Commentary
Language Matters

Catholics needn’t wade through more than a week’s news to find a pretty stark divide between various groups over the word “voice.” For example, the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, the advocacy arm of the church in this state, has initiated a campaign for Catholic voter registration – the idea is to get Catholics to use their Catholic voices at the polls. Yet one wonders, Where is the public policy forum push (heck, I’d settle for an invitation) for Catholic voices within the Church? In the same week, we learn that the USCCB Committee on the Laity has published a pretty rosy picture of those Catholic voices within the Church. A careful read of the statistics and a few obvious questions (e.g., who makes up these councils, are they advisory/consultative/deliberative, are participants appointed/elected and by whom) suggest both hope and caution toward the USCCB web site headline, “Opportunities for Lay Consultation Expanding.”

Next to terrorism, language may be the most insidious weapon on the planet. As with all reform efforts, context matters, too. Is understanding each other mutually desirable? For example, in the global arena, the question remains as to whether or not understanding the terrorists will bring about peaceful alternatives to their stateless war. That’s the goal for those who would wish for peace – it may not be what the terrorists have in mind.

For VOTF and most active Catholics, the current goal is a healthier, safer Church. For Church leadership, the goal appears to be survival – that may mean substantive lay involvement (a VOTF goal), or it may mean simply doing things differently, as articulated by Bishop Wuerl (see Reading Options page). Are these compatible? Do we want the same things? If not, where can we come together? If so, what’s holding things up? How can we know and where do we start?

Certainly, one area of broad agreement among Catholics is the need for lay education. While most Catholics are unable to attend the myriad conferences and panel discussions held all over the US on issues of concern to all of us, there are several publications that not only report on the substance of these dialogues but direct readers to what is often a mini-course curriculum of continuing education. National Catholic Reporter, Commonwealmagazine, America magazine, Human Development are a few such resources that contribute mightily to this task. The Catholic News Service www.catholicnews.com , the USCCB web site www.usccb.org , www.bishopaccountability.org and the Vatican web site www.zenit.org are excellent on-line resources.

For readers beyond the East region, the Boston College Initiative “The Church in the 21st Century – From Crisis to Renewal” is a superb model for answering many questions Catholics have asked for decades. Many of these discussions are available in hard copy just for the asking. The C21 Resources is a publication that reprints articles and presentations on the current crisis in the Catholic Church and the path to renewal. C21 Resources, which produced its inaugural issue in April 2003 is available free of charge. Just go to www.bc.edu/church21 and sign up.

Books, too, and several are noted with excerpts below, are worth, minimally, a thorough scan.

It’s pretty clear that Catholics represent a broad spectrum of thinking on the future of our Church. It is also pretty clear that we cannot begin to talk to each other if we don’t have anything substantive to say. VOTF is committed to ongoing education to the end of empowered voices. Church leadership, too, will be empowered and enlightened by the educated discourse we bring to collaboration in the “governance and guidance” of the Church. Resolving differences and reconciling visions does not mean agreement on all issues – it means resolving differences and reconciling visions. In other words, it means we are working together.

After his recent North America speaking tour, National Catholic Reporter Rome correspondent John Allen said that he found, “…a dynamic, passionate network of Catholics on this continent awaiting inspired leadership. Imagine what might happen if they got it.” Imagine, indeed.

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