Peace and Pekoe
As I read your column (and I admit I am reading it in the context of many similar voices from older ‘spirit of Vatican II’ Catholics, so I apologize if I misunderstand), you want the Church to change to embrace the moral relativism of the modern age, while retaining those elements of her teaching that fit in with modern sensibilities and serve social justice concerns focussed on life in this world (rather than the next).
My question to you, and to all that feel like you do, is why it that you want to take my Church away from me (since there is no other Church that can offer me the continuity, teaching authority, and Petrine leadership of the Catholic Church), rather than choose from the multitude of other Christian denominations that fit your description?
From my perspective, it’s a bit like thinking of yourself as a symphony lover, but demanding that the symphony replace the flutes with electric guitars and play the music you like. After all, you grew up going to the symphony and you shouldn’t have to go somewhere else just because you think modern rock music is better. So you lobby to have the symphony sell off its flutes and french horns and violas (the Church’s patrimony) to buy guitars and drums so it will sound more like what you hear when you turn on the radio. You want the symphony to be more musically ‘open’ and point to declining symphony attendance as a reason, all the while oblivious to the needs of those who are passionate about the rich traditions of the symphony and who will have no where left to go if you did (against all odds) manage to change it.
And all along, you could have what you want at dozens of music venues, without depriving anyone.
So – are you really oblivious to your insensitivity to those you would like to displace? Or do you just think that we don’t deserve to have a Church to call our home?
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