This document expresses the view of the writer alone,
and not that of Voice of the Faithful.

TOWARD A HEALED AND RENEWED CATHOLIC CHURCH

Expectations and Requirements for The New Archbishop of Boston,
and For All Bishops and Pastors

by
Anthony T. Massimini
(Tonymary@att.net)

Introduction

As this time of deep suffering caused by the collapse of leadership and trust in the church, Christ is calling all Catholics to come together to prayerfully discern the intentions of his indwelling Spirit, so we can collaborate with the Spirit in working to cleanse and renew our church and move it forward into the 21st century. We pray that these expectations and requirements are a true response to Christ's intentions.

As Catholic laity, we accept the authority of our bishops and pope. We also gratefully acknowledge the wonderful ministry to the poor, sick, homeless and marginalized that they have provided throughout the years. Unhappily this paper will necessarily focus on the negatives that cry to be corrected. In this light, we commit ourselves to fully exercising our rights, responsibilities and obligations to make our views and needs known, and to work with all our bishops and pastors to cleanse the church of its present scandal and help restore its moral credibility.

These expectations and requirements do not in any way dissent from church teachings; in fact, they are expectations and requirements for the full implementation of church teachings. They also move us to put aside all pious clichés and to speak out with spiritual clarity and prophetic truth.

Our expectations and goals are grouped in accord with the three goals of Voice of the Faithful. They are necessarily stated in general terms; details will be worked out in particular dioceses and parishes. For the sake of ease of language, I refer to all bishops and archbishops simply as, "the bishop." All that is said of pastors applies, with the necessary distinctions, to all priests.

Goal No. 1: Support the Victim/Survivors of Sexual Abuse and Rape

1-1. We expect and require that the bishop openly acknowledge and demonstrate a full understanding and appreciation of the meaning of "scandal," especially as it applies to the behavior of those bishops who aided, abetted and covered-up the sins and crimes of the abusing and raping priests, and who continue to cover up their own responsibility for the suffering and scandal.

Scandal takes on a particular gravity by reason of the authority of those who cause it or the weakness of those who are scandalized.

Scandal is grave when given by those who by nature or office are obliged to teach and educate others. -- Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 2284, 2285, 2287

1-2. We expect and require that the bishop step out from behind his lawyers and address the victim/survivors directly, pastorally and personally. He will treat them first as wounded members of Christ-as bleeding expressions of Christ crucified-whose angels always look upon the face of God (cf. Mt. 18:10). Like Christ himself, the Shepherd and Guardian of souls (1 Peter 2:25), he will listen to them, discern their needs, and work for their deepest healing, no matter what the price. For them, he owes a special accounting to God (cf. Acts 20:28; Heb. 13;7).

1-3. We recognize that the church has an institutional/legal framework, but we also recognize that this aspect must never be primary. (Cf. Avery Cardinal Dulles, Models of the Church), We expect and require that the bishop see and treat the church first as the People of God (Vat. II, Lumen Gentium, No. 9), in whom the Spirit of Christ dwells, giving all members full and equal human and baptismal dignity. (Canon 208). Pope John Paul II, in Novo Millenneo Ineunte, (Jan. 6, 2001), speaks of, "the rediscovery of the Church as "mystery" or as a People of God, "gathered together by the unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit."

With the victim/survivors clearly in mind, the bishop will also first see and treat the church as the Sacrament of Christ's presence in and for the world; as the Herald of Christ's Good News; and as the Servant to the World in the Spirit of Christ. (Dulles, Models of the Church). After all these prior aspects are fully acknowledged and respected, and within their context, the bishop will then use the institutional/legal process to obtain the fullness of justice for all parties involved in this scandal.

1-4. We expect and require that the bishop preserve all records pertaining to the sexual abuse and rape of all victims, and the cover-up of these sins and crimes. He will submit these records to the proper civil authorities, so they can exercise their legitimate duty to investigate and ascertain if any crimes have been committed. We expect and require that these records and investigations be made public. (Cf. Accountability in Goal No. 3 below)

1-5. We expect and require that the bishop tell the full truth regarding the financial condition of his diocese. He will not use the threat of bankruptcy as a means for propaganda or for gaining any advantage over the victim/survivors. (Cf. Canons 129, 492, and Accountability in Goal No. 3 below)

1-6. In all things, we expect and require that the bishop place the good of his people before all else-especially the good of children, the poor, the sick and the marginalized. He will not under any circumstances prefer anti-Christian, aristocratic clerical power, privilege or secrecy-all of which are obstacles to full Christian service and accountability to the whole church. (Cf. Canon 209.)

Goal No. 2: Support for Priests of Integrity

2-l. We expect and require that he understand his priests' promise of obedience to him in the full light of the priests' human and baptismal dignity, and of their prior obligation (which binds all members of the church) to courageously obey the will of God. While necessarily reserving final decisions to himself, he will openly encourage all priests to express their own discernment of the Spirit regarding what is good for the church. a.

In cases where there is a sincerely held division of views among the priests, the bishop will put away any spirit of recrimination, and work to heal this division and bring about a new unity of understanding and spirit among the priests themselves and between the priests and himself.

