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Fumbling Toward Grace

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In which I get up on my soapbox…

In which I get up on my soapbox…

Last updated on: February 16, 2011 at 11:00 am by Sarah Babbs

In which I get up on my soapbox… 2011-02-16T11:00:36-04:00 Sarah Babbs

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again.

I try really, really hard to avoid Church politics, which is actually not that hard most of the time, since, in some kind of miracle, I had been very blessed to have many friends who love the Church as much as I do.

But every once in a while I see something that truly makes me want to bash my head against a wall crying, “Why God? Why?”

Some theologians in Germany (not to be confused with *the* German theologian of the day, Pope Benedict XVI), wrote a letter to the Church. That was nice of them.

I’m really glad I found this and can adjust my life accordingly.

The first two paragraphs address the sexual abuse crisis that has plagued the Church in recent years. Apparently it only really matters now since it has been an issue in Germany in the past year. Where were the good German theologians in 2002 when the crisis was at its peak in the US? Just curious.

I mean, I get it. The sexual abuse within the Church was a terrible, horrible thing. Any and all priests who were found to have done that should have been de-frocked and turned over to the police, as I’d expect anyone who abuses children to be. However, what really frosts my cookies is when people take the opportunity to take advantage of those who have been abused in order to push their agenda. Which, would you believe it, is exactly what these theologians then proceed to do.

The level of self-importance which comes from statements like this is truly astounding:

We consider ourselves responsible for contributing to a true new beginning: 2011 must be a Year of Departure for the Church.

Yes, that’s right. A bunch of theologians hardly anyone has ever heard of would like us all to drop the Church fathers and 2000 years of Tradition faster than a sack of hot potatoes, jump ship, and ride with them into the sunset. Where do I sign up?

In the past year, more Christians than ever before have withdrawn from the Catholic Church. They have officially terminated their legal membership, or they have privatized their spiritual life in order to protect it from the institution.

Now, this is interesting. “Officially terminated their legal membership”? I know a fair few lapsed Catholics, and I’m pretty certain there’s no exit survey for someone to fill out when they decide to stop practicing their faith. I’m not even sure I know what the second part of that sentence means.

And even if it were true in Germany, even if it were true in all of Europe, even if it were true in the US too (which I don’t think it is), it wouldn’t matter. The Church *does not* subsist in Germany, or Europe, or even, *gasp!* the US. All of these places are small parts of the Church, and we’d do well to remember how (in)significant we really are.

We are the mission field. I went to a college that had a major seminary attached to it, and I used to tutor the seminarians in English who came from places like Columbia, India, Nigeria, in order to become priests for us. Because we need them. The doors of the seminaries and religious orders in these parts of the world are bursting at the seams with men and women begging to become part of this Church. Apparently because they’re not part of the academic establishment and don’t live north of the equator, they do not matter. They are not the Church the same way these German theologians are. Not to mention the fact that each year in the US alone, 200,000 people become Catholic either through baptism or by entering full communion as adults.

Moving on, the GT (German theologians) claim that, When it comes to acknowledgment of each person’s freedom, maturity, and responsibility, modern society surpasses the Church in many respects.

Really? So the secular culture’s definition of freedom, meaning “I can do whatever the hell I want, even if it destroys you, me, or anyone else in the process” is superior to freedom understood as the ability to choose and do the good?

So the secular society’s definition of maturity and responsibility which says “If you’re physically capable of slapping a piece of rubber on your genitals, never mind if you’re committed, never mind if you love each other, never mind if you know her(or his) name – you’re a responsible citizen!” is superior to the Church’s definition of responsibility which calls for the absolute highest standards in interpersonal relationships, and which says that true responsibility is a function of love, which lays down its life for the beloved?

Oh absolutely, the world has a few things to teach the Church. I’m so glad the German theologians are here now to show us the error of our ways.

So now that they’ve told us how terrible the Church really is, or, as they say, raised our consciousness, they’ve provided us with a plan of action. Dears.

1. Structures of Participation: In all areas of church life, participation of the faithful is a touchstone for the credibility of the Good News of the Gospel. According to the old legal principle “What applies to all should be decided by all,” more synodal structures are needed at all levels of the Church. The faithful should be involved in the naming of important officials (bishop, pastor). Whatever can be decided locally should be decided there. Decisions must be transparent.

Hmm, where have we seen something like this before? Oh, that’s right. Mainline Protestant churches. You know, the ones that are on rapid decline and fracturing every other year. Like the Anglicans. Hey, didn’t a bunch of them just join the stodgy, Catholic Church?

