42 minute read
EDITORIAL
UP FRONT
GERARD MOLONEY CSsR
Advertisement
THE SLEEPWALKERS
Christopher Clarke's seminal work, The Sleepwalkers, tells how Europe went to war in 1914. The Cambridge history professor demonstrates how the statesmen of that time were "sleepwalkers, blind to the reality of the horror they were about to bring into the world." The preventable catastrophe cost 20 million lives, destroyed three empires, and planted the seeds for an even more destructive war a couple of decades later.
Today, as we survey the state of the church in Europe and the western world (and indeed the state of Christianity generally), it can seem as if we are also sleepwalking towards disaster.
We are well acquainted with the collapse in religious vocations and church attendance; we know about the greying of the priesthood, the closure of convents and monasteries, the amalgamation of parishes and dioceses, the heavy burdens placed on an exhausted clergy. We have felt the impact of rampant secularisation and a hostile press. We know the trends.
Actual statistics spell out just how bleak the situation is in Ireland and many other countries. The average age of diocesan priests is now over 70. Within a decade, few clergy will be under pensionable age. To plug gaps, priests will feel obliged to die with their boots on. The great religious orders of men and women are planning for a soonto-be-realised future where they will have to severely curtail their current ministries and close big houses. Winter is upon us.
None of these facts surprise us. The writing has been on the wall for quite a while. And even though we have prayed for vocations, and bishops have encouraged perpetual adoration in an attempt to get God to do something about vocations, it is evident that this strategy has failed. God isn't listening; God has decided that other solutions are required. And still, it has seemed as if those in leadership haven't been listening but are intent to keep on sleepwalking.
Many people will be sceptical, with some justification, that the synodal process currently underway will negotiate a path out of this crisis. They have lost faith in Romeled, men-only synods to achieve anything tangible.
Of course, the process is different this time. There is a sincere effort to consult with ordinary church members, to hear from people in the pews. There is an acknowledgement that the crisis will only deepen unless action is taken. But unless there is a willingness to discuss difficult and contentious issues, unless there is real and meaningful lay participation, unless Rome is genuinely prepared to acknowledge the voice of the faithful; unless the church imitates rather than opposes the synodal model currently underway in Germany, for example, then little will change, and the fateful sleepwalk will continue.
As I sign off as editor for the last time, I offer my modest proposals for the church I long to see in my lifetime:
1. That the church will remove any structures, laws or traditions which now hinder rather than facilitate its mission to proclaim the Good News. Our world needs to hear the Gospel message as urgently today as at any time in the last 2,000 years. Nothing manmade should stand in the way of this task.
2. That the church will be experienced as truly the People of God. The church teaches that it is made up of all the baptised, but many do not experience this to be the case. They see it instead as an elite club for celibate male clerics, who appear determined to preserve the medieval structures of the institution.
3. That women will be given actual ownership of the church and be enabled to exercise ministry at all levels. 4. That Catholics will have a real say in choosing their leaders at the local and diocesan levels. Bishops should not be foisted on people and priests as a result of some secret Roman manoeuvrings but should emerge out of an open and transparent selection process.
5. That the church at every level will identify with and not be afraid to speak out on behalf of the weakest and most vulnerable in society, as Pope Francis insists. The church must not only be prophetic but be seen to be prophetic.
6. That the LGBTI community, many of whom are alienated from organised religion, will feel welcome in the family of church.
7. That divorced and remarried Catholics, many of whom find themselves in this situation through no fault of their own, will be offered a means to be fully reintegrated into the worshipping community.
8. That the Gospel will be proclaimed and heard as Good News. Too often, in the church's teaching and preaching, people do not hear God's word as good news. They hear it as something that enslaves rather than liberates, as a series of forbidding rules and regulations (especially around sex) rather than as a truly joyful and life-giving message.
9. That priests and religious who have left the ministry will be invited to return to it, if they so wish, thus enriching the church with the wealth of their gifts, talents and experiences.
10. That the 2011 translation of the liturgy will be replaced by one that’s easier to pray, theologically coherent and uses inclusive language.
SYNODALITY: A NEW WAY OF BEING CHURCH?
THE CHURCH HAS RECENTLY BEGUN A TWO-YEAR SYNODAL PROCESS OF ENCOUNTER, LISTENING AND DISCERNMENT. BUT HOW WILL THIS PROCESS WORK, AND WHAT IS THE THINKING BEHIND IT?
BY MIKE DALEY
You'd be forgiven if you haven't heard of the 'big' word making the rounds in high church circles yet. Other ecclesial expressions like apostolicity, collegiality, infallibility, magisterium, and transubstantiation may more readily come to mind. The word in question is synodality.
Though you may be unfamiliar with the term, it has become an essential building block of Pope Francis' vision for the church. Speaking on the 50th anniversary of the institution of the Synod of Bishops, Francis said: "The world in which we live, and which we are called to love and serve, even with its contradictions, demands that the church strengthen cooperation in all areas of her mission. It is precisely this path of synodality which God expects of the church of the third millennium."