2-2. We expect and require that the bishop publicly acknowledge and celebrate the lives and ministry of all his priests who are ministering to their people in the Spirit of Christ.

2-3. We expect and require that the bishop put an end to all denial, and acknowledge that some of his priests are suffering from such problems as loneliness, depression, alcoholism, immaturity, material excesses, and arrested sexual development. He will look honestly and deeply into the causes of this suffering and take all necessary steps to relieve it, especially utilizing the professional help of qualified laity. (Cf. Donald Cozzens, The Changing Face of the Priesthood; Richard Sipe, Sex, Priests and Power) 4.

2-4. We expect and require that the bishop honestly study the total sexual culture that prevails in the priesthood, paying special attention to the question of priests' emotional maturity. (Cf. "The Role of the Church in the Causation, Treatment and Prevention of the Crisis in the Priesthood," 1971, by Dr. Conrad Baars. Dr. Baars estimated that 15% of all priests were emotionally fully developed; 20-25% had serious psychiatric problems, and 60-70% suffered from lesser degrees of emotional immaturity.)

2-5. We expect and require that all priests, deacons and religious receive continuing education, especially on the teachings of Vatican II, with particular focus on the rights of the laity to participate in the church in accord with the gifts the laity receive from the Spirit.

2-6. We expect and require that the bishop acknowledge that today's seminarians are to be prepared for parish ministry in a way that avoids the pseudo-monastic mindset that isolates them from necessary maturing influences, and disconnects them from the people whom they are called to understand and serve. Rather, we expect and require that their seminary preparation develop their ability to minister to the faithful with mature and effective understanding and compassion. This includes their ability to recognize and work with those members of the laity who enjoy the spiritual gifts of insight, service, teaching and counseling, and those who can help ensure the laity's prophetic and ecumenical involvement in the institutions of today's society. (Cf. Vat. II, Lumen Gentium, No. 35; Decree on Ecumenism; Jn. 7:7, 14:17, 16:11; Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 408; Pope John Paul II, Ut Unum Sint)

Goal No. 3: Restructure the Church

The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in authority over them are addressed as "Benefactors": but among you it shall not be so. Rather, let the greatest among you be as the youngest, and the leader as the servant. For who is great, the one seated at the table, or the one who serves? Is it not the one seated at the table? I am among you as one who serves.
Luke 22:25-27

3-1. In light of Jesus' explicit requirement, we expect and require that the bishop will finally remove from himself the "Gentile," i.e., pagan trappings of clerical power and domination, privilege, material excess, and the absence of accountability to the laity, and assume his proper Christian role as the Shepherd-Servant of his people in the Spirit of the humble Christ (Cf. 1 Tim. 3:1-8; Titus 1:6-9).

• He will recognize that the princely trappings of domination, privilege and secrecy are a pagan accretion that scandalously disconnect him from the people whom Christ calls him to serve. Instead, he will live in full and close Christian communion with his people. (Cf. Canon 1287)
• He will recognize that his ordination and his office as Shepherd-Servant in the Spirit of Christ are all that is necessary to gain him full Christian respect.
• Putting aside all pagan notions, he will ensure that when the rich and powerful contribute their money and influence to the church, they do so without having to be entertained with the trappings of power and material excess.

3-2. We expect and require that all priests and pastors serve in full communion with their people; that they live, work, teach and preach in terms of the laity's experiences and world, and not in the terms of the clerical culture, with its pagan mindset of domination, privilege, isolation from the laity and their world, and absence of accountability.

3-3. As an essential exercise of the bishop's full and open communion with the church, we expect and require that he provide for the continuous participation of the laity in the governance and operation of the church.

In the church, "lay members of the Christian faithful can cooperate in the exercise of this power [of governance] in accord with the norm of law." (Canon 129).

An individual layman, by reason of the knowledge, competence, or outstanding ability which he may enjoy, is permitted and sometimes obliged to express his opinion on things which concern the good of the Church. When occasions arise, let this be done through the agencies set up by the Church for this purpose. Let it always be done in truth, in courage, and in prudence, with reverence and charity toward those who by reason of their sacred office represent the person of Christ.
Lumen Gentium, No. 37

We expect and require that the bishop go beyond the institutional requirements for occasional diocesan synods, parish councils, etc., and set up mechanisms for a continuous dialogue between pastors and all the laity, as befits the operations of the living, mystical body of Christ. When synods and councils do occur, they must cease to be composed of hand-picked laity, who rubber stamp items listed on a theologically and spiritually restricted agenda.

The theology and spirituality of communion encourage a fruitful dialogue between Pastors and faithful: on the one hand uniting them a priori in all that is essential, and on the other leading them to ponder agreement in matters open to discussion.

To this end, we need to make our own the ancient pastoral wisdom which, without prejudice to their authority, encouraged Pastors to listen more widely to the entire People of God. …As St. Paulinus of Nola urges: "Let us listen to what all the faithful say, because in everyone of them the Spirit of God breathes."

