Forum: Time of Immense Change
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When I was a young man, I was a Chicago Catholic. I enjoyed that position, although I considered it one of an unfairly beleagured minority. With the changes in American society brought about in the aftermath of World War II. I quickly entered the American mainstream as a middle class citizen, with the changes in my mentality and position that seemed appropriate.
Among those changes was my position in the Catholic Church. Prior to these changes I considered the local bishop to be a tribal leader, whose decisions were beyond my ability to comprehend or alter. After the changes I took an entirely different view of the matter.
I was now a better educated person and capable of making decisions for myself. So were thousands of my fellow young Catholics. Unfortunately, the bishops did not share our views in this matter. They were determined to make these decisions by themselves, and, are still so determined. That has provided a difficult position for the entire Church, which has always been a voluntary assembly.
At roughly the same time, enormous changes were taking place in American society. In the middle 1960’s a tide of opinions changed the thinking of the entire society. Almost overnight, American society became highly individualistic, sensate and pragmatic. Its principal heroes became Elvis Presley and the publisher of Playboy magazine, Hugh Heffner.
So, both the Church and American society were radically changed, and in a manner unacceptable to me and many of my contemporaries. Nevertheless, we remained a committed part of both societies. We welcomed change, but not any change, and were determined to endorse changes that improved each society and did not serve to undermine them. That has remained our aim.
Today, in this writer’s view, both groups are in a state of chaos. For example, neither is able to deal satisfactorily with some of their principal constituencies; women, the young and Hispanics.
We live during a time of immense change. The patriarchal society we have lived in for thousands of years is drawing to a close. The movement for the equality of women with men is one of the chief realities of our time. Where it is leading us we are not sure, but the fact it is a reality is certain. Neither American society nor the Catholic Church is dealing with this reality satisfactorily. We are very slow to give up the control men have held for centuries.
Young people are objecting more than is usual for them to the dishonesty and outward lying of their elders. They are learning not to trust anyone in any area, politics, buisiness, the Church, etc. This lack of trust, if it continues, will destroy all of these institutions.
The nation does not know how to handle the great influx of Hispanics as evidenced by the immigration situation. The Catholic Church does not know how to deal properly with this group, either. Hispanics are leaving that institution in great numbers, and the Church does not know how to deal with this fact.
If this situation continues with these groups and others, our principal institutions will prove useless to the great detriment of society at large. But, as is the case with all such challenges, the opportunity for progress is clear and present.
This author is concerned principally about the Church. Although he is also deeply concerned about this country, he will surrender suggestions for the future of the nation to others.
The Catholic Church has a rare and wonderful opportunity in the United States today. Whether or not it will take advantage of this opportunity is highly doubtful. The chief reality that militates against its taking advantage of today’s opportunity is an organizational structure that is completely outdated. It reflects good organizational thinking of the thirteenth century but is worse than useless in today’s world.
The present organizational structure of the Roman Catholic Church is a top-down one. The theory is that all authority comes from God to the pope and is shared by those he designates. Contemporary theory holds that all authority comes from God to the people and is shared by those the people choose to be their leaders. It is a bottom-up theory and is the basis for democratic structures.
As an aftermath of the current sexual abuse crisis in the Church demonstrates the bishops, middle management figures chosen by the Vatican and primarily answerable to it, have refused to loosen their control of the structure, thus vitiating other efforts at institutional reform Among other things, this violates the principle of collegiality, or shared responsibility, endorsed by Vatican Council II.
The above fact coupled with the reluctance of the Catholic laity to institute needed reforms, for a variety of reasons including clergy opposition and a nasty internal struggle, suggest today’s opportunities for institutional reform will be bypassed. Thus a clear hope for the immediate future of the Church will go unmet.
