EDITORIAL Mahony confronts controversy, sets model
Increasingly on this page we have lamented the growing climate of
fear in the church and the right-wing campaigns against respected theologians
and other thinkers and activists.
Too often local bishops have moved to cancel speaking engagements
or interfered with catechetical programs, in the process smearing reputations
and lives of long service in the church.
So it was refreshing to receive a statement by Cardinal Roger
Mahony, archbishop of Los Angeles, in response to critics of speakers
participating in that city's giant annual religious education congress.
This congress, an immense undertaking that draws tens of thousands
of educators from around the United States and other countries, has been fair
game for critics on the ultra right in past years.
To his credit, Mahony has largely disarmed the critics with a
statement that could well be a model for other bishops and dioceses under
similar circumstances.
First, he grants the good intentions and dedication of the
thousands who have a "profound commitment to their Catholic faith" and who
attend the conference. "Whether they be professional educators or volunteers,
they are women and men who seek to deepen and to grow in their own
understanding of the faith so that they might better share it with others back
in their home parishes and schools."
He assures everyone that both he and the organizers of the
conference are "fully committed to the teachings of the Catholic church" and
notes that the teachings are based on scripture, tradition and documents from
the magisterium, "especially the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the
fundamental compendium of Catholic theology for contemporary catechesis.
"Should any doubt arise about any opinion or statement offered by
any speaker or presenter at the congress, only the normative teachings
contained in these sources and resources should be considered correct," he
writes.
The speakers who participate in the congress, said Mahony, come
"fully approved by the diocesan bishop where he or she lives and is engaged in
pastoral ministry."
In the most significant paragraphs of the statement, Mahony makes
it clear it is not the role of the congress "to promote the personal agenda of
any group or faction within the church. Rather, the congress provides the
opportunity for religious educators to meet and hear speakers and presenters
who are some of the most outstanding experts in their respective
disciplines.
"Some theological and liturgical issues within the church are
topics of continuing discussion and debate, and our adult Catholics, well
grounded in the normative teachings of the church, possess the intellectual
fortitude and the spiritual discernment to grapple with many of the complex
discussions taking place within the church -- as they have for many
centuries."
Mahony's statement contrasts dramatically with the tactic used by
Archbishop Francis Schulte who, fearing reaction from conservatives, recently
interfered with the scheduled appearance in New Orleans of moral theologian
Jesuit Fr. Richard McCormick of the University of Notre Dame (NCR Feb.
14). Most striking is Mahony's willingness to grant that "adult Catholics" have
the intelligence, faith and integrity to deal with complexity.
It is a welcome expression of trust and confidence in people who
deeply love the church and spend much of their lives working to spread its
message. Such a gesture enhances the church's credibility far more than the
actions of Catholic leaders who feel compelled to act out of fear.
National Catholic Reporter, February 21,
1997
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