I think it is fair to say that a great wave of indignation, much of it well-placed, is now unfolding against the [Roman] Catholic Church. No matter what language you speak, the perception that the Catholic Church is above the law or that it is not bound to the same ethic of truthfulness as everyone else is a haunting indictment that knows no boundaries. Many feel betrayed. Many just walk away.
But as more and more Catholics walk away from active participation in the life of the church or take a pass because of what they see as a lack of adherence to the truth, absolutists gain more and more ground, especially among the leadership that is only too happy to cater to the will of those who delight in flattering obedience.
When discipleship is solely focused on blind obedience, leadership has an easy way out. When this happens, I believe, the real mission of the church suffers.
To where, then, does discipleship lead? To faith and hope, of course. And ultimately it leads to love and justice, the practical exponent of love. It is the road that carries us home to God. “Charity begins at home,” Charles Dickens used to say, “and justice begins next door.”
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Quote of the Day
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