Helping the church come to a better understanding of synodality, the International Theological Commission in 2018 published an overview of synodality, describing it as "an essential dimension of the church." It went on to state: "First and foremost, synodality denotes the particular style that qualifies the life and mission of the church, expressing her nature as the People of God journeying together and gathering in assembly, summoned by the Lord Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit to proclaim the Gospel."
Speaking to the General Secretariat for the Synod of Bishops on synods and the process of synodality, Timothy Radcliffe, Dominican priest and former Master of the Order, remarked that both "depend upon both having the confidence to speak and the humility to listen. Listening is daring to open yourself to people who've got views other than your own, views with which you may disagree with strongly. Our society fears difference. Google and Facebook have algorithms which steer us towards the likeminded. So, we're tempted to live in bubbles of people who think the same thing."
Synodality, then, invites the church to unity through difference. It asks for the participation of ordained, lay and even non-members alike. Surprisingly, it allows us to consider a church that we may have not yet imagined or dared risk becoming. This is not done by any one person, but by all the faithful, through the lens of Scripture and Tradition under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
A LISTENING AND CONVERSATIONAL CHURCH?
The church has recently begun (October 2021) a two-year synodal process of encounter, listening, and discernment. The first part takes place locally at the diocesan level. What is desired here is to capture through sharing sessions the lived experience of faith — what questions, what struggles, what tensions, what gifts do the Pilgrim People of God have to share with the church and the wider world?
Echoing the words of Pope Francis, the preparatory document for the synod stresses that the purpose of this consultative process "is not to produce documents, but 'to plant dreams, draw forth prophecies and visions, allow hope to flourish, inspire trust, bind up wounds, weave together relationships, awaken a dawn of hope, learn from one another and create a bright resourcefulness that will enlighten minds, warm hearts, give strength to our hands.'" (#32)
Following the diocesan level meetings, there will be continental gatherings from September 2022 to April 2023. The process culminates in October 2023 in Rome with a gathering of the world's bishops centred around the theme 'For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission.'
HISTORY OF CLERICALISM
At this point, some of you may be smiling cynically. Mindful of the church's history of clericalism, this newfound appreciation of the laity may elicit more scepticism than encouragement. The church of 'Pray, Pay and Obey' now asks for greater involvement and co-responsibility from the laity? The church of 'Rome has spoken, the case is closed' is flipping scripts and wants to have sustained conversations? Speaking recently at a webinar, Redemptorist Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, USA, respected this possible response: "Sometimes cynicism is very well merited, but sometimes cynicism could be an escape mechanism that allows me to escape from my reality and responsibility."
Pope Francis appeared to anticipate this reaction in his homily at the Mass which began the synodal process. He also wanted to challenge its usefulness: "Today, as we begin this synodal process, let us begin by asking ourselves – all of us, pope, bishops, priests, religious and laity – whether we, the Christian community, embody this 'style' of God, who travels the paths of history and shares in the life of humanity. Are we prepared for the adventure of this journey? Or are we fearful of the unknown, preferring to take refuge in the usual excuses: 'It's useless' or 'We've always done it this way'?"
A STORY OF CONVERSION
In the preparatory document, the encounter between Peter and Cornelius (Acts 10) is used as emblematic of the synodal process. Cornelius, a pagan yet God-fearing soldier, is told by an angel of God to bring Peter back to his home.
Meanwhile, in the midst of hunger pangs, Peter has a vision. In it, he is commanded by the Lord to eat meat: "Get up, Peter. Slaughter and eat." To this, Peter exclaims, "Surely not, Lord!" He is adamant that he has not and will never eat anything profane or unclean. Peter's whole worldview is being challenged. Naturally, he resists.
Eventually, Peter goes to Cornelius and accepts his hospitality, eating food that he had once considered forbidden. In the process,
Twilight view of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Diocese of Chanthaburi, Thailand
Peter has the theological breakthrough that will change Christian history: "God shows no partiality."
The preparatory document sees the story of Peter and Cornelius modelling what synodality is all about: "Both Cornelius and Peter involve other people in their journey of conversion, making them companions in their journey. The apostolic action accomplishes God's will by creating community, breaking down barriers, and promoting encounters." (#24)
Communities are frayed, however. A global pandemic has kept us from one another. In their confusion, some people search for answers in secularism and religious fundamentalism, while others, feeling betrayed by religious authorities, walk away. The walls of discrimination and prejudice remain, preventing our encounter with each other and with the earth.
