Entitled "The Laity's Response", the December 16th Editorial of the Jesuit magazine America provided compelling arguments for listening to the likes of the Voice of the Faithful.
Citing Vatican II's "The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church.", the editors admonished the hierarchy to listen, stating that: " . perhaps at no time in the history of the church in this country have these words [of the Dogmatic Constitution] been more appropriate. As American Catholics reflect on the revelations of the past year concerning sexual abuse in the priesthood, many are feeling moved to "express their opinions."

A Greater Role in the Decision-Making Structures

America noted the consequent desire of the laity to have a "a greater role in the decision-making structures of the church.", observing the laity's belief "that the involvement of laypersons would have prevented the reassignment of abusive priests. (One frequently hears it said that a parent would not have been so quick to reassign such a priest.)". Outlets for venting their anger or for satisfying a need to help their church are other reasons cited by the editors who conclude that "Whatever the reasons it is clear that many laypersons increasingly feel called to seek a greater voice in the church. It is also obvious that the church needs to hear this voice in a new way." (emphasis supplied)

Banning Meetings on Church Grounds Condemned

America finds the "hidden agenda" and "anti-church" arguments without merit. "Such responses fly in the face of the teaching of the quotation [from the Dogmatic Constitution] cited above. Rejecting the anti-church charge, America point out that ". laypersons certainly have the right to organize into groups. There is assuredly nothing "anti-church" about organizations of laypersons, particularly those who have faithfully participated in their local parishes as deacons, Eucharistic ministers, lectors and teachers-are not they too the church?"
Notwithstanding the bishops' ultimate authority over church buildings, America observes that ". these buildings are for the community and its members-after all, they paid for their construction and upkeep."

A Presumption of Innocence

The "hidden-agenda" argument is similarly dispatched. Virtually all catholic gatherings include members with disagreements at odds with the hierarchy. ".it is wrong immediately to ascribe negative motives to groups whose stated goals seem in line not only with church teaching but also common sense.. In these times, it is helpful for all-laity and hierarchy-to remember St. Ignatius Loyola's dictum that one should always be willing to understand a person's words in the most positive light. Bishops who now ask for trust in the wake of the scandals should model this virtue by trusting the laity."

Effective Lay Involvement

The challenge according to America is to find ways for effective lay involvement. Noting the mixed results of Parish and diocesan pastoral councils and the issue of "who speaks for the laity", the editors call for the "revitalization of these structures." and the need of both laity and bishops to take them "more seriously". After recalling the failure of the hierarchy to act on Cardinal Joseph Bernardin's Common Ground initiative, a mistake "for which they are now paying the price.", the editors conclude:"Today the laity feel "duty-bound" to express their opinions. If the hierarchy fails to listen, the U.S. church could suffer from the plague of anticlericalism that has afflicted the European church for more than a century. No harm is ever done by listening."
Amen

Tom Dowling