On August 31, 2012, Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini passed
away. A former Archbishop of Milan and a
well-known liberal theologian, Cardinal Martini’s last message to the world
called for a fundamental shake-up within the Roman Catholic Church. A few weeks prior to his death, Cardinal
Martini gave an interview to a fellow Jesuit, Georg Sporschill, and to a
reporter from an Italian newspaper,
Corriere della Sera, in which he stated that the Catholic Church was 200
years behind the times. He described the
Church as being tired, aged, and bureaucratic.
His comments also included references to pompous rituals and vestments
as well as to mistakes made by the Church in responding to the pedophilia
scandals. Urging change, Cardinal
Martini is quoted as saying, “Why don’t we rouse ourselves? Are we afraid?”
Before convening the 2nd Vatican Council
(1962-1965), Pope John XXIII said that it was time to open the windows of the
Church to let in some fresh air. This
Council was attended by Catholic clergy from around the world, and a number of
Orthodox and Protestant Churches also sent observers. It must have been an exciting time,
especially given the dramatic political and socio-economic changes taking place
during that period. The spirit was indeed a-movin’ through those
open windows, but someone must have gotten a bit chilly with all that fresh air
coming in. Over the next couple of
decades, the vigorous breeze fizzled to an occasional little draft as those
stained glass windows were once again slammed shut.
Today, there’s no denying that the Catholic Church is in
crisis. Attendance at weekly Mass is
quite low in many parishes, the majority of active parishioners are over 40
years old, and a large chunk of baptized Catholics now have little or no connection
to their faith. We have lost practically
one entire generation of people, possibly even two. Even some of the church buildings are
starting to look decrepit. Sure, we can
smugly convince ourselves that secularism is the culprit, but if we are truly
honest, we have to face the reality that not all of the problem can be
explained away by external influences. Somewhere
between congregational apathy and hierarchical obstinacy lies the real crux of
the matter. So, how do we fix it?
Laity: the people of a religious faith as distinct
from its clergy
Whether practising or not, many Catholics will identify
themselves as such when asked their religious denomination. With hectic lifestyles, dual-family careers,
and increasing opportunities for leisure time activities, most people put church
attendance at the bottom of their list of priorities. They assume that the Church will always be
there if and when they need it, eg. for weddings, baptisms and funerals. But hold on a minute; that might not always
be the case. A number of community
churches have had to close their doors in recent years because they couldn’t
even afford to pay for general maintenance and upkeep. Apart from the financial losses, even more
devastating is the loss of the faithful.
Do you know how many ministries are needed for one Sunday liturgy? There’s a sacristan (sort of a set-up/overseer),
lectors (Scripture readers), choir members, altar servers, Eucharistic
ministers, etc. Then, there’s a
congregation! Without bums in the pews,
the rest can be considered somewhat redundant. “Then many will fall away…. The
love of many will grow cold…” (Mt 24:10,12)
At some point in everyone’s life, there comes a moment of
clarity, an understanding that we are not as self-sufficient as we might have
thought. We all have a need to “belong”
to something or someone, to have the gift of love and stability in our lives. Family
and friends play a major role in fulfilling that longing; so, too, can the support
of a welcoming, caring faith community.
If the current trend of half-empty churches continues,
where will future generations go to have their spiritual needs met? We are all very concerned about trying to
preserve a healthy, eco-friendly environment for our children. Shouldn’t we be equally concerned about
sharing with them our legacy of faith?
“Love one another with mutual affection, do not lag in zeal, be ardent
in spirit…” (Romans 12: 10,11). We are the Church, so it’s up to
us to make a difference. Take a chance –
get out of bed an hour earlier next Sunday and take that first step back to
Mass. Or, if you’re currently active in
your faith, invite someone else to come with you. And don’t forget the power of prayer. Now, if you’re really and truly fed up and
ticked off with the Catholic Church, share your frustration! In this modern world of technology and
communication, your local parish or even the Vatican is just a click away.
Clergy: a body of religious officials authorized to
conduct services
Religious: a
member of a religious order under monastic vows
Throughout the history of the Church, countless good men
and women have given their lives in service to others through their ministry. It
doesn’t take a genius to see that the number of ordained priests and deacons,
along with vowed religious brothers and sisters, has declined drastically in
recent years. Who can blame young people
for not responding to such vocations?
Celibacy, restrictive lifestyles, and the ever present spectre of the sexual
abuse scandals must be powerful deterrents.
Yet, some brave souls still answer the call. “Follow me and I will make you fish for
people.” (Mt 4:19)
Many clergy and religious are decent people who do their
best to live out their vows each and every day.