Yet, as the preparatory document makes clear, "synodality represents the main road for the church, called to renew herself under the action of the Spirit and by listening to the Word. The ability to imagine a different future for the church and her institutions, in keeping with the mission she has received, depends largely on the decision to initiate processes of listening, dialogue, and community discernment, in which each and every person can participate and contribute. At the same time, the decision to 'journey together' is a prophetic sign for the human family, which needs a shared project capable of pursuing the good of all. A church capable of communion and fraternity, of participation and subsidiarity, in fidelity to what she proclaims, will be able to stand beside the poor and the least and lend them her own voice." (#9)
Michael Daley is a teacher and writer from Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. His latest book, coedited with Diane Bergant, is Take and Read: Christian writers reflect on life’s most influential books (Apocryphal Press: Berkely, 2017).
TIME TO RECOGNISE THE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS OF CHURCH MEMBERS
WITHOUT A CHANGE OF COURSE, THERE IS LITTLE LIKELIHOOD THE FORTHCOMING SYNOD ON SYNODALITY WILL DELIVER THE URGENT CHANGE THE CHURCH NEEDS
BY MARY McALEESE
(extracts from an address delivered at the Root & Branch Synod, Bristol, September 2021)
"You put aside the commandment of God to cling to human traditions." (Mark 7:8) It wasn't so long ago that the big S-word in the Catholic Church was Scandal. It enveloped the church in an ecclesial winter. Today another big S-word – Synodality – promises an "ecclesial springtime," to quote recent words of Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary-General of the Synod of Bishops. Many faithful would like to see that springtime, but their hopes are tempered by the belief that the church is at a critical crossroads in its history, and if it fails to choose the right path, it risks an enduring permafrost.
Pope Francis seemed to understand this predicament and the surge tide of distrust of a culpable episcopacy when, shortly after his election, he said the future lay with developing a synodal church at every level. It would be a listening church, whose members would walk and talk together with freedom of speech and where what affects all would be discussed by all, as was the case in the early church. Those words brought optimism, and new energy seemed to break through the pervasive demoralisation.
In good faith responses to Pope Francis' words, some diocesan synods have been held or are planned. National episcopal synodal processes are currently underway in Germany, Australia, South America, Italy and Ireland. There is this uniquely lay-led Root and Branch Synod which has no geographical boundaries. In addition, there was Francis' surprise initiative when he announced in October 2021 that a synodal process would commence throughout the universal church culminating in a Synod of Bishops in Rome in 2023, with the theme: 'For a synodal Church: communion, participation, and mission.' It has been dubbed the Synod on Synodality. Pope Francis and the Synod office have set out the terms on which we church members will participate. Now we set out ours, for theirs are missing important basics.
HUMAN RIGHTS
I want to make the case that while there is real value in developing a new culture of synodality in the church, synodality will only work – the future church will only work – if it is set in a context where there is unequivocal acceptance that church members are entitled, within the church and all its laws and processes, including synods, to the inalienable human rights set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948. Those rights include the equality of men and women, and their intellectual rights to freedom of expression, speech, thought, opinion, belief, conscience and religion, including the right to change religion. Canon law currently imposes limits and restrictions on all those rights. Regrettably, it is already clear that in Francis' notion of synodality, these things are not likely to be up for discussion. Yet they urgently need to be.
Synodality is a concept that is not referred to, much less defined, in any document of Vatican II or the 1983 Code of Canon Law. Pope Francis has admitted that it is easier to name than explain, while the International Theological Commission pointed out in 2018 that the very word synodality "is a linguistic novelty which needs careful theological clarification." There has been little theological clarification, but there has been a welter of hastily constructed legal clarification, including from Pope Francis as well as a rambling preparatory document from the Office of the Synod of Bishops which, while telling us "that we are at a crucial transition in the life of the church, which cannot be ignored," remarkably ignored fundamental questions about our rights as church members which are at the heart of this "crucial transition."
Without a change of course, there is little likelihood the forthcoming synod on synodality will deliver a measurable ecclesial thaw. Greater hope lies in this lay-led [Root and Branch] synod and the German synod, both of which offer a progressive model of synodality based on principles which on current form will be absent from the Synod of Bishops' Synod on Synodality, namely, equality of all church members, freedom of speech and agendas that are fully open to discussion of contentious issues.
We have to hope and pray that enough faithful in every diocese, including laity, religious, priests and bishops, will find the courage to insist that the recognition in church law of the equality and intellectual freedom of all church members must be a priority in the national episcopal reports that will go to Rome for the 2023 Synod. It will be the most important reset button the church has ever hit.
IRRELEVANCE
Pope Francis' notion of synodality, which once seemed to have captured the zeitgeist favouring an all-inclusive church debating structure, now seems bent on preventing it at worst, or micro-managing it into irrelevance at best.
Unless and until the magisterial church acknowledges the full equality of all members as church citizens, unless there is an acknowledgement of members' inalienable rights to freedom of speech, expression, opinion, conscience, belief, religion and right to change religion, then all official church synods – whether diocesan, national or synods of bishops – will be as anodyne and embarrassingly ineffectual as every Synod of Bishops has been since its inception in 1965. That includes Francis' four synods, which, though extravagantly hyped, despite their large clerical carbon footprint, have all been expensive, protracted and inconclusive anti-climaxes testifying only to the hopeless inadequacy of the church's official synodal model.