While the wisdom of the law…attests to the hierarchical structure of the Church…the spirituality of communion, by prompting a trust and openness wholly in accord with the dignity and responsibility of every member of the People of God, supplies institutional reality with a soul.

Pope John Paul II, Novo Millennio Ineunte, No. 45

. We expect and require that the bishop discard the false and deceitful arguments that have been put forward against Voice of the Faithful, and permit them to meet on their own church property, and welcome them into full dialogue with him and their pastors. In the Spirit of Truth, it is time to say clearly and forcefully that it is not for the faithful, wounded and deceived Catholic laity to prove their orthodoxy; it is for the domineering and truth-obstructing bishops to prove their orthodoxy. Voice of the Faithful is operating in full accord with the teachings of the church. Should it in any way move outside of church teaching, it will immediately correct its error.

3-4. We expect and require that diocesan and parish financial committees include qualified members of the laity and regularly give a full and detailed accounting to the laity. (Canon 492). Qualified laity should participate in all administrative operations, for which seminary training and ordination do not qualify pastors or bishops.

3-5. Since "Christ's faithful are at liberty to make known their needs, especially their spiritual needs, and their wishes to the Pastors of the Church," (Canon 212, Par. 2), we expect and require that the laity will have a full voice in expressing their own needs and expectations concerning the qualifications of the bishops, pastors and priests who exercise responsibility in Christ for their spiritual welfare.

3-6. We expect and require that the bishop acknowledge the full importance of the church's teaching that the laity form 99% of the People of God, who believe infallibly in matters of faith and morals.

The body of the faithful as a whole, anointed as they are by the Holy One (cf. Jn. 2:20) cannot err in matters of belief. Thanks to a supernatural sense of the faith which characterizes the People as a whole, it manifests this unerring quality when, "from the bishops down to the last member of the laity," it shows universal agreement in matters of faith and morals. Vat. II, Lumen Gentium, No. 12

The infallibility promised to the Church resides also in the body of bishops when that body exercises supreme teaching authority with the successor of Peter. To the resultant definitions the assent of the Church can never be wanting.

Lumen Gentium, No. 25 (Italics are mine)

3-7. The bishop will therefore acknowledge that his authority to teach can never be exercised without first consulting the faith of the laity. This applies especially to matters of moral conduct, e.g., concerning the family, sexuality, the dignity of women, the protection of our children, the effective and moral use of financial and material goods, business administration, and spiritual involvement in the institutions of society-in all of which the laity enjoy the overwhelming preponderance of graced experience.

[The Spirit] distributes special graces among the faithful of every rank. By these gifts He makes them fit and ready to undertake the various tasks or offices advantageous for the renewal and upbuilding of the church, according to the words of the Apostle, "The manifestation of the Spirit is given to everyone for profit." (1 Cor. 12:7). These charismatic gifts, whether they be the most outstanding or the more simple and widely diffused, are to be received with thanksgiving and consolation, for they are exceedingly suitable and useful for the needs of the church.

The Church in the Modern World, No. 12 (Italics are mine)

By reason of their state in life, [Christian spouses] have their own special gifts in the People of God.

Catechism, No. 1641; Vat. II, Lumen Gentium, No. 11

The importance of the laity's contribution to the church's teachings on moral conduct is further appreciated when we realize that moral teaching arises from the union of our faith with the whole church's best scientific and professional knowledge, clearest educational, economic, political and ecological experiences, keenest artistic sensitivity, and deepest and most heartfelt understanding of human nature, family, and society.

The laity also contribute their ecumenical experience by working with people of good will of all religions and traditions as they express Christ and his glory, and help build up the human community and the earth.

a. We therefore expect and require that the bishop set up diocesan and parish mechanisms for continuous consultation with the laity, to discern the ongoing faith of the laity in matters of faith and morals. (Cf. Canon 212).

3-8. We expect and require that the bishop and pastors provide for the continuing education and spiritual formation of the laity. Education will focus especially on Vatican II's teaching on the nature and operation of the church, on the need for the laity's full participation in the church, and on developing the laity's ability and responsibility to know with clarity and strength what they believe, i.e., to discern the Spirit's presence and intentions-in and for themselves, one another, the church, and society. (Cf. Canons 213, 217, 225 and 227; The Church in the Modern World, No. 43)

Conclusion

In responding to the present tragedy, we are all called not only to help correct what is wrong but also to re-envision the church in the light of the Spirit of Christ and the needs of today's and tomorrow's world. This is especially true on behalf of our youth, who must believe, live, and develop well-informed and spiritually mature consciences in a heavily individualized and paganized world.

In collaboration with the Spirit of Christ, we can create a healing renewal of community and trust in our church and world, as we live our daily "Way" in Christ, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Finally, may the Spirit of Christ lead us to gather up this renewal in grateful and joyous worship, to which we bring our life in the church and the world, as an offering to Our Loving Creator, to be transformed, together with bread and wine, into the Body and Blood of Christ, whom we then take anew to help make ourselves, one another and the world a more luminous expression of him, to whom be all honor and glory. Amen.