Saturday, June 9, 2012

It Is The Bishops Who Speak For The Church

Fr. Francis Sullivan, S.J.
Distinguished commentators in the New York Times and elsewhere wrongly interpret the assessment as "a stinging reprimand of American nuns," or an attempt "to muzzle American nuns." Contrary to these misguided critiques, the assessment expresses concerns about aspects of the conference itself. It is critical of the conference's silence on certain key issues facing the church and society, e.g., the dignity of human life from its conception to natural death, the biblical view of marriage and the family. It also expresses apprehension that the conference fails to support the church's official teachings on such issues as women's ordination and homosexual activity. 
Jesuit theologian Francis A. Sullivan points out that all Christians share the apostolic mandate to proclaim the good news of Christ to the world. Bishops have inherited the apostolic ministry of pastoral leadership with a fullness that others have not. Because of this charism, it is the bishops who speak for the church. At the same time, the voices of other members of the church - for example, women religious - need to be heard because they speak in the church. 
As the U.S. bishops, the Vatican and the conference embark on their "patient and collaborative renewal," there must be a reverent respect and mutuality between those who speak for the church and those who speak in the church.
Link (here) to read the full article by Fr. Gerald D. Coleman in The San Francisco Chronicle

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

It must be "received" however--and that is where natural reasoning and discernment of individual Catholics comes into play. This isn't a military force.

Maria said...

It used to be :) St Ignatius, pray for us.

Anonymous said...

It used to be?! Are you nuts!? You really don't know your history.

Maria said...

"The evil spirit tries to seduce not only the human mind but also the human will. He entices our wills by releasing our passions. He wants to arouse the passions of the flesh and, what is less obvious, the passions of the soul. Why should he want to do this? What connection is there between passion and sin? The connection is that of cause and effect. Sin always leaves its mark on the sinner. It is like throwing a bottle of nitric acid into a person’s face and burning out his eyes. Every sin we commit weakens our powers of reason and intelligent perception. The more serious the sin and the more often committed, the greater is this induced darkening of man’s most precious possession, which makes him most like God, his ability to think. Sinners do not think, they emote, and then write learned volumes defending their irrationality".
--John Hardon SJ

Sawyer said...

The Church's teachings are proclaimed through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and the faithful in the Church who allow themselves to be led by that same Spirit will receive the teachings, for it is the same Spirit who inspires both. Those who are led by a spirit of another sort, a spirit contrary to the Holy Spirit, will not receive the Church's teachings. Reason is not superior to the theological virtue of faith. Although reason may complement faith and assist faith, reason may not pass judgment on the content of faith because faith is not of human origin.

That's all you get on this one, anonymous Jesuit troll. I won't bite on anything else you post in this thread, nor should anyone else.

Maria said...

God love you, Sawyer...

Anonymous said...

Oh Sawyer, how tolerant of you to share your wisdom!

Actually, your positing of reason and faith is faulty. We are discussing how Catholics "receive" a teaching, i.e, through the lens of discernment. Notwithstanding Maria et al.'s incorrect assertion that "once upon a time" the Church operated as a smooth, top-down military outfit, our the history of our Church is much more complicated.

--Mr. Troll