CULTURE OF INVITATION
The church will continue to haemorrhage members and experience a lessening of both external and internal impact unless it shifts from a culture of imposed obligation to a culture of invitation. In such an open culture, the divine baptismal graces can flow liberally. In our magisterial control culture, they are blockaded, and we are spiritually infantilised while the magisterium tells us they have all the answers and we have no right to ask questions.
Yet more in hope than expectation, we meet in this Root and Branch Synod in a good-faith response to Pope Francis' call for a more synodal church because somehow we still believe in miracles.
Lay-led synodal processes like this can showcase to the church in general and the magisterium in particular what it is to be an equal citizen of the church, how to respectfully embrace freedom of speech, how to listen to, hear and trust the voices of lay men and women who care about the church and who are open to guidance from the Holy Spirit. Their fresh wisdom may yet provide answers to problems a decomposing hierarchical infrastructure cannot face.
GREAT COMMANDMENT
The only way this synod is able to offer real freedom of speech and an open agenda dedicated to the best practice of the great commandment to love one another is by ignoring the constraints imposed by the magisterium and insisting our human rights are not trumped by church law but are in fact violated by it.
By drawing that reality to the attention of the forthcoming Synod of Bishops, there is even at this last minute some hope of vindicating Cardinal Grech's claim that Pope Francis' synods have a new style "marked by a real freedom of speech." Pope Francis has warned of a false synodality that wants to tidy up the church. If ever an institution needed tidying up, Holy Father, it is our church, for we face an unholy mess created by the systemic dishonourable abuse of grandiose clerical power. It has flattened the faithful. We should be glad of the miracle that there are people still willing to pick themselves up, stand up and help tidy up that magisterial mess, not with unchristian episcopal cover-ups but with Christian candour.
Our kind of synodality can lead to a new kind of communion, finally worthy of Christ, who is, after all, the very author of our inalienable human rights and fundamental freedoms, who stands four-square with us as we use the voice and the freedom he gave us to demand of the magisterium that it fully honours them and him, as we do here at this synod in his holy name.
It is time to dream big, said Pope Francis, and it is. We invite the pope and the magisterium and our brother and sister faithful to enter into our dream.
Pope Francis celebrates a Mass for the closure of the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon region
The eighth President of Ireland, Mary McAleese has a doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical Gregorian University Rome. She is chancellor of Trinity College, Dublin.
Root and Branch Synod
The Root and Branch Synod was set up as a contribution to the Bishops’ Synodal process inaugurated by Pope Francis.
Members seek comprehensive reform in the institution of Catholic clericalism, and believe the People of God must lead the way towards an inclusive, safe and loving Catholic Church.
President McAleese was one of the experts who addressed a meeting of the synod in Bristol in September 2021.
A GARDEN WITH MANY FLOWERS
BY BISHOP BRENDAN LEAHY
Atime will come, the Acts of the Apostles says, when "young men shall see visions" and "old men shall dream dreams." At this point in my life, I'm more on the "dream" than the "vision" side. Nevertheless, here goes my mixture of dreams and visions of 'the church I'd like to see.' I'm presenting them in the form of short one-liners. Apologies if they are too pithy.
First, though, I'd like to offer a word about the church. The image of the church as a wonderful garden with many flowers is one that strikes me. Admiring not just this or that flower but the beauty of the garden's many flowers will, I hope, be a vibrant feature of tomorrow's church.
So often, we end up thinking the church is just about us as individuals and the religious department of our lives. Or we think it's the parish structures and the diocese, religious congregations, associations and movements or the Vatican; or we limit it to the spiritual moments of Sunday Mass, Confirmation ceremonies, novenas or consoling funeral services. Or we think of the church almost as an NGO with its social projects and initiatives.
But it helps me to keep remembering the church, above all, is the universal People of God, born from the Gospel, loving one another and empowered by the Spirit. Continuing Jesus' mission in history, each of us personally and all together is endowed with gifts of faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these gifts is love. Love has eyes to help us look around and see the wonderful garden the church is with many flowers to be admired and appreciated. Love brings balance and harmony, and simplicity.
So here goes my list of dreams and visions. I hope that out of a synodal process that I believe won't just be for the next few years, I'll see a church that is more…
Dynamic – energised through the rediscovery of the Gospel and its art of love, sharing and communicating our experiences of the Word of God.
United – striving to be one in and through the inevitable tensions.
Trinitised – women and men, young and old, clergy and lay, moving to the rhythm of the mutual indwelling of Father, Son and Spirit, the Trinity, unity in diversity, our true home.
Centred on Christ – recognising the church is born from and constantly generated by love of Jesus and him crucified.
Missionary – going forth living the New Commandment in missionary service and with global perspective, doing and speaking the truth in love in our world even if not of it.
