Crisis, Reform and the Future of the Church, by Anthony Man-Son-Hing, Lexio Divina [Canada], July 3, 2007

Crisis, Reform and the Future of the Church

By Anthony Man-Son-Hing
Lexio Divina [Canada]
July 3, 2007

http://lexiodivina.blogspot.com/2007/07/crisis-reform-and-future-of-church.html

Now that we've completed the exposé on the Holy Father's book Values in a Time of Upheaval, let's turn our attention to another subject. I've never been one to shy away from controversy, so let's just jump in with both feet.

When sexual scandals rocked the Roman Catholic Church in the United States of America, many observers and faithful alike called on the church to abandon its beliefs about the vocation of priesthood and sexuality outside marriage, but George Weigel saw the crisis differently.

Shortly after the crisis was first made public, Mr. Weigel, a weekly columnist who lives in North Bethesda, Maryland, published his reflections in a volume entitled The Courage to be Catholic.

In this book, Weigel explains his belief that the crisis has more to do with the question of fidelity to the true esence of Catholicism. He examines patterns of dissent and self-deception that became entrenched in seminaries, among priests, and ultimately among the bishops who failed their flock by thinking like managers instead of apostles.

Recalling the biblical insistence that 'crises' also are times of great opportunity, invitations to deeper faith, Weigel sets forth an agenda for genuine reform that challenges clergy and laity alike to lead more integrally Catholic lives.

The Courage to be Catholic was first published in hardcover (2002) by Basic Books

ISBN - 10: 0-465-09260-8
ISBN - 13: 978-0-465-09260-4

and subsequently in softcover (2004)

ISBN - 0-465-09261-6
ISBN - 978-0-465-09261-1

Publicly known cases of sexual abuse by members of the clergy first came to the fore in Canada in the late 1980's. Since that time, the bishops of Canada have implemented a number of protocols to protect the innocent and the young.

Following a lengthy period of serious reflection, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops in June 1992 published From Pain to Hope, a report by the Ad Hoc Committee on Child Sexual Abuse, which can be found by clicking here. Concacan Inc. holds copyright on this report. For reproduction of any of its material, permission is necessary from the Publications Service of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

In 2003, a Special Taskforce was created by the Bishops of Canada to review From Pain to Hope. Its report was received in September 2005 at an annual meeting of the CCCB.

In the coming weeks, I will try to examine some of the key points raised in George Weigel's book, and invite discussion about how these findings are being implemented in Canada and the United States.