Pope Francis and Church Reform: Comments
Abstraction has ruled for a long time, especially through textual definitions of the essential character of the human nature, imposing the violence of its "truth-force" on people in a way that can only be neurotic (at best). To the degree that classical theism reduces God to merely a supreme being, it risks to overwhelm human freedom by the absoluteness of the unchallengeable divine fiat. So, what might one wish for at a moment like this?
- An end to a climate of fear. I can only imagine how many theologians, ministers, pastors, and (dare I imagine) bishops might speak and write otherwise were there not a fear of ecclesiastical censure. We do ourselves no favors by undermining people's sense of their ability to speak and think freely.
- An engagement with what seems to me like a staggering divide between "ecclesiastical" theology and "academic" theology. Disagreement on even the most uncomplicated of issues leads to major divergences between polity and pedagogy.
- An evangelization driven less by what Paulo Freire the "banking" model of education - experts pouring answers into people's heads - and more by helping people to thematize their experiences and the world around them.
- A normalization of the (Protestant) principle that we are a Church semper reformanda. The panic that some people have expressed regarding Pope Francis' changes in tone and emphasis seems to flow from a concern that change can at most be about window dressing. But we are living in a world in which surprise reaches from the highest to the lowest level of our understanding of reality.
Saint Louis University
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Ah, a wish list. As we move toward the holiday season wrapped in the warm blanket of family and friends, we hope for every good thing. What do I hope for the church?
Certainly the issues emphasized recently by the pope, like attention to our earth and to the pastoral and material needs of the vulnerable, must top the official to-do list. Yet there is a need to dig deeper into the bag of wishes for a church that has for many years allowed its values of freedom and welcome to be buried by legalism and rules. What to do?
- First, I hope for an enduring grace for each of us, particularly for the leadership in the church. I hope we can recognize and reject the deeply personal and communal mark of original sin that we carry: our fear that we are not whole, not O.K. Many in authority surround themselves with an armor of power hoping to hide what they believe to be their own pusillanimous selves. Let them, and us, get over that lie. Secure confidence in our own worth goes a long way toward openness and attention to the experience of others: their pain as well as their wisdom.
- Second--and here I’m influenced by a recent book by Luke Timothy Johnson – I hope that we realize that scripture emphasizes our real time human experience of God as the place of ongoing revelation.. God’s beauty is found in tiny things. It is ubiquitous. Let us hope for acceptance of each other, for joy, for courage, for patience. “When it is dark enough, we can see the stars.” With the current darkness of fear, hatred, and violence, it is time to see and to reach for the stars.
John Carroll University
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When I think of the reform of the Church I think more of the people that make "Church" than the “powers that be.” Certainly, as a hierarchical church, reform needs to happen at all levels, but I think a continual reform of the laity is just as needed and just as powerful. To realize the full impact of any reforms of the Curia we must also focus on reform of the people. Otherwise they will continue to pick and choose from the "menu of faith" like they do now. My wish list?
- An increase of outreach and education to the Gen X and Millennials with a focus on changing hearts not just minds
- A removal of fear of “marketing” the parish level – it is not a secular or Protestant activity, it is a set of tools helping communication to people where they are (spiritually, emotionally, mentally, physically)
- A renewed sense of neighbor and community within the parish – I am thinking here of the sense of community among the Secular Franciscans as an example. When did we stop being our brother’s keeper?
Parish Consultant
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My wish list is very short but with far reaching implications. If the church's magisterium is serious about inclusiveness and synodality then let the pope do the following to reform the Roman Curia:
- accept lay men and women as heads of some of the dicasteries that have nothing to do with ordained ministry. There is no reason why a married woman or man cannot be the head of the dicastery on the family.
- accept women into the college of cardinals. Since there is precedence for lay cardinals (men) then the world will not end when women become cardinals of the church. For me, serious reform must not stop at beautiful speeches, they must be followed with actions. Too much speeches in our church. Now is the time for action.
Valparaiso University
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I will repeat the list of wishes I made at the time of the election of Pope Francis.
- Improve the representativeness of governing bodies and amend the still too disproportionate number of Italians.
- Increase the mechanisms of control of the administration and demand higher levels of accountability.
- Select officials from a pool of suitable candidates, considering their merits, rather than from co-optation and mentoring on the part of those with more influence.
- Provide higher transparency at all the levels of the administration, mainly in the economic field and in decision-making process.
- Improve the decision-making process; make a good use of the available information; listen to independent experts.
- Take advantage of the abundant female talents in the Church, often under-appreciated and under-exploited.
- Decentralize the administration; transfer several Vatican offices abroad.
Sometimes short steps and dealing with small issues may be more helpful than big reforms.
Pontificia Universita Antonianum, Rome
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- I still hope for the ongoing reform of the Curia. And, I really hope for a genuine reform of the U.S. hierarchy, a real commitment to be shepherds with a genuine compassion for the faithful entrusted to their care.