Pilgrimaging – seeking, finding and accompanying Christ in and with others, not least in the social and existential peripheries where he has already taken up residence 'outside the camp.'
Attentive to the voice of the Spirit – recognising ourselves as friends of the Spirit, soul of the church, exercising communitarian discernment especially in the family, the domestic church.
Beyond the wounds – trusting in God's mercy, facing up to the realities of the pain we've caused and caring enough to offer hope.
Poor – disarmed of the desire to identify ourselves in terms of self-preservation and securities, humbly recognising that we are not in charge. God is.
Contemplative – looking on our world not in judgement, but watching out for the signs of the Resurrection calling forth seeds of a new world and moving us to care for our planet.
Charismatic – recognising and fanning into a flame the charisms with which the Spirit has embellished the People of God.
Good humoured – not succumbing to eternal griping but helping the world to smile.
Grateful – acknowledging appreciatively to God the gift of the pillars that sustain us as church: the Word of God and sacrament, hierarchy and prophecy, community and charity.
Holy – shining with a saint-next-door type of holiness that we also remember witnessing in our relative 'saints' lying in the cemeteries, reminding us of the Communion of Saints.
Cenacle-like – gathered in the Upper Room just like Mary and the apostles, building ourselves up in prayer.
Marian – radiating a greater lay and less clerical profile, with Mary as our model, letting Christ the Way be the wayfarer among us when two or more of us gather in his name.
Reforming – always beginning again, knowing reform is a constant along our journey through time.
Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Mary, Slovenia
CONSULTATION?
YES, BUT LET THE PROFESSIONALS ALSO DO THEIR JOB!
BY MARY KENNY
I’m not a great one for committee meetings, and I’m afraid I have little enthusiasm for churchy invitations to 'get the laity more involved' with running the parish. I once sat on a parish council, and I found it frustrating and tedious. Procedure ('through the chair') is not my strong point either. Perhaps this is due to what the French call 'professional deformation' – that one has been influenced too much by one’s professional training. Thus doctors see only disease, and lawyers see only the torts of the law. Journalists in my youth were formed by the quick decision and the decisive leader – 'the editor is always right, (even when he’s wrong!)' – and we bear in mind that a camel is a horse designed by a committee.
Democracy is all very well and dandy, and voting is indeed an organised consultation with the people. But total democracy would be 'the dictatorship of the proletariat' and that usually ends badly. Or just chaotically. In a professional capacity, I look to leadership.
ISSUE OF CLERICALISM
I’m the kind of person who likes a professional to do their job. Sometimes, when I attend a hairdresser who I’m not familiar with, and he/ she says, “what way would you like your hair done,” I reply, “you decide! You’re the coiffeur!”
And, although I take on board the many people who object to 'clericalism', and think it regretful if a church is overly dominated by its clerics, nevertheless I also expect a priest to do his job, just like the doctor, the lawyer or the hairdresser. Perhaps that’s also partly because I’ve had experience – no names, no pack-drill – of a parish priest who didn’t always do his job properly. He kept his phone on voicemail, could seldom be contacted, farmed out the parish newsletter to a willing hand and seemed to be generally pretty idle. His homilies seemed to consist of the first notion that came into his head and struck me as blatantly unprepared.
So this is where I’m coming from, to some degree, on 'consultation'. Yes, the laity who wish to be pro-active are entitled to be involved, even if – as Stephen Bullivant writes in his excellent study of post-Vatican II, Mass Exodus – such endeavours do tend to attract bossy middle-class types who like putting their oar in anyway. Good luck to them! But please don’t ask me to be more engaged in parish life, with all its administrative detail and organisational chores. I have enough on my plate already, as do so many women, for that matter. Women in middle life are often caring for two generations – elderly parents, and young-adult offspring. Women in later life are often putting in grandmother care as well as not unusually still working, if only part-time, themselves.
BEST SCENARIO
What I want from parish life is a priest who does his job – and that includes pastoral care, and taking an interest in his parishioners. In an active parish, it should also include other activities, both devotional and cultural. I’m impressed by the way parishes in France often run art exhibitions or provide musical performances, such as cello or violin concerts. In the Middle Ages the church was the centre of cultural life, and in the Renaissance it was the main prompt for the arts. An accomplished pastor should be able to organise such events. It should be part of their job. Listening to what the parish wants is also part of the job. In the best scenario, a formal 'consultation' shouldn’t be necessary. As the old Irish motto has it: “listen to the river and you will catch the fish!”
On a macro scale, if invited to say what reform I would suggest the Vatican might consider, I would say that they should revisit Humanae Vitae, issued in 1968, and they should put at the forefront of their deliberations considerations of maternal health. Health and healing are very much part of the Gospels and if responsible contraception enhances the health of mothers, especially poor mothers, then surely it has a place. Perhaps, as I am able to make this point on secular platforms, I don’t need to put it into a formal 'consultation' which, for the most part, I leave to other voices.
Mary Kenny is a journalist, broadcaster and playwright. She has been described as "the grand dame of Irish journalism.”
