Pope Benedict XVI has returned to his walled in City the Vatican. What
will be the legacy of his trip to the United States? He called on our
Catholic Bishops to be “engaging and imaginative.” Lamenting the state
of Liturgy in the Church he wondered if preaching had “lost its salt.” He
recognized the shortage of vocations in the Church and the need for
more priests and religious. Addressing the deep divisions within the
Church he called for healing. Additionally, he called on all Catholics to
take their beliefs into public life. Finally he made a gesture to the
Victims of sexual abuse by priests, this can either be viewed as pastoral
sensitivity, or to little to late depending on your perspective.
The question on the minds of many active
Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Catholics is will he be able to talk
openly and honestly about sexuality in general, and homosexuality in
particular? Will he be able to broadly cast the net of Peter to include the
International Gay Community?
In a homily given by the Pope he called for a new Pentecost, a new
spring for the Church in America. What happened to change the
supposed ‘hard-line’ Cardinal Ratzinger into the open-minded Benedict
XVI. The answer is quite obvious; he was confronted by the realities of
the American Church, and its dynamic diversity. The job is obviously
defining the man. Will this call for a new Pentecost be interlocked words
representing more moral pabulum, or a real call for diversity and
inclusion? Is he capable of walking the talk
The Pope wants our bishops to be engaging and imaginative? Given their
track record this would appear to be a delusional hope. These are the
same men who broke their commission from Christ to protect the little
ones. Are the bishops able to “recapture the catholic vision of reality” in
“in an engaging and imaginative way.” when they are led by a Pope who
seems to hide from it. Leadership calls loudly for responsibility and
transparency. His silence about institutional nuts and bolts was
surprising giving the current state of the Church. Is this Pope capable of
leading his bishops by example, or is this more of “traditional
religiosity,”?
While the Pope laments the state of the Liturgy he engages in the same
activity he accuses others of engaging in. He put on a show, not a liturgy
by instrumentalizing the Liturgy and turning it into some sort of dramatic
theater, and stunning display of papal splendor. Liturgy of the Word is
suppose to educate and that end result was not achieved. “The goal of
all our pastoral and catechetical work, the object of our preaching, and
the focus of our sacramental ministry should be to help people establish
and nurture that living relationship with ‘Christ Jesus, our hope’ (1 Tim
1:1).”
As long as the struggle continues between adherents of the Council of
Trent, and those of Vatican II the deep divisions in the Church will
continue. Instead of calling for healing we need to look at ways to bring
about healing by refurbished structures of transparency, accountability
and consultation in a wide range of matters, including finances, parish
closings and the appointment and assignment of bishops and pastors?
The obvious 900 hundred pound guerrilla in the room no one wants to
consider is another Ecumenical Council for the Church Universal.
Exactly what does the Pope mean when he says that Catholics should
take their beliefs into the public square? Does this mean promote
legislation that follows Catholic Dogma, or does he mean bring the
Gospel of fellowship into the public arena. What is troubling for many
Catholics both straight and gay is that such a blanket statement than can
be used as a tool of religious fundamentalism in the Church and outside
of it. Such statements only lead to abuse such as playing politics at the
communion rail.
Finally, Benedict met with a very select group of victims of the clergy
sex abuse scandal. The question that is being raised by victims groups,
is this cosmetic, done for the benefit of the press, or is there real change
taking place? If the Pope is serious he will make some necessary
changes in his curia, and if he is not, the victim’s and their allies will
continue the struggle for justice. In either case it will be a painful
process.
If healing is to take place I believe the Pope must address three
questions, how can healing happen, and what part does he play in
creating a environment of healing, or does he think it will happen on a
evolutionary basis in which case he has no part to play. The lasting
impact of the Pope’s visit may hang on the answer to those three
questions.
Susan Barry
Contributing Columnist
Rainbow Sash Movement
will be the legacy of his trip to the United States? He called on our
Catholic Bishops to be “engaging and imaginative.” Lamenting the state
of Liturgy in the Church he wondered if preaching had “lost its salt.” He
recognized the shortage of vocations in the Church and the need for
more priests and religious. Addressing the deep divisions within the
Church he called for healing. Additionally, he called on all Catholics to
take their beliefs into public life. Finally he made a gesture to the
Victims of sexual abuse by priests, this can either be viewed as pastoral
sensitivity, or to little to late depending on your perspective.
The question on the minds of many active
Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Catholics is will he be able to talk
openly and honestly about sexuality in general, and homosexuality in
particular? Will he be able to broadly cast the net of Peter to include the
International Gay Community?
In a homily given by the Pope he called for a new Pentecost, a new
spring for the Church in America. What happened to change the
supposed ‘hard-line’ Cardinal Ratzinger into the open-minded Benedict
XVI. The answer is quite obvious; he was confronted by the realities of
the American Church, and its dynamic diversity. The job is obviously
defining the man. Will this call for a new Pentecost be interlocked words
representing more moral pabulum, or a real call for diversity and
inclusion? Is he capable of walking the talk
The Pope wants our bishops to be engaging and imaginative? Given their
track record this would appear to be a delusional hope. These are the
same men who broke their commission from Christ to protect the little
ones. Are the bishops able to “recapture the catholic vision of reality” in
“in an engaging and imaginative way.” when they are led by a Pope who
seems to hide from it. Leadership calls loudly for responsibility and
transparency. His silence about institutional nuts and bolts was
surprising giving the current state of the Church. Is this Pope capable of
leading his bishops by example, or is this more of “traditional
religiosity,”?
While the Pope laments the state of the Liturgy he engages in the same
activity he accuses others of engaging in. He put on a show, not a liturgy
by instrumentalizing the Liturgy and turning it into some sort of dramatic
theater, and stunning display of papal splendor. Liturgy of the Word is
suppose to educate and that end result was not achieved. “The goal of
all our pastoral and catechetical work, the object of our preaching, and
the focus of our sacramental ministry should be to help people establish
and nurture that living relationship with ‘Christ Jesus, our hope’ (1 Tim
1:1).”
As long as the struggle continues between adherents of the Council of
Trent, and those of Vatican II the deep divisions in the Church will
continue. Instead of calling for healing we need to look at ways to bring
about healing by refurbished structures of transparency, accountability
and consultation in a wide range of matters, including finances, parish
closings and the appointment and assignment of bishops and pastors?
The obvious 900 hundred pound guerrilla in the room no one wants to
consider is another Ecumenical Council for the Church Universal.
Exactly what does the Pope mean when he says that Catholics should
take their beliefs into the public square? Does this mean promote
legislation that follows Catholic Dogma, or does he mean bring the
Gospel of fellowship into the public arena. What is troubling for many
Catholics both straight and gay is that such a blanket statement than can
be used as a tool of religious fundamentalism in the Church and outside
of it. Such statements only lead to abuse such as playing politics at the
communion rail.
Finally, Benedict met with a very select group of victims of the clergy
sex abuse scandal. The question that is being raised by victims groups,
is this cosmetic, done for the benefit of the press, or is there real change
taking place? If the Pope is serious he will make some necessary
changes in his curia, and if he is not, the victim’s and their allies will
continue the struggle for justice. In either case it will be a painful
process.
If healing is to take place I believe the Pope must address three
questions, how can healing happen, and what part does he play in
creating a environment of healing, or does he think it will happen on a
evolutionary basis in which case he has no part to play. The lasting
impact of the Pope’s visit may hang on the answer to those three
questions.
Susan Barry
Contributing Columnist
Rainbow Sash Movement
Pope Benedict XVI is he for real?
Rainbow Sash Movement
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