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	Americanizing the Catholic Church and the American Catholic Council By Stephanie Block Spero News July 15, 2011 http://www.speroforum.com/a/57050/Americanizing-the-Catholic-Church-and-the-American-Catholic-Council What do you do when your conscience bothers you and you no longer believe the tenets of your religion? Perhaps, you switch religious affiliation. Or, perhaps – like the folks who attended the June 10–12, 2011 inaugural conference for the new American Catholic Council, a spinoff of Call to Action – you decide that everyone else, who holds the tenets you eschew, must change. Those of us slated for reeducation may find it valuable to examine the American Catholic Council (ACC) proposed reforms of the Church. To that end, the detailed conference program is quite informative. Not surprisingly, it begins by explaining that ACC’s vision continues Call to Action: “We gather in Detroit as a reminder that 35 years ago the US Bishops, inspired by Vatican II, embarked upon a courageous renewal of our Church through Call to Action here in Detroit. Neither Vatican II nor Call to Action are yet fully implemented.” The “spirit” of the Second Vatican Council, as understood by Call to Action and ACC, presented the Church with a number of specific developments. Two of these, as the conference program explains, are “The primacy and importance of Baptism—through baptism, all are called to conversion and to ministry” and “Sincere, open-minded ecumenism and respect for theological diversity.” (emphasis in the original) What this means is that ACCers want the Church to accept the communion of all baptized persons as licit, regardless of their doctrinal or moral “diversity.” The conference breakout session 14, for example, was titled “Sacramental ‘Eligibility’,” and was “particularly” concerned with “developing an inclusive theology. It will also examine the denial of Eucharist (full communion with the community) to the divorced and remarried, LGBT Catholics, and others. The hierarchy’s threats to withhold space and sacraments as tools to maintain silent obedience among the laity will be discussed.” Another point made by the “spirit” of Vatican II, as understood by ACC, is “the primacy of a well-formed conscience—the key element in decision making, particularly moral decision making.” By this, ACC means that the Church should be perfectly comfortable with any “dissent” from its teachings. Conference breakout session 11, “The Primacy of the well-formed Conscience,” was presented by Sr. Jeannine Gramick who refused a Vatican directive to stop her flawed “Church” ministry to homosexuals. “The Catholic teaching about the authority of conscience is a well-hidden Church secret,” she writes in the program notes, going on to say that the session will discuss legitimate public dissent, silencing [as a tool of the Church], resistance to change, and the development of doctrine. “Collegial and responsible decision making that respects all individuals and their Spirit-filled gifts” is a scrubbed way of saying that ACC wants a restructured, democratized Church. Breakout session 1, “Reshaping Parish Governance” was run by representatives of another Call to Action scion, Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) and posited that “Developing new participatory structures of governance is at the heart of creating a Church that models the ideals of Vatican II and the needs of our contemporary communities. This workshop will focus on discussing opportunities for greater accountability, transparency and meaningful participation on the parish level.” Term limits for pastors and pastor selection and elected, deliberative ministerial councils were some of the specific items under discussion. Another breakout session along similarly lines – #9, “Bishop Selection: Past, Present and Future,” – was also directed by members of VOTF. Breakout Session 4 was “Toward a Constitutional U.S. Church: How to Get There and Where ‘There’ is—-Implications for Governance” was another session along the same lines. Conference notes explained this session as grounded in the American experience: “Americans’ civil life includes constitutionality, due process of law, representation, choice of leaders, accountability/transparency – in brief, respecting the Human Rights of all. American Catholics’ Church life is one which does not respect Human Rights, but demands unquestioning obedience. The workshop will focus on practical suggestions for how to bring about change.” ACC, we learn, wants the Church to have a written constitution. More about that in a moment. The “spirit” of Vatican II, we learn, taught that “The Church is in the world, not above it.” To examine what that means, several breakout sessions touted the “mandate” of liberationism in its various forms. Breakout session 13, “Impact and Contribution of the Latin Communities on 21st Century Catholicism in the U.S.,” discussed “Mestizo Christianity/mulatto Christianity,” tradition and “popular religion,” and small-based Christian communities. Session 15, “Black Catholics as Subversive Memories in the Catholic: Does the Non-violent Resistance Movement in Recent US History have lessons for U.S. Catholicism?” argued that “Having developed their own “way of being Church,” Black Catholics today are articulating a Black Catholic Theology of Liberation and a Black Catholic Spirituality that is affirming and declarative of their active and vital presence in the Church today.” Breakout session 17, “The Church in the Modern World,” claimed to be an examination of Vatican II’s Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, which, it believes committed Catholics to engage “in service of greater social justice and systemic change.” That the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (Gaudium et Spes) nowhere commits Catholics to “systemic change” – certainly not the Alinskyian organizing the presenters of this session have promulgated for decades – is no problem for the ACC. This has been the Call to Action “gospel” since 1976. “Enculturation—adaptation of liturgy/prayer/spirituality to local custom (use of vernacular), respect for cultural diversity in education, governing style, worship, prayer and praxis” seems to be the one point in the ACC list of desired “Vatican II” developments that has been realized. However, any regulation of liturgical practice seems to be offensive to these folks. Breakout Session 3, “Liturgical Renewal: the “New” pre-Vatican II Liturgy in your Future,” says that “Vatican II was a marker moment in our Church because it invited the laity to full, conscious and active participation in the liturgy” and discussed how “liturgical space…can define the agenda.” Breakout session 12, “Alternative Worship Communities: 40 + Years in Two Vatican II-inspired Eucharistic Communities,” presented by members of the Call to Action-related PAX and NOVA communities explains that “many Catholics, both lay and religious, have created new ways to celebrate Catholic liturgy and community.” So, what is this agenda and to what purpose do these “new ways” of celebrating supposedly “Catholic” liturgy lead? The “issues for dialogue” of session 12 include “social action and social justice,” which in the circular reasoning of the dissenters demand the “inclusivity” already defined. The other two items sought by ACC – in the “spirit” of Vatican II – are an “Openness to all peoples: saints, sinners, women and men and a view which sees sacraments as food for life’s journey” and “Renewed emphasis on Sacred Scripture revealing the life model of Jesus as a standard for personal life and for justice.” Again, these principles are designed to re-form moral theology with the very specific goal of changing Church teaching to admit the licitness of homosexual relationships, divorce, and contraception and to restructure the priesthood to permit women and married people. Breakout session 5, “Universal Availability of Ministry: Exploring new models of Catholic ministry,” claims that “Vatican II opened the People of God to promises of inclusivity and collaboration where all might actively serve, assuming they have the needed gifts and the community’s support to do so. The fundamental necessity for universal availability of Eucharist, coupled with the current shortage of priests increases the urgency to think outside the box. This breakout will explore the experience of married and women priests who are exploring and new models of ministry to the people of God, as well as the theological underpinnings for their ministry.” Breakout session 6, “Universal Availability of Ministry: Exploring Models of Effecting Catholic Systemic Change,” continues the thought, exploring: “specific models and strategies for engaging Catholic leadership and people to effect systemic change within the current structures of Catholicism.” And breakout session 10, “Women in the Church: Strategies for Empowerment,” specifically asks: “How can ordinary Catholics begin to change the sexism and misogyny in the Catholic Church?” These are the same “issues” raised, in a fantastic exercise of Alinskyian power play orchestrated by Alinsky-trained clergy and laymen, by Call to Action over 35 years ago. A traditionally structured Church cannot sustain Liberationist ambition. Therefore, the Church must be refashioned. Appropriately, one keynote speaker of the conference, Dr. Jeanette Rodriguez, spoke about “Reclaiming the Freedom of the People of God.” Previously vice chair of the Call to Action-related Pax Christi, Rodriguez’ academic concentration is U.S. Latin American theology and theologies of liberation. So, what comes next? The first Call to Action conference was preceded by regional “hearings.” The (predetermined) conclusions from these hearings were gathered by the dissenters and presented as “resolutions” to the Catholic bishops, who were told they reflected the will of the Catholic people. In direct imitation of Call to Action, ACC conducted Listening Sessions around the country prior to its conference and, as “a way of offering people ample opportunity to create the next steps to renew the Catholic Church,” used – again, in classic Alinskyian style – what had already decided was the outcome of these hearings to prepare a document called the Catholic Bill of Rights and Responsibilities. Mirroring the Call to Action resolutions, though in no way as detailed, the ACC Catholic Bill of Rights and Responsibilities “clearly indicates the kind of changes in our Church that would follow … if it were to become a governing document for our Church.” Its basic 10 points are: 1. Primacy of Conscience. Every Catholic has the right and responsibility to develop an informed conscience and to act in accord with it. 2. Community. Every Catholic has the right and responsibility to participate in a Eucharistic community and the right to responsible pastoral care. 3. Universal Ministry. Every Catholic has the right and responsibility to proclaim the Gospel and to respond to the community’s call to ministerial leadership. 4. Freedom of Expression. Every Catholic has the right to freedom of expression and the freedom to dissent. 5. Sacraments. Every Catholic has the right and responsibility to participate in the fullness of the liturgical and sacramental life of the Church. 6. Reputation. Every Catholic has the right to a good name and to due process. 7. Governance. Every Catholic and every Catholic community has the right to a meaningful participation in decision making, including the selection of leaders. 8. Participation. Every Catholic has the right and responsibility to share in the interpretation of the Gospel and Church tradition. 9. Councils. Every Catholic has the right to convene and speak in assemblies where diverse voices can be heard. 10. Social Justice. Every Catholic has the right and the responsibility to promote social justice in the world at large as well as within the structures of the Church. Untangling the threads of distortion from these ten points requires consideration elsewhere. Let us simply note that every Catholic does have the freedom to dissent and to express that dissent. Of course, there’s honest dissent and dishonest dissent. If he’s honest, the Catholic who no longer believes Catholic doctrine or who can no longer tolerate Catholic structures becomes a Presbyterian or whatever suits his conscience best. There’s nothing to stop him but his own cowardice. If he’s malicious, however, it isn’t enough for him to express his dissent freely but he must bully believing Catholics into submission. The ACC demand for “freedom to dissent” doesn’t really concern a personal right to express individual conscience but a collective power of the dissenters to suppress traditional Catholic belief. As one writer expressed it, back in the days when liberationism was spreading across South America: “The main reason, then, for not breaking with the Church and for asserting the right to remain in her, even as priest, is “the greater political effectiveness” they will have in these circumstances.” [Bonaventure Kloppenburg, OFM, The People’s Church, Franciscan Herald Press, 1978, p 83]’s politically effective, all right. Stephanie Block is the editor of the New Mexico based Los Pequenos newspaper. She is a founder of the Catholic Media Coalition.
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