A CHURCH OF SERVICE
WHAT IS NEEDED IS A CHURCH OF SERVICE RATHER THAN JUST A CHURCH OF SERVICES BY PETER MCVERRY SJ
The only thing we can say with certainty about the church of the future is that it will be totally different from the church we are familiar with today.
CONTEXT
The church does not exist for itself. It exists only to continue the mission of Jesus. How we see the church of tomorrow depends on how we understand its mission.
We could define that mission in this way: it is to reveal to the world the God that Jesus revealed, namely the God of compassion. Jesus healed the sick, ate with sinners, and was a friend and companion to the poor. We, the community called church, can only reveal the God of compassion by being the compassion of God to others, particularly, like Jesus, to the poor, the vulnerable and the marginalised.
Alternatively, we could define its mission in the prayer that Jesus himself gave us, "Thy kingdom come ….on earth, as it is in heaven." In heaven, God's will is always done, and so it should be on earth.
These two ways of defining the mission of the church are actually identical.
CHURCH AS PEOPLE OF GOD
Those who wish to become members of the church, then, must commit themselves to a service of the poor and needy, thereby building the Kingdom of God on earth and revealing the God of compassion to the world. Hence, I would abolish infant baptism and only baptise those who are able, and willing, to make such a commitment. Infant baptism comes from an outdated theology that says infants who die without baptism will not go to heaven.
The church of the future, then, would be much smaller and with an unwavering concern for those on the margins of society, and so it would probably be a persecuted church. For example, it would support the right of Travellers to housing, often incurring the opposition of some in the settled community. As at the time of Jesus, the God whose passion is compassion was not acceptable to some religious leaders, who believed that God's passion is the observance of the law. Today, this same conflict continues between Pope Francis' vision of a church of compassion to those on the margins and some bishops who believe that Pope Francis is leading the church astray by not strongly condemning those who break the law.
The church, today, is seen by many as a provider of services: Masses, baptisms, first communions, confirmations, weddings, funerals. The church is one big yawn for young people as long as church involvement concerns itself primarily with church involvement! It appears to them as a church that is inward-looking, focused on itself. Unless the church rediscovers the centrality of social justice to its mission, it will become increasingly irrelevant. It must, therefore, become primarily a church of service, and only secondly a church of services. The church should be at the forefront of serving the poor, homeless, refugees, Travellers, immigrants, drug users, the sick, the elderly, and the lonely. When non-Christians look at the church, they should be amazed at the church members' love and care for the unwanted and rejected.
CHURCH AS ORGANISATION
In the church of the future, leadership will be exercised predominantly by laypeople. Unlike at the time of Jesus, gender equality today is seen as a fundamental justice issue, so women must play an equal role in leadership. Decisions in the parish will no longer be taken by a parish priest. The primary role of the priest is to preside at the Eucharist, the centre of church life. At the Eucharist, we recall how this church started, namely, through Jesus' self-sacrifice on the cross for us. We recall Jesus' words, "This is my Body which will be broken for you; this is my Blood which shall be poured out for you." And then we hear Jesus' instruction: "Do this (yourselves) in memory of me."
A CHURCH NOT CLERICALLY LED
MY DREAM IS A CHURCH THAT WILL BE A COMMUNITY OF EQUALS, NURTURED FROM THE GROUND UP
22
BY BRIAN D'ARCY CP
Idon't know the future. All I know is that there will be a future and we will determine it consciously or otherwise. There is no single solution other than that God will guide us to the future God wishes us to have when we learn to discern God's will.
And we can dream.
We wouldn't be in this mess if we'd read the signs of the times. A common pattern with human institutions is to Deny, Delay and Defend.
We should have learned by now that with the Holy Spirit, a crisis becomes an opportunity. It is God's way of telling us God is in charge.
The sexual abuse of children by priests and Religious is a scandal. One of its most obvious legacies is that it gave people, who were already disillusioned with clerical power struggles, a legitimate reason to quit.
Like it or not, since COVID-19, the people have learned to exist happily without the kind of 'god' we clerics offer. They no longer buy into our distortion of the saving Word of God; they no longer trust us.
As a result, fewer people appreciate the precious gift of the Eucharist – the summit and the source of the life of the church. This saddens me greatly. However, on those special occasions when people choose to share Eucharist, they experience comfort if they are sincerely welcomed.
In The Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis expresses my dream: "Everyone can share in some way in the life of the church; everyone can be part of the community… nor should the doors of the sacraments be closed for simply any reason… frequently we act as arbiters of grace rather than its facilitators. But the church is not a toll house; it is the house of the Father where there is a place for everyone with all their problems."
INCLUSIVE PROCESS
Pope Francis is preparing us for a synodal model of church, a genuinely inclusive process where there will be free and open debate and consultation – the very opposite of our dictatorial hierarchy.
