COMMENTARY
Editorial
Dissent: Watching our Language
Every so often an organization or individual will identify VOTF as “nothing
but a group of dissenters,” as if this term qualifies our membership
for “mass” excommunication. These critics cite various speakers
who have addressed VOTF affiliates, such as Roman Catholic theologian Paul
Lakeland (author and Fairfield University’s 2005 Teacher of the Year),
or they will hearken back to a panelist (one of about 20) at our first
convention four years ago. Critics will even pick through a newsletter
to identify independent thinking or postings of discussions (books, conferences)
that challenge the docility of mind so long favored, and now sorely missed,
among Catholic laity. In doing so, the very real difference between dogma,
which is infallibly held, and Church teachings, gets blurred. The Church
recognizes this distinction; it is time that all the faithful share in
the understanding. First, however, let’s consider a brief look at
dissent.
Dissent Has Prospered Our Faith
There is a fortuitous history in our Church of many a new idea that has
righted grave wrongs in Church teachings, made our Church more truly “catholic”,
and prospered our faith. Critics of dissenters do the Church a great
disservice; our Church has, blessedly, changed its teaching and understanding
on some of the greatest issues of its time. Usury, Copernican theory,
divorce, slavery, our Jewish siblings, religious freedom, human rights,
capital punishment – all of these teaching moments surfaced at
the hands of faith-filled dissenters whose arguments were first dismissed
and later embraced by the Church.
Significantly, these teaching moments began with dissent
not from infallibly held doctrine but dissent toward a Church teaching. The aggiornamento introduced in Vatican II invited Catholic laity, even expected us, to join
in the caretaking of our faith. Discussion of all issues of concern held
among ourselves and shared with the entire Church seems the only rational
response to that call. Until that forum is a reality, labeling will keep
dialogue in “lock down.”
Faithful questioning is a central feature of responsible Christian Catholic
behavior. Often, the Church’s opposition to one or the other of
dissenters’ positions was grounded in the challenge to the Church’s
authority and less so on the substance of the argument; there was an
initial refusal to hear, to engage, and to remain “at the table” on
the part of Church officials. That reality did not stifle voices of conscience
that have marked every century of Church history – including our
own.
The Church Recognizes Dissent
Like others before us, VOTF does question particular behaviors that have
put children in jeopardy, fostered hostility between lay Catholics and
the ordained, and effected the alienation of countless thousands of Catholics
of all ages. We are not the first to care enough about our Church to
take on these hurdles; we will not be the last.
In 1968, US bishops wrote in a pastoral letter “Human Life in Our
Day” that dissent might be legitimate under three conditions: 1)
it is based on serious reasons; 2) it is respectful of teaching authority;
and 3) it does not cause scandal (scandal is defined as “conduct
that gives moral offense to others, incites others to do evil or provides
others with an occasion for morally wrong conduct”).
Is demanding a voice for the People of God in the conduct of our Church
rightly called “dissent”? We think not (see Theologian’s
Corner – “Servants of the Gospel; Servants of the Church”).
By the Church’s definition, this claim for a voice in our Church
is serious, respects the Church’s teaching authority and is not scandalous.
If anything in our Church over the past century can be called scandalous,
it is the crimes against children perpetrated for decades by clergy and
covered up by bishops. A close second would be the absence of engagement
by bishops with the laity – the recent statement about Eucharist
(link), for one example, was another opportunity missed for “communion” between
bishops and the rest of us. Our lived faith is essentially in and of community.
Voice of the Faithful does not challenge that definition; we seek it in
Church leadership.
Inherent Challenges for Dissenters
Dissent is no “easy out” for Roman Catholics. There are levels
of authority, even in non-infallible Church teachings; some non-infallible
teachings are “more non-infallible” than others, which is to
say that some non-infallible teachings are more approachable than others.
Clearly, history supports this understanding. VOTF secretary Gaile Pohlhaus
notes a principle that recognizes the relative importance assigned to various
Christian doctrines/teachings: “...in Catholic teaching there exists
an order or ‘hierarchy’ of truths, since they vary in their
relationship to the foundation of the Christian faith.” (Second Vatican
Council, Decree on Ecumenism, 11). However, to this day, these levels of
authority in Church teaching are not universally codified.
Language, while technically the same (in this case, English),
is often challenged as if it were foreign and the point being made is lost
in a
morass of “Church-ese” or genuine ignorance – among the
laity and within the hierarchy. Things are not as clear cut
as one might need them to be; dissent or even a simple question is lost
in nuanced listening.
Too, “wishful thinking” and the selective use of texts threaten
genuine understanding and abiding consensus. If our Church has been and
can be wrong, so can the faithful err.
Mutual respect is meaningless without dialogue and mutual benefit impossible.
One diocese welcomes female altar servers and another won’t even
discuss the subject. One diocese refuses Eucharist to a politician and
another doesn’t. One parish welcomes inquiry and the sharing of information
and another is offended by the question. One diocese or parish bans VOTF
from meeting on Church property and another attends VOTF meetings and works
with our members side by side. The USCCB issues statements that presumably
impact our faith lives but where is the lay input? How do we navigate as
a true community of believers with so many competing charts? If dioceses
operate like fiefdoms, how might anyone expect uniformity of conviction
at all?
The Good News
Profoundly significant teaching moments that grew out of dissent have prospered
our Church. Even a crisis as horrific as the sexual abuse of children
by clergy cannot shake the fundamental, immutable conviction that God
holds all of us – dissenters, traditionalists, progressives, reactionaries – in
God’s Hands. That conviction grew directly out of dissenters’ arguments
on behalf of religious freedom and ecumenism. PLT
VOTF welcomes thoughts on this commentary in the spirit of “catholic” Catholicism.
Please address your response to pthorp.ed@votf.org.
[For a quick overview on dissent in our Church, see Rome
Has Spoken by
Maureen Fiedler and Linda Rabben and Faithful Dissenters by Robert McClory; “dissent” in
the Encyclopedia of Catholicism, ed. Richard McBrien. Vatican
Council II,
Vol. 1, ed. Austin Flannery, O.P.
“The Canonical Doctrine of Reception” by Academic
Dean Emeritus of Washington Theological Union James A. Coriden is available
at the ARCC
website.
“The
Future of Dissent in the Catholic Church”, April 2005:
An interview with various theologians, including Charles Curran, prior
to the election of Cardinal Ratzinger to the papacy is available .
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition,
Article 6, “Moral
Conscience."
An interesting perspective from Australia
Also, visit the Voice
of Renewal/Lay Education pages on the VOTF website
for additional reading.]