The Catholic Church is now in freefall. Vatican II called for adaptation to the modern world. Most of the opportunities for adaptation have been missed. How do we catch the last bus?
Since WW II the western Catholic Church has been visibly in decline. This is part of a huge cultural change which is world-wide. Christendom was the prevailing social and political structure of Europe from the 4th century to the 17th. A high point was Louis XIV, hand in hand with the French hierarchy. But at the same time the Enlightenment was raging, undermining its very core structure. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic in America a new, democratic social order was being established, based on Enlightenment principles. Democracy won the day and the Church was left a disempowered widow.
The full effect of enlightenment ideas, like power from the people and individual human rights, came to the fore in the reconstruction of Europe after the devastation of WWII. The Church still looked the same, but was no longer the political force it had been.
Vatican II was called to work out how to handle this new world order. It changed the preferred image of the Catholic Church from that of a hierarchical organization set up by God, to the People of God on a common journey. The egalitarian and interactive qualities of the new world order replaced the hierarchical and static qualities of the pre-Enlightenment order. The Church was adapting to the modern world – on paper.
Many who formerly had submitted to the old order had sniffed the breeze and abandoned the church. That flow of departures – small enough to start – was to grow into a torrent. Vatican II had alerted us to equality of membership and the need to adapt to fast social changes, but it was up to the membership to be nimble footed in adapting if it was to stem the collapse.
Vatican II finished in 1965. But the adaptation to the new world order got bogged down. The opportunity bus has driven by time after time and the church has missed it. Why? A restorationist, right-wing movement mobilized to halt any further adaptation and re-instate the old order. This small, but well connected group had major influence under Montini(Paul 6), but found its champion in Wotyjla(John Paul 2) continuing under Ratzinger(Benedict 16).
Their methodology in extending their power was to appoint like-minded ideological bishops. The Australian leader of the pack was George Pell who has succeeded in getting his own men appointed as archbishops of Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart. See https://publish.pearlsandirritations.com/eric-hodgens-catholic-culture-wars/ for details on the development of these culture wars.
The Australian scene is fast changing. Same sex marriage and assisted dying are now legislated. Culture war champion Cardinal Pell has been convicted of child sexual abuse and is in jail. Financial compensation claims are growing rapidly depleting the reserves of dioceses and religious orders.
The same sex marriage campaign was a hot button issue for the Vatican and Australian restorationists. Australian bishops decried it as “against nature and against God”. Polls showed that Catholics disagreed with them. The archbishop of Sydney waved the ideological flag but was ignored. Another bishop was reported as donating $250,000 to the “No” cause – but in vain.
The Restorationists are now crying foul on religious freedom to enable them to continue religious discrimination in their institutions. A similar scenario happened on assisted dying. Their call is to continue criminalisation of assisted dying while most Catholics say leave people free to decide.
Melbourne’s Archbishop Comensoli has banned the renowned American Benedictine Sister Joan Chittester from speaking at a national Catholic Education conference in Melbourne. True to Pell, his mentor, he signals a return to the bad old days of episcopal censorship and misogyny which we had thought had gone.
Finally, Frederick Martel’s book “The Closet of the Vatican” has shocked the world with its exposé. The Vatican has pursued a relentless, homophobic policy under Wotyjla and Ratzinger – yet the papal bureaucracy are overwhelmingly gay, heavily compromised and hypocritical. Some of the loudest to condemn homosexuality are themselves active gays. As this book sinks in Catholics will become more disgusted and ashamed.
We (first person because I personally identify with this hapless Church) missed three main opportunities for adaptation: Mission, Message and Ministry.
Mission: The South American bishops were the early adopters of a new mission – the preferential option for the poor. They set up Basic Christian Communities to serve the needs of the poor and protect them from oppression. This was deliberately reversed by Wotyjla using episcopal appointments to replace pastoral bishops with hard liners.
Message: life-centred catechesis started re-articulating Christianity as a way of life to be lived, rather than a set of doctrines to be memorised. The restorationists, under Ratzinger, gave us the Catholic Catechism – more doctrine and rules including positions at odds with what mainstream Catholics believe.
Ministry: Counter-intuitively priestly vocations have been dropping since WWII – even during the baby boomer period. Proportions were dropping. Nobody wants that life-style, especially as a male preserve with celibacy attached. Vatican II’s call for nimble footed adaptation could not break through the rock barrier of clericalism. Today’s cleric may be like the wounded knight in Monty Python’s Holy Grail – but he still blocks the ministry door.
Liturgy – the central ministry – was to be adapted to local culture. Instead, it became a culture war battleground resulting in unspeakable liturgies and language. A pyric victory for the Wotyjla/Pell camp because the people are abandoning not only the liturgy but the church itself. And once they go they do not return.
The Catholic Church is now in freefall. Most of the opportunities for adaptation have been missed. Some parishes are still working well – but they will be the last. Their worried pastors can take heart that their ministry is still needed and valued by the remnant of believers. By providing faithful service they are still on the bus – even though it may be the last.
Eric Hodgens is a retired Catholic priest who ‘writes a bit’.
Eric Hodgens is a Catholic Priest living in retirement. He writes for P&I, International Lo Croix and The Swag.
Comments
7 responses to “ERIC HODGENS. Missing the Catholic Bus.”
The church of Jesus in our future as People of God will be contemplative and alive in small groups. The more we are “Roman”, we are less Catholic and universal : less living the Good News of the teachings of Jesus and connected to the Christ of cosmic reality. The practice of meditation and compassion will bring action and hope. I am delighted by the leadership of Pope Francis and look forward to the Spirit delivering surprises in 2020. We could see the Roman Pontiff legislate in 2021 in ways that will be wonderful.
Great article, Eric. There is an interesting book by Brian Tierney, The Idea of Natural Rights, in which he argues quite convincingly that the modern concept of human rights had its origins not in the Church’s medieval theologians or even with the Enlightenment but with the canon lawyers from the 12th and 13th centuries. Of course, those ideas were built upon by the philosophers of the Enlightenment, and it is quite strange that the Church saw such ideas as a threat as it moved into the modern era, and even more so with John Paul II and Benedict. That’s not the first time the Church has turned its back on its own tradition. It did so in 1917 by abrogating the canons that required priests child sex abusers to be handed over to the civil authorities.
I’ve lived in Asian countries where buses were badly maintained and yet very overcrowded. The Western bus of Catholicism has been neglected/badly maintained but it has fewer and fewer passengers. At the moment I prefer to walk with fellow travellers who have seen the high price of drivers who are aged, male and following an ancient map when the roads and the passengers have changed beyond recognition. Thanks for the article.
Great article Eric, but sorry to say, the last bus for the Australian Catholic Church left sometime ago. In fact, long before the call for a Plenary Council. Such a call was the last desperate attempt to catch the bus, but alas, it only heard the classic reply: “Excuse my dust!”
How clearly you explain the church I have been part of for so long. I am still clinging to the running board, just , in hope of a change of direction. Keep up the fight Fr. Eric.
Cheers, Jack
One of your best Eric. I suspect that the Catholic Church that still flourishes in the West will be increasingly fundamentalist, providing the ‘certainty’ that appeals to some.
Good one Eric.
Philippe Aries memorably designated the 20th century as the Century of Adolescence – meaning, I think, that clinging to ‘youth’ – in context of global warfare -and aftermath- was living a life neither innocent as a child nor competent as an adult – but – to apply my own/ a common word: Lost.
It’s not for me to say wither the RC Church – I am lost to the faith of my fathers. But I might be of some use with the diagnostics and I value this contribution.