A Plea for Dialogue Consultation

C21Re sour c e s A S E R V I C E O F B O S T O N C O L L E G E f a l l 2 0 0 4 in this issue Pope, there is no contradiction between legitimate authority and care f u l A Plea for Dialogue consultation. Consultation, listening, and dialogue only enhance true author- Renewal of ity, because they issue from a lived A Dying Priest’s Appeal to the Bi s h o p s trust and they serve to increase trust. the Church: If I were to sum up my final plea to you, it would be: “dialogue, dialogue, dialogue!” I do not mean this the Road Two days before his death in Au g u s t accidental. In many ways the crisis in as a facile or pious slogan, for I am 2003, Re v. Msgr. Philip F. Mu r n i o n , the Church and the ensuing polariza- only too aware of its cost and condi- A h e a d founder of the National Pastoral Life tion...have only grown more acute. tions. It is for this reason, I think, Ce n t e r, sent the following letter to each Your own credibility and ability to that the Pope places dialogue within bishop in the United States. guide God’s people have been severe l y the context of an entire theological hose with long memories compromised, sometimes because of and spiritual vision and practice. In may recall Cardinal Alfredo To My Brother in Christ: negligence and lack of wise leader- his Letter, the Holy Father advocates TOttaviani, a staunch defender In his final public address on ship, sometimes because of factors a “theology and spirituality of com- of the status quo in the days before October 24, 1996, Cardinal Joseph beyond your direct re s p o n s i b i l i t y. munion,” for they “encourage a fru i t- the Second Vatican Council, whose Bernardin spoke these moving words. It is time for bold initiatives. I do ful dialogue between pastors and episcopal coat of arms pro c l a i m e d “A dying person does not have time not presume to know all the dimen- f a i t h f u l ” (ibid). Indeed, does not the Semper Idem, “always the same.” for the peripheral or the accidental. s i o n s of such undertakings. But I am living out of such a spirituality of But an earlier and more famous He or she is drawn to the essential, convinced they must emerge from the communion re q u i re dialogue as its cardinal, John Henry Newman, had the important—yes, the eternal. And deepest discernment of God’s will and v e ry life-breath: the dialogue of written: “To live is to change, and to what is important, my friends, is that the widest consultation of God’s people. prayer with Jesus Christ, the dialogue be perfect is to have changed often.” we find that unity with the Lord and In his apostolic letter, N o v o of mutual building up on the part of And Vatican II itself, after some within the community of faith for Millennio Ineunte, the Holy stro n g l y the members of Christ? debate, wrote in its Decree on which Jesus prayed so fervently on u rges practice of “the ancient pastoral A spirituality of communion and Ecumenism, “In its pilgrimage on the night before he died.” wisdom which, without prejudice of dialogue is as demanding in its asceti- earth, Christ summons the Church Now, in God’s Providence, I too their authority, encouraged pastors to cism as the spirituality of desert or to that continual reformation of write this reflection as a dying person, listen more widely to the entire People c l o i s t e r. Like them, it re q u i res its which it is always in need.” with no time for the peripheral or of God.” Thus, in the mind of the own s t ru c t u res. The Catholic tradi- This fourth issue of C21 Resourc e s tion knows well that spirituality and focuses on the Church of the future structure are not opposed. Here, as in the U.S. and what kind of change, elsew h e re, it aff i r ms the “both/and” renewal, or reform is needed in order of charism and institution, invisible to get from here to there. The art i c l e s grace and visible embodiment. Both reprinted here propose different ways a r e essential, though only one is the Church might undertake Newman’s e t e rnal. We can ill aff o rd to be less challenge without violating Ottaviani’s Catholic than the Pope himself who sense of its changeless truth. insists: “The spirituality of commun- When BC undertook two years ago ion, by prompting a trust and the initiative that came to be called openness wholly in accord with the The Church in the 21st Century, it dignity and responsibility of every sought to respond as a university to member of the People of God, sup- the shocking disclosures about sexual plies institutional reality with a soul.” misconduct by priests and the inade- For more than 20 years I have quate responses of bishops. What been blessed by working with many re s o u rces did we have in scripture, of you. I know that many have sought tradition, theology, and other intellec- diligently to consult and communicate tual disciplines to help us understand with your priests and people alike. Continued on Page 2 Continued on Page 2 B O S T O N C O L L E G E | C 2 1 R E S O U R C E S | F A L L 2 0 0 4 1 in this issue Facts, C21 R e s o u r c e s Change, Renewal and Reform: Myths,and executive editor J.A. Appleyard, S.J., The Road Ahead for the U.S. Church Vice President for University Questions Mission and Ministry e d i t o r Continued from Page 1 j o u rnals have far fewer. Why don’t Richard Higgins Catholics nourish their thinking about B Y T H O M A S J. R E E S E the issues? What kinds of changes would the Church and religious topics by advisory board p revent a crisis like this again? reading Commonweal or First Things or or those who have been Ben Birn b a u m Quickly the focus widened to look a t U.S. Catholic? We would be pleased i f following the sexual abuse Patricia M. Chang questions beyond the headlines. What C21 R e s o u rc e s leads some readers to crisis in the American Patricia De Leeuw should the roles of laity, priests, and subscribe to the journals that have Catholic Church since the Jack Dunn bishops be in a healthy Church? How been providing us with our material m i d - 1 9 8 0 ’s, the re p o rts M a r y Ann Hinsdale should we understand the Churc h ’s for the past two years. Fby the John Jay College of Criminal R i c h a rd Keeley teaching on sexuality and, especially, the Nearly two years ago, when the Justice and the National Review R o b e r t R. Newton gap between teaching and practice Church in the 21st Century initiative Board for the Protection of Children Hallie Sammartino Di Schino among Catholics? How can we live our was created at Boston College, we be- and Young People provided confir- Judith Wi l t faith as a community and hand it on to lieved that the issues challenging the mation of hunches and the destru c - the young? More than 25,000 people Church would be well on their way to tion of myths. At the same time, they consulting editor have come to campus or alumni gather- resolution by this time. That has turned left many questions unanswered. John L. Mahoney ings around the country for 130 lectures, out not to be the case. In fact, many The myths have been promoted by d e s i g n e r panel discussions, scholarly conferences, Catholics are just now understanding people on both sides of the debate: Mathew Parent and artistic perf o rmances dealing with the extent of loss we have suffered and those who want to beat up on the Progressive Print Solutions these questions. its consequences for a Church we love Church and those who want to down- The idea of C21 Resources was born and its people. play the crisis. But what are the facts C21 Resourc e s is published by Boston when we realized that many alumni and Thus, we see a continued need for a reported in this study of sexual abuse C o l l e g e ’s Church in the 21st Century friends in Boston and around the coun- program that includes the kinds of lec- in the Church between 1950 and 2002? initiative, in partnership with the try can’t come to campus for an e v e n i n g tures, conferences, articles, and books publications in which these a rt i c l e s event but want help in thinking about that you and others have come to expect first appeared.

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