What we've learned
By william p. leahy, sj
After more than a year of programs and
activities sponsored by the Church in the 21st Century initiative,
we have learned a great deal about the state of the Catholic
Church in the United States. The problem of sexual abuse by
priests and bishops--and its toleration at the highest
levels--has brought into public view issues that have
been simmering below the surface for many years. Among these
are the gap between Catholic teaching on sexuality and the
practices of many Catholics; the discontent among many priests
and laypeople, especially women, about their roles in the
Church; and a deep concern about how the faith is being handed
on to the next generation.
We have also learned that while people's
faith has remained strong, their confidence in the organization
and episcopal leadership of the Church has been weakened by
the crisis; that many individuals desire to help the Church
in this time of need, but they want to be asked, and to be
assured that their commitment and expertise will be incorporated
into the structures and decision-making processes in ways
that are more than symbolic. We've learned that our
Church lacks structures for effective communication and dialogue
among bishops, priests, and laymen and laywomen--structures
that could have helped address the crisis in its early stages
and that are essential for the renewal we seek and must have.
We've learned that, especially
within the younger generation, the crisis has increased the
tendency of many to make a distinction between their faith
in Christ and their commitment to the institutional Church.
We've learned too that faith and the commitment to social
justice among young adult Catholics remain strong--but
that, simultaneously, this generation's knowledge of
the basic teachings of Catholicism, and its commitment to
the Church as an institution, are far weaker than among previous
generations of Catholics. What's more, many Catholics
operate from an inadequate understanding of the Church's
history and development during the past 2,000 years. While
the fundamentals of our faith have not changed, the Church
over the centuries has adapted its structures and approaches
in response to new circumstances.
We learned that the tremendous moral
and social force that the Catholic Church represents in American
society, not only to the 65 million U.S. Catholics but to society in general,
hasbeen damaged, resulting in a muting of the Church's
voice on moral, ethical, and social questions, and in reduced financial
support for the good work done in Catholic parishes, schools,
hospitals, and social service agencies.
Another thing we've learned is
that there are strong disagreements about the causes and means
to resolution of the current crisis. Some insist that the
cause is a failure of leadership and misuse of power in an
increasingly dysfunctional organization out of touch with
its members. Others maintain that the problem stems from a
culture of dissent from official Church teachings. Those who
blame the leadership and cite structural problems hold that
the solution lies in reform of the organization--with
more transparency, greater accountability, and more attention
to equality of the baptized, whether bishops, priests, or
laity. On the other hand, those who trace our current difficulties
to dissent urge adherence to official Church teachings on
faith and morals, as well as increased emphasis on personal
holiness. We learned from listening to representatives of
both of these positions that neither is completely correct,
but that each contains an important element of truth and should
be considered.
The crisis, painful as it has been and
continues to be, provides an opportunity to stop and examine our Church, to
bring into the light and clearer focus the important issues
that face the Church at the beginning of this century--issues
that must be addressed if the Church in the United States
is to once again flourish.
Fr. Leahy is in his eighth year as
president of Boston College.
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