- I have a profound faith in the skills and commitment of the laity to continue creating and sustaining a vibrant Catholic Church - promoting new and more effective forms of faith formation; taking their place in parish leadership; sustaining quality Catholic education; giving leadership to parish outreach and service to people in need; carrying on the Catholic identity and mission in health care, higher education, and social services.
- I want to see an end to legalism in pastoral care and sacramental life. Rather than having people "prove eligibility" for sacraments, I want to see priests, deacons, and pastoral ministers who use requests for the sacraments, being godparents or sponsors, etc. as opportunities for engagement and further evangelization.
- I know that as Church we can have a liturgical life with "full, conscious, and active participation" by the entire community; that we do not have to return to "the priest saying his Mass." While I have some loftier dreams, I would be quite happy if we could get these few things done.
La Salle University
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I mention only one wish out of several: that dioceses would financially support youth and young adult ministers in parishes. Thomas Bergler, Christian Smith, John Coleman, etc. have noted the weak institutional infrastructure of young adult ministry in Catholic dioceses and parishes, especially when compared to other denominations.
In Detroit, half the parishes have a youth minister (but very few a young adult) and half of them work part-time. I did 44 interviews with youth ministers in 2014 and the composite image of those interviewed was JOYFUL but BELEAGUERED. Most were moonlighting and almost all of them were looking for another job/ministry. They want to minister to young people but they can't make a living at it. Coleman said it best back in 1991 : this is irresponsible ecclesial leadership. Parishes need to become robust centers of social connections for young adult and it takes professional paid staff to make that happen.
I agree with Pope Francis that local parishes are not obsolete; but local parishes need to ratchet-up their infrastructure and they cannot do that without money - and of course with faith, a sense of mission, and the graces of the Holy Spirit.
Michael J. McCallion, mccallion.michael@shms.eduSacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit, MI
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The Reform required for the Roman Catholic Church is hefty, not light. Reform must be systemic, not only moral. While I thoroughly agree with Pope Francis in his leadership of the reform of the Curia, it is not a broad enough reform to do what is required. The root of the public problems (e.g. money and sex) is the notion that there is a “sacred” hierarchical realm of Christians distinct from and set above the Christian people by Divine Command and, consequently a significant difference (a sacramental one?) between a clergy and a laity. The entire clump of doctrines regarding the sacrality of the papacy and the hierarchy, the backbone of the way the church is overseen, needs to be dispensed with. So I suggest the following as goals of systemic reform:
- Ending Careerism. It must be ordinary practice to keep the bishops in the dioceses to which they were appointed. The wish to better their own situation by “going up higher” has become a curse
- Ending Clericalism. There should be no distinction in the church between the clergy and laity, except in functions assigned to some Christians for some time.
- Getting rid of the doctrine that the sacrament of orders causes a ‘sign’ to be placed on the soul of the recipient marking them eternally as clergy with a special status in the church, in the Kingdom of God, and even in Hell should they go there.
- Eliminating all ecclesiastical titles and distinctions. We have only one Father and He is in heaven. “Successors of the apostles” and “the Vicar of Christ,” “Your Holiness” and “Your Grace,” “Monsignor,” and other such titles of occupancy and supernatural origin and favor should not be used.
- Appointing bishops in a predictable and horizontal fashion. When a diocese or a pastorate is vacant candidates are to be presented by representatives of the local churches and ranked publicly by the bishops of the province and discussed by the people of the diocese or their representatives.
- Consulting the people on matters of doctrine as well as church policy
- Removing bishops who abetted or abet sexual predators or any other criminals and who do so in the future.
- Calling women and married men to preside over the Eucharist
- Calling national synods composed of leaders and representatives of the local churches.
- Dropping the oath of office and its demands for secrecy wherein church leaders (bishops and cardinals) are bound to cover up corruption among the clergy and other acts which may expose the church to negative judgment.
Holy Cross College
COMMENT:
The reforms of Vatican II suffered from a lack of enthusiasm for some of the top down change decisions. Very few had a real sense of what was going on. There was talk of collegiality, but it was episcopal, not really local church collegiality. Still practically every Catholic Church in America today has a Parish Council and all kinds of commissions. Some are more effective than others.
Each generation tries to solve the problems it faces. There is no right answer so that we end up with the Pelosi/Biden Catholicism versus the Boehner/Ryan Catholicism. Neither one wants to excommunicate the other. The problem of a bottom up reform is that it is very messy. Trump and Sanders are not just clear opposites in ideas but they each represent about 30% of Americans who support each of their ideas, some of which are practicing Catholics. How do we resolve their conflicting ideas of the role of the church in society?
Good luck on ending clericalism and careerism. That would mean closing seminaries, but we are already on the way to doing that. We need more enthusiasm and less education. Cut the time of preparation to 1 or 2 years like any other master’s programs attached to Catholic Universities, not this ridiculous 5-6 years [of seminary training]. Treat the ministers like they do in the military. Some can stay 4 years while others can have multiple stints up to 20 years. Pope Benedict XIV set a good precedent. Everyone should have to retire from their positions. We should probably elect our popes for 4-6 years, with a universal plebiscite. What would that do to start off with?
It will be many lifetimes for things to change, but they have to start somewhere