I very rarely comment on the bad aspects of other Catholic publications. I'd rather focus on the positive things to be found in each than on the ways they might contradict or subvert Catholic teaching. That's why, for instance, I occasionally cite or discuss John Allen's columns in the National Catholic Reporter (Allen is perhaps the best Rome correspondent employed by any English-language Catholic newspaper), but keep my silence about the rest of that publication.
But every once in a while, a publication runs something so monumentally stupid that it would be wrong not to say anything. That is the case with a blog post on "In All Things," the group blog of America, the Catholic weekly run by the Jesuits.
The post, entitled, "What If 'Occupy Wall Street' Could Be Attempted in the Catholic Church?", was written by Tom Beaudoin, a Boston College Ph.D. who is an associate professor of theology in the Graduate School of Religion at Fordham University, where (according to his website Rock and Theology--that's rock music, by the way, not Peter or the rock of our faith), "he teaches courses in practice-based theologies." The Jesuits used to understand that "practice-based theologies" is redundant; any true theology implies practice. Of course, that's not really what Professor Beaudoin means by this awkward phrase.
What he means can be found in the first sentence of his blog post:
While participating in the "Occupy Wall Street" protests in lower Manhattan, I have begun to wonder what would happen if Catholics took this model and applied it to their passion for and grievances with their own church.
I wish I could say that the post gets better from there, but it doesn't. It's the same tired Call to Action Catholicism that I and Mr. Beaudoin (who seems to be approximately my age) have been hearing about all of our lives. Or rather, it's a dumbed-down version of that extreme manifestation of what Pope Benedict calls the "hermeneutic of discontinuity" applied to Vatican II. At least some of the Call to Action folks, even today, try to express their desires in terms of faith, rather than Mr. Beaudoin's political mumbo-jumbo:
Imagine a group of Catholics whose deep care for the future of their church is matched by their sense of responsibility to name, protest and change what is intolerable about that church today: in the form of nonviolent physical occupation of spaces, in the form -- necessarily imperfect and unruly -- of democratic organization, in the form of continued open-ended articulations of visions of a different Catholic Church, without prematurely forcing the movement to take on a specific agenda. And yes, in the form of consciousness-raising and of direct action. This would be the Catholic version of the Arab Spring, to combat the long Catholic Winter.
I'll spare you the rest, with its language of class warfare transferred from "rich" and "poor" to "ordained" and "non-ordained"; click through and read it if you wish. But if you do, make sure to read the first comment, which succinctly summarizes the silliness of the good professor's--well, argument is too strong of a word.
Mr. Beaudoin is fired up, because he's been participating in the Occupy Wall Street protest. I'll reserve comment on that protest except to note that Catholic social teaching, from Leo XIII's Rerum novarum to Benedict XVI's Caritas in veritate, has much to say about our present situation (and, if followed, would dramatically change many of the conditions that both the Occupiers and the Tea Partiers claim to oppose). But Mr. Beaudoin, rather than proposing to take Catholic social teaching into the streets to change our economy and society for the better, wants to take secular street demonstrations into the Catholic Church, to make the Church founded by Christ look more like the streets of lower Manhattan.
Here's a thought: What if massive numbers of Catholics--faithful, disaffected, fallen-away--did indeed Occupy the Catholic Church, not by imposing their own limited agendas on Her, but by truly treating Her as Mater et Magistra (Mother and Teacher)? What if they began attending Mass faithfully every Sunday, availing themselves of the Sacrament of Confession, and letting the Church do Her duty of informing their consciences, rather than subjecting the Church to the criticism of individual consciences that would better be called malformed than informed?
Imagine a country in which every pew in every Catholic Church is filled every Sunday, and every parish has to offer daily Mass because the faithful demand it. And imagine those faithful taking the sacramental and sanctifying grace that they have received from the altar out into the streets, to become the salt of the earth and the light of the world.
Imagine there's a Heaven, and that Christ founded His Church in order to help us get there. And imagine the social revolution that would be brought about by millions of American Catholics pursuing their personal sanctity.
It's easy if you try.
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An excellent rejoinder to an exceptionally silly piece.
Only one thing to say is AMEN!!!
Silly piece? Yes! Let’s hope nobody takes it seriously!
After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Catholic Church turned barbarians into civilized people. She can do it again.
We started Occupy Archdiocese of Oklahoma City for the purpose of raising the visibility within our archdiocese of the social teachings of the Catholic church. We’re praying the Rosary for the justice and peace and solidarity intentions of the wider Occupy! movement. So there’s more than one take on this.
Bob, thanks for the comment. It’s good to see Catholics who are approaching this in the right way.
I agree with you and so do millions of others
Convincing evidence that, at least in some cases, common sense can be educated out of a person. The greater sin is that this man is forming beliefs in others.
please get your head out of the cloud of conservatism you occupy. There are plenty of things to protest about the church. Is it right for biships to shelter pedofiles (even if former classmates?) is it right to shutter growing and active parishes in order to raid coffers? You probably despise the Jesuits because many focus on caring for the poor rather than having gold everything to serve communion, protest violence against the poor rather than protest at soldiers funerals. There are many things the church should be doing rather than be hypocritical…
“the beaver,” please point to anything I’ve written that suggests that I think that sheltering pedophiles or closing parishes is a good thing. Or, for that matter, anything I’ve written that suggests that I “despise the Jesuits.” Of all the priests I’ve quoted by name on this GuideSite, Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J., is undoubtedly the one I have quoted most often, and I have deep respect for Fr. James Martin, S.J., the culture editor at America, even though I don’t always agree with him.
Beyond that, your comment suggesting that I would support a “protest at soldiers funerals” is despicable. If you do not like what I write, feel free to debate it, but do not suggest that I support things that I do not, or that I despise people whom I do not.
I have to take one thing I wrote above back. Of all the priests I’ve quoted, Pope Benedict is the one I’ve quoted most often. Father Hardon, S.J., is only a close second.
Speaking of Fr. James Martin, S.J., here’s a wonderful video of Father delivering a series of Catholic jokes:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/father-james-martin-on-humor-and-religion/2011/10/18/gIQAax2muL_video.html
Be warned, though: “the beaver” won’t like it. The first joke makes fun of the Jesuits. I guess Father Jim is a self-hating Jesuit.
I can’t say LIKE enough. These so called jesuits have some serious issues. I’m hoping that people recognize the