One of the strengths of the Church, which makes it universal, which is what Catholic means, is that you can walk into a Catholic Church anywhere in the world and hear the Mass. Mass is Mass. It’s in every language, in every place. We went to Mass in Rome when we were there; we speak no Italian, but we were able to follow along, because it’s the same Mass we say here.

GT might say, “well, we’re not talking about changes to liturgy”, but as far as I can tell, even without using this model, there have been enough changes to liturgy, and not all of them good.

What’s to stop a parish from “deciding by consensus” that Jesus isn’t really present in the Eucharist, so what the hey, let’s just do away with the tabernacle? Or, as is more apt to happen, let’s stick Jesus in a coat closet so the drums and guitars can be front and center.

2. Community: Christian communities should be places where people share spiritual and material goods with one another. But community life is eroding presently. Under the pressure of the priesthood shortage, larger and larger administrative entities (Size “Extra Large” Parishes) are constructed in which neighborliness and sense of belonging can hardly be experienced anymore. Historical identity and built-up social networks are given up. Priests are “overheated” and burn out. The faithful stay away when they are not trusted to share responsibility and to participate in democratic structures in the leadership of their communities. Church office must serve the life of communities – not the other way around. The Church also needs married priests and women in church ministry.

I suppose the people writing this are using their experience in Germany to say that “community life is eroding presently”. Because while it’s safe to say that in some parts of the world that may be true, it sure can’t be said for the Church as a whole. Not even close.

Community life in the Church in religious orders that have young women beating down the door to get in, that doesn’t seem much like erosion.

The Church in Africa doesn’t really seem to be eroding either. Hmm. Must be that south of the equator invisibility again.

Personally, I belong to a parish where I’d estimate that 90% of parishoners not only believe what the Church teaches, but they live the faith. There are many, many large families. Even though we have only altar boys, there is never a shortage of servers at Mass. There are always at least six young men serving at each weekend Mass. And what’s more, people go to the Church basement and hang out together after Mass. They go out for brunch or coffee. They go to each other’s homes. There are men’s groups, women’s groups, bible studies. If that’s eroded community, well, it sure doesn’t feel like it.

Finally, we can’t miss that sentence stuck on the end there. Give us married and women priests! But they fail to even offer one sentence telling us why we should abandon Tradition to do things their way. I guess it’s just us thick-skulled hug-the-Vatican Catholics. GT, if you want to win on this one, you’ll have to paint me a picture.

I’m just going to skip the passage where they call for acceptance of contraception and same-sex marriage in the Church, because it makes my eyes bleed.

Let’s keep moving along to the part where they use the word sinners in quotation marks as if a sinner is a mythical creature like a “unicorn”.

5. Reconciliation: Solidarity with “sinners” presupposes that we take seriously the sin within our own ranks. Self-justified moral rigorism ill befits the Church. The Church cannot preach reconciliation with God if it does not create by its own actions the conditions for reconciliation with those before whom the Church is guilty: by violence, by withholding rights, by turning the biblical Good News into a rigorous morality without mercy.

I can only guess what GT is referring to here.

Withholding rights = not letting women and married men be priests, not allowing contraception, fornication, and not accepting same-sex marriage in the Church?

rigorous morality without mercy = thinking that individuals are capable of sinning, and encouraging them to actually seek reconciliation with God through going to confession? That’s my guess anyway.

Violence = the sexual abuse victims.

Well, GT you got one out of three.

And last but certainly not least, they address the liturgy.

6. Worship: The liturgy lives from the active participation of all the faithful. Experiences and forms of expression of the present day must have their place. Worship services must not become frozen in traditionalism. Cultural diversity enriches liturgical life, but the tendency toward centralized uniformity is in tension with this. Only when the celebration of faith takes account of concrete life situations will the Church’s message reach people.

Here come the liturgical dancers! No, seriously. And if you don’t like the fact that you can’t see the consecration taking place because there’s a pretty flag twirling in front of the altar, well then you must just be frozen in traditionalism.

What this really means is: do whatever the hell you (and your newly elected pastor) want. It’s all just a bunch of hocus pocus, right?

Yes, I do know that hocus pocus is an anti-Catholic phrase, making fun of the Latin used during the Mass. That’s right, the Mass used to be in Latin, and in some places (like the parish I go to), parts of it still are! But anyone who likes even one little Latin prayer must be frozen in traditionalism. Brrr.

This is why I avoid Church politics. It just makes me angry. And unlike GT, because I believe that sin is real and I am a sinner, I have to work on things like being angry. Excuse me while I wipe the foam from my mouth and go teach my baby some Latin.

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