed religious, to “summon your fortitude” and leave allows
no room for reconciliation, reformation and peace within conflict that
is central to Christian social life.
Christian community is not a social contract like those of liberal
democracies; it is a covenant that seeks to give witness to God’s
unconditional love for humanity through the bonds of community. Leaving,
as Mr. Keller suggests, may serve our consumerist attitudes well, but
it does little to improve community; it only weakens community.
Mr. Donohue makes a similar misreading of Catholic catholicity by
seemingly insisting on ideological purity. This is a dangerous desire
that has plagued Christianity since the fourth and fifth centuries.
There is no such thing as an ideologically pure church, and frequently
such perceptions have led to serious abuses of power.
Disaffection and ideological dispute among Catholics are a pastoral
issue that should be approached within particular religious communities,
parishes and lay groups with their pastoral and ministerial leadership.
It is a chance for reconciliation and understanding.
MARC LAVALLEE
Arlington, Mass., June 18, 2012
Arlington, Mass., June 18, 2012
The writer is a Ph.D. candidate in practical theology at Boston University.
To the Editor:
Bill Keller has it essentially correct. Catholics need to understand
that the church fostered by Pope John XXIII is surely dead. It’s past
time they let go.
Abandoned and betrayed by their shepherds, Catholics will struggle to keep faith alive for future generations.
Mr. Keller cites one of the many communities beginning to spring up,
giving hope and solace to Catholics as they wander in their modern-day
spiritual desert.
As my sainted sixth-grade teacher, Sister Mary Adelaide, reminded us
after our daily reading from the documents of Vatican II, “Christianity
is not for sissies.”
JAMES JENKINS
Kensington, Calif., June 18, 2012
Kensington, Calif., June 18, 2012
To the Editor:
The predominant religious movement of the era is fundamentalism, the
literal misreading of sacred texts and traditions that motivates
world-changing political activism at the expense of rich and complex
traditions.
It started in early 20th-century America among Protestant dissidents who
rejected advanced biblical criticism in the mainline churches. A
century later, versions of fundamentalism afflict nearly all the major
world religions from India to the Vatican.
Catholicism has a distinguished spiritual tradition of cultural
openness, while fundamentalism is driven by intolerant exclusivity.
Rottweiler politics is destroying Catholicism. As a Catholic woman, I
call on the Catholic sisterhood, lay and religious, to stay, speak and
reclaim Catholicism.
JEAN E. ROSENFELD
Pacific Palisades, Calif., June 18, 2012
Pacific Palisades, Calif., June 18, 2012
The writer is a retired historian of religions.
To the Editor:
The behavior of the Roman Catholic hierarchy disappoints me on so many
fronts that it would be difficult even to begin cataloging those
disappointments. How many times have I contemplated joining the
Episcopal Church? More times than I can count.
Why do I stay? Because my own parish, with its engaged pastor, deacon
and staff members, vibrant liturgy and forward-leaning membership, is a
comfortable home that embraces each one of us in times of joy and sorrow
and provides an atmosphere for real spiritual growth.
I suspect that many Catholics, including a lot of the nuns who are being
hounded at the moment, stay for the same reason I do, and I would
suggest to those who are on the verge of leaving that they should shop
around first. There are welcoming and joyful Catholic communities just
waiting for you to join. I know. I belong to one.
MARION EAGENClarks Green, Pa., June 18, 2012
Printer-friendly version
PDF versionShould I stay or should I go?
by Heidi Schlumpf on Jun. 18, 2012 Usually it takes a cute picture of my two children for a Facebook post to warrant dozens of "likes." But a quick note about my experience at Mass yesterday is getting so much positive reaction from online friends that it may rival that adorable Easter photo of my daughter in her Easter bonnet.All I did was mention that our parish had a dad give a "reflection" after our priest's homily for Father's Day--and that not only was he an adoptive parent, but also a gay man.
"Awesome!" wrote one commenter. "Uplifting," said another, who instead got a disciplinary speech at her parish.
I have to be honest: Although I was definitely inspired by this man's words, I also didn't initially see it as that big of a big deal. Our parish has many gay and lesbian members and families, so it's not out of the ordinary to see them participating in all aspects of parish life.
But the reaction from other Catholic friends, who saw this as such a visible sign of hope during a time of such hopelessness in our church, has given me pause.
In times like this, when parishes are trying to rally parishioners to fight marriage equality bills or "religious liberty" over a women's health issue, my parish's decision to invite this man to speak from the pulpit takes extraordinary courage.
And it challenges the attitude of New York Times op-ed columnist Bill Keller, who says liberal Catholics should throw in the towel and admit defeat:
But, thanks to my pastor and pastoral team who made this decision, a courageous father who shared his story, and my Facebook friends who reminded me that this is a sign of hope, I will hang on. At least for now.
No comments:
Post a Comment