Yet, there is also a definite lack of connection between some pastors
and the flock they serve. Sadly, a lot
of priests are caught up in the day-to-day running of their parishes – the
leaky roof, the musty carpet, the financial woes and the accompanying committee
meetings. Those concerns have a tendency
to consume one’s thoughts; however, a priest’s role is primarily to minister to
his congregation. Outreach and evangelization
are not the sole responsibility of the clergy, yet a personal call or visit
from the pastor carries great significance for most parishioners. Other denominations may have a slight
advantage in this area because many of their clergy are married and have
families which, naturally, necessitate an active personal involvement in community
affairs. Still, commitment to religious
vows should not prevent any priest from being more visible at local
events. Getting out of the office
occasionally to meet the people at a non-Church related function could possibly
have a more positive impact than a dozen sermons preached with great eloquence. Go to the hockey arenas and the soccer
pitches and spend even just a few minutes chatting or sharing a coffee with the
parents there. Cheer for their kids,
make people feel that you are genuinely interested in them and their
families. Be available to meet with
young couples preparing for marriage or baptism as well as with the families
whose children are enrolled in first communion and confirmation programs. Who knows what far-reaching effects such
personal contact might have on people’s perception of the Church? Seeing
spiritual leaders as real, caring, approachable human beings can go a long way
in building up the community of faith.
Hierachy: a ruling body of clergy organized into ranks
A few years ago, a certain acronym made the rounds in
Christian circles – WWJD (what would Jesus do).
If he strolled through the Vatican today, would he be
pleased to see the solid foundation of the Church he instituted at the Last
Supper and which he left in St. Peter’s hands? Or would he be disillusioned by
all the pomp and ceremony and the apparent disconnect between those inside the
Vatican walls and the ordinary folk outside? “Look, those who put on fine
clothing and live in luxury are in royal palaces.” (Lk 7:25)
By Scripture accounts, Jesus lived a frugal life. His attire was that of the common man of his
day and he was known simply as “Teacher.”
Jesus Christ personified humility, self-sacrifice, and love. Today’s leaders of the Catholic Church seem to
favor a more flamboyant appearance and elite titles.
Mistakes have been made in the past, especially in
dealing with the sexual abuse of children by members of the clergy. Although measures have been taken within
recent years to deal appropriately with this horrifying issue, the tainted
images of back room perversions and high level cover-ups remain, effectively
nailing Jesus to the Cross over and over again.
It will take time, a sincere Church-wide acknowledgement of
responsibility, and a great deal of transparency in future proceedings to
regain the trust of a substantial number of Catholics. Scripture itself provides so much guidance
and wisdom for problems of all kinds, even this one: “Nothing is covered up that will not be
uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known.” (Lk 12:2) And again, “But now I am writing to you not
to associate with anyone… who is sexually immoral… Drive out the wicked person
from among you.” (1Cor 5:11,13)
Within the half-empty churches of parishes around the
world, there is a small but very faithful group of dedicated workers who
willingly give of themselves to serve God and their Church. Look around, gentlemen, and take note of who
they are. The vast majority of these
devoted followers of Christ are middle-aged or older women. Some are members of religious Congregations,
some are paid employees, and many are volunteers answering their baptismal
call, yet each of them is a Christian in action. Where would the Church be without them? St. Paul addressed the issue of women in the
early days of the Church when he said: “…help these women, for they have
struggled beside me in the work of the gospel…” (Phil 4:3) and “I commend to
you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church…. so that you may welcome her in
the Lord as is fitting…” (Rom 12:16) The
pioneers of the Church apparently had no aversion to sharing authority and leadership
with women. Quite a commendable concept!
In Paul’s first letter to Timothy, there is an amusing
anecdote concerning the requirements of being a bishop. “Now a bishop must be above reproach, married
only once, temperate, sensible, respectable, hospitable, an apt teacher, not a
drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, and not a lover of
money.” That should bring a smile to
even the sternest of Vatican countenances.
Obviously, married men were not excluded from the ranks of the clergy
initially. Even St. Peter, the first
Pope appointed by Jesus himself, had a mother-in-law from which the natural
assumption would be that he also had a wife.
Would a family in a Catholic rectory help fill some of those empty
pews? Judging by the successful integration
of married deacons and of married clergy from other denominations who have
converted to Catholicism, it seems that Catholic congregations are not appalled
at the idea of a wife and children inhabiting their rectories. Given the dwindling enrolment in seminaries
these days, it only makes sense to consider the option of ordaining women and
married men to the priesthood. Or are we
still afraid to move beyond those 200 years of stagnation as referred to by
Cardinal Martini?
There is certainly ample room for improvement within the
Catholic Church, but there is also a rich history and a direct line of
succession from the first Pope to the present. We can all be arm chair critics,
but do we have the guts to back it up with definitive action? The Catholic Church can be resurrected
through the combined efforts of all its members – from the top down and the
bottom up. It will take work and
cooperation, and there’s no time to waste.
So, let’s open those windows really wide this time to clear out all the
stale air of past mistakes and sweep away the cobwebs of antiquity. Let’s really talk to each other, let’s really
listen to each other, let’s really hear each other, and let’s really make some
positive changes. It’s worth it to
me. Is
it worth it to you?
“So that your faith might rest, not on
human wisdom, but on the power of God.” (1Cor 2:5)