The new paradigm of collegiality means the faithful share in the priestly, prophetic office of Jesus Christ. If we listen, we will discover we have no shortage of vocations, just a shortage of male celibates.
My dream is a church that will not be clerically led – by men or women. It will be a community of equals, nurtured from the ground up, where the special gifts of women will lead us to a spirituality of compassion. The era of the macho male is gone forever. The sin of the clerical club has been to make God less and less accessible.
The Sadducees were beyond redemption. They constructed a world of legalism which worked for them, a paradigm that confirmed their sense of safety and comfort. Then as now, forgiveness, empathy, justice – the signs of the Spirit of God – cannot be limited by human arrogance.
Jesus sets the stage in the Sermon on the Mount. He begins with a simple message which is the key to everything else – "Blessed
St Peter's Basilica in Rome
are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs" (Matthew 5:3). What does it mean to be poor in spirit? It means an inner emptiness, leading to genuine humility. It is to be able to live without the need for personal righteousness and reputation.
Love is the foundation and the means. God's love is planted inside each of us as the Holy Spirit. Love is who we are. Richard Rohr wrote: "Only God in you can know God…you cannot know or love God with your mind alone." (From the Bottom Up)
Have we clerics ever thought of what we do to people when we insist you can come to God only through us? Do we not realise we are attempting to tell God who God is allowed to love?
Karl Rahner reminded us that "the number one cause of atheism is Christians. Those who proclaim Him with their mouths and deny Him with their actions is what an unbelieving world finds unbelievable…In the days ahead, you will either be a mystic (one who has experienced God for real) or nothing at all."
EVIL OF CLERICALISM
In the church I'd like to see, the evil of clericalism will be exposed for what it is – a major obstacle to meaningful reform, a prime reason for the lack of trust in church leadership and the root cause of the depressing hopelessness which permeates our church.
The baptised laity, despite their best efforts, will be forced to remain second-class citizens continuing to 'pay, pray and obey,' having their dignity trampled on by arrogance and ignorance.
If the synodal approach is to have any effect, it must immediately be wrestled from the control of the clerical club.
Those are just a few dreams for today. Tomorrow they might be different. "But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams" (W.B.Yeats).
A well-known writer and broadcaster, Brian D'Arcy is a member of Passionist community, The Grann, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh.
SEVEN TIPS TOWARDS A TRANSFORMED CHURCH
EVEN THOUGH THE CHALLENGES ARE GREAT, THERE ARE REASONS TO HOPE
BY MARIA HALL
1. A CHURCH OF REAL COMMUNITY
One of the most memorable Masses I ever attended was in the humblest of surroundings in Kitwe, Zambia, in a shanty town church called St Anthony's, built of bare breeze blocks with a tin roof. Inside were simple wooden benches to seat about 100 people, homemade musical instruments, a plain altar table and a lone, battered picture of Our Lady on the wall.
The liturgy was profound and moving. It was spoken in Bemba, the local language, and was full of vibrant music with everyone swaying naturally to the beat. The Mass lasted two hours, and the priest had three other churches to attend. But no one was in a hurry.
This was the opening of my first article for Reality in 2019. My experiences in Zambia were some of the most profound and memorable in my life. The link is ongoing (I'm helping my friends out there to build an orphanage and school). I constantly compare life between the two countries. It's very frustrating. I look at how much we have, and despair at how selfish and greedy we are. But the emotion serves me well and motivates me to help as much as I can.
You could easily tell Sundays in Kitwe. Everything stopped for church. The roads were quiet except for people walking along clutching their bibles and prayer books. Everyone was in their Sunday best, many dressed in the identical outfit of their guild, choir or other parish organisation. The women wore printed wraps with images of Our Lady or the Sacred Heart. They dressed the same. And it struck me that they didn't want to stand out but show that they belonged. The sense of community was massive.
We have lost that sense of togetherness. We all want to do our own thing – football, shopping, staying in bed! I heard a young friend say she didn't have time for going to church because Sunday morning was family time. We all know that the best thing you can do is go to church together as a family.
It's easy to see the negatives in poor places like Kitwe, and we must be careful not to stereotype or patronise our brothers and sisters. But they have much to teach us. Here at home, people don't go to church because their friends don't. In Zambia, everyone goes. How wonderful!
2. A CHURCH THAT IS RELEVANT AND RESPECTED
It's always fabulous to see the pope on the news or TV. His presence and words command huge respect around the world, and he attracts bigger crowds than pop stars. Yet much of the church struggles to be heard and is seen as irrelevant in modern life. But every day, a tremendous amount of amazing work takes place. The early Christians gathered to worship and care for the poor and sick, and that work has continued down to the present day. The church is the world's largest charitable organisation and the largest non-governmental provider of health care and education. I'd love people to see what the church really does. The media focuses on scandal (for which we must be ashamed) but ignores all the positives. These days, good news is no news. I'd like to see a church that openly shares what it does. This isn't showing off; it's evangelisation.
