Liberal Catholics to discuss future of church

[rug]

(CNN) - Left-leaning Catholics from around the globe will convene in Detroit this weekend for a meeting to discuss what they believe to be the need for reform, openness and greater democracy within the church, according to the American Catholic Council, the organization hosting the convention.

The council is a coalition of more than 30 Catholic reform groups dedicated to opening discussion about the current state and future of the church.

Calling the conference "a weekend of worship, education and dialogue," convention organizers intend to call for financial transparency and democratic decision-making within the church, a recommitment to social justice, marriage options for priests and greater roles for women, possibly including the priesthood.

To arrive at these discussion points, conference organizers held forums with Catholics across the country.

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/06/09/liberal-catholics-to-discuss-future-of-church/

[Angry Dragon]

1. I have had huge problems with the Catholic Church leadership

for the last 45 years.
I hope these people meeting this weekend have a very, very productive event.

I would hope that if the leadership is not willing to change then it is time for the people to take back their church........

[onehandle]

2. Social justice is still there. But the rest seems unlikely anytime soon. nt

[progressoid]

4. Does social justice include marriage, priesthood for women, gay rights etc?

[onehandle]

5. No, but it never was. That's what I refer to by 'the rest.'

The OP's article also addresses it as a separate thing.

[cleanhippie]

17. WHAT social justice? To use that term in this context is a perversion of the word.

Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_justice






Just WHAT, exactly, has the catholic church done that meets this criteria? Womans choice? Nope. Equal treatment of women in the clergy? Nope. Equal treatment of the GLBT community? Nope. Protecting children from pedophile priests? Nope.



Social Justice? The Catholic Church would not know Social Justice if it fell out of the sky and landed on the Vatican.

[ergot]

3. I don't get why many churches seem to think "left leaning" is wrong...Jesus was about as

left-leaning as any human in history. :eyes:

[eShirl]

8. +1

[ergot]

12. It's really sad that so many "Christian" sects venerate Leviticus

from the OT, no less) and the letters from Saul, the terrorist from Tarsus who didn't even live in the same period as Jesus (the putative icon of their very religion), who got his inspiration from eating funny mushrooms and falling off a donkey on the way to Damascus....but they pay little to no attention to what Jesus actually did or did NOT say. If you modernize the language in the Sermon on the Mount and show it to a typical contemporary "Christian", he will call it Communist Propaganda.

[demosincebirth]

20. Main line Protestant churches are, basicly left leaning. Did you know that?

[Maccagirl]

6. What will it really accomplish?

The powers-that-be hate liberals and have totally ignored/denegrated us for decades.

[demosincebirth]

7. The Church is very much to the left when it comes to it's core teaching on

social justice, workers rights and the poor.

[rurallib]

9. what it says and what it does are two widely different things.

[demosincebirth]

15. I said it's "core" teachings. I know for some its hard to admit that, and in turn

bring up issues that the Church has always been to the "right" of, politically. If everyone was perfect, life wouldn't be much of a challenge...would it?

[trotsky]

16. But many "core" teachings ARE to the right.

Opposing any form of birth control - this directly leads to worse conditions not only for women but society in general.

Its stance against homosexuality - to claim the same organization supports "social justice" is a mockery of the term as long as it's got that black stain.

Etc.

[demosincebirth]

19. So you say. nt

[trotsky]

27. And so they do. n/t

[progressoid]

10. As long as social justice doesn't include gay rights, women's rights, etc.

[laconicsax]

11. +1

Or the right of children to not be raped by priests.

[trotsky]

14. Nothing, of course.

What would get their attention is if every single liberal Catholic formally left the church. That is, if there are really as many liberal Catholics as some like to believe.

[GeorgeGist]

13. Do they really think that reforms ...

will make Catholicism true?

[skepticscott]

18. It's both funny and sad

that so many Catholics seem to regard their religion as something remotely resembling a democracy. Or to think that the conservative core that controls and will continue to control the church for the foreseeable future cares one whit about their little "reform groups".

[rug]

23. It's not nearly as funny as using 21st century definitions to analyze a 2,000 year old religion.

Sad, too, now that you mention it.

[dimbear]

21. History records many attempts to liberalize the RCC. They all end the same way.

For your instruction, read up on the Albigensians and then the Catholic Modernist movement. These real historical attempts are strangely parallel to the fictional attempts to liberalize Jurassic Park.

[rug]

22. Thisis really not about the Cathars.

[okasha]

28. The Albigensian/Cathar movement was not in any way

an attempt to "modernize" the Catholic church. It was a fundamentally different form of Christianity.

[dimbear]

29. That would seem to put in question the probity of their extermination.

Wasn't that based on their being apostates and/or heretics? Otherwise, harsh measures appear almost wrong.

BTW, liberalize, not modernize. The 'Catholic Modernist' movement is the name of an ill fated and doomed movement in (mostly) the 19th century. Just two areas of interest.

[Leontius]

24. Does any form of Councilar movement still exist among the Bishops

any more? As someone on the outside of the Catholic Church I have felt that a strong group like the one that existed before Trent would have some chance of reforming the church along more liberal lines.

[rug]

25. Not as far as I know. The governance is tightly controlled from the center.

In fact, this is more typical.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/02/3204821.htm

I agrre that reestablishing strong synods and councils would go a long way to reform and openness.

[laconicsax]

26. Will they be discussing the Church's protecting serial rapists? Or is that too pedantic?

:shrug:

[rug]

30. Update: The American Catholic Council holds special mass in defiance of church leadership

DETROIT (WXYZ) - More than two thousand Catholic faithful flocked to Cobo Hall on Sunday as the American Catholic Council wrapped up their three-day conference with a mass.

The special service was held in defiance of church leadership, who said the council is at odds with church teachings.

Parishioners who attended Sunday’s mass say the Catholic Church needs to be more open on a number of issues - specifically allowing women in the priesthood, permitting priests to marry and the acceptance of gays, lesbians and transgender worshippers.

“It just seems right to have our activities not exclude anyone. Invite them all as Jesus would have,” said Janet Haulter, co-chairwoman for the council.

http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/detroit/the-american-catholic-council-holds-special-mass-in-defiance-of-church-leadership

More:

http://www.freep.com/article/20110612/NEWS05/110612013/Archbishop-blasts-Ferndale-priest-s-leading-liberal-Mass

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/12/us-usa-catholics-idUSTRE75B2CE20110612