3. A WELCOMING CHURCH
If we are to grow as a church, we must strive to be more welcoming. In an increasingly secular world, we can't presume that everyone who attends (especially weddings and funerals) is a Catholic. I wonder how many visitors have a positive experience? Are they greeted with a smile, guided into the building and given an
order of service? Does the priest give a warm welcome and give gentle explanations and directions? Are those who take an active role given guidance? I've seen this done wonderfully well, and I've seen no acknowledgement at all.
Many of our buildings are architecturally stunning, containing beautiful artwork. That's not a bad start! We need welcoming signs, places to socialise, outreach to the community, lots of social media and advertising.
We must also remember to welcome each other. During the pandemic, I had the opportunity to be part of the Ministry of Welcome as a steward for daily Mass. It was such a privilege and a pleasure. It turned out that receiving a personal welcome (a hello, a smile and a chat) was greatly appreciated by many.
4. A CHURCH THAT INVOLVES THE LAITY
If the church (hierarchy) ignores the serious and necessary role of the laity in the future, then that future will be grim. In the West, we are becoming a smaller community. So it is even more vital that the laity must be given a real and not merely consultative role. I'd like to see a proper inclusion of laypeople (especially women) in administration, decision-making, and pastoral roles. Parish councils are rarely effective in things that matter. We should take a leaf out of the Anglican book where the parish council is at the heart of parish life. The role of everybody in the Mystical Body can't be left to chance.
5. A CHURCH WITH A REFRESHED ORDAINED MINISTRY
The decline in the number of priests is a major problem. It's clear there won't be enough clergy to meet the needs of the faithful if things stay as they are. My uncle spent his priestly life as a missionary in Nigeria. He died there 30 years ago. Now, Nigerian priests are serving in several parishes in my own hometown! The situation has turned full circle. Welcoming such priests is one solution, but there are others. We already have married priests who had been Anglican clergy, so the precedent is established. In fact, celibacy in the Catholic Church only became mandatory in the Middle Ages. (The Second Lateran Council of 1139 adopted celibacy mainly due to a decline in morality amongst the clergy!) This is a hot potato and deserves lengthy discussion, but it needs urgent attention. Another option is to have more permanent deacons. They already exist in many places and perform various pastoral roles which could be extended.
Recently Pope Francis shared the 'Beatitudes of the Bishop.' Modelled on the biblical beatitudes, they are a challenging and encouraging vision of priesthood in the future. I think they are inspiring. They show what is expected of a pastor of souls in the modern world. Pastors are called "to serve, to dirty one's hands, to wipe tears and work for justice, peace and reconciliation and to find goodness even in the worst situations."
The challenge is, what kind of people can attain those things? The blessings the church would receive from both celibate and married clergy would be great.
6. A CHURCH THAT CELEBRATES GOOD LITURGY
St John Vianney said that if we really understood the Mass, we would die of love. What a wonderful and sobering thought!
I see the liturgy compromised so much, especially at weddings and funerals: unapproved additions to the liturgy, improvisations by the priest, pop songs, secular texts and untrained lectors. Pope Francis has criticised such 'idiosyncrasies.' The liturgy is an opportunity for evangelisation, and misguided adaptations don't help. The liturgy defines us, inspires, guides and changes us. We must do it properly, be faithful to the books, and not be ashamed.
A new book by Fr Paul Turner reminds us of the importance of ars celebrandi (the art of celebrating). He highlights several principles: less is more; do what it says, don't do what it doesn't say; offer sacrifice and share communion; be intentional; involve the people.
Liturgy gives us our identity. It's not entertainment or self-serving. It is a corporate act, an expression of Christ's saving love for us, into which, by way of our baptism, we are invited, and visitors especially should be allowed to experience it at its best. How blessed are we! We must rediscover the joy that the liturgy brings and learn to understand it and share it in modern ways.
7. A CHURCH OF HOPE
Before we can move forward, we must acknowledge the past. The church faces a long journey of acceptance and healing regarding historic abuse. We must be humble and recognise failure, and we must be seen to do this.
I know Catholics who are in a state of despair about the future of the church: falling numbers of priests, lack of seminarians, congregations declining, churches closing. Of course, it's a worry, but let's not forget the presence of the Holy Spirit amidst all this. Despite what some people say, the church was never perfect in the 'good old days.' In the West, it will be smaller but hopefully stronger, and in other places, it will thrive.
We must be a people of trust and hope. That means embracing the future. We need to become a digital church, meeting people where they are through all aspects of modern and social media. (I've even heard a suggestion that the digital world should have its own bishop!) We need to reach out to people who are searching, and the technological possibilities are endless.
CatholicsComeHome.org has produced a brilliant TV commercial which is a fantastic example of how to reach out in a modern way, showing the positives of the church.
I look to my friends in Zambia to see the future. Their faith is rock steady. There is so much good taking place. There should be such hope and joy. The Holy Spirit is in charge! Let's pray and go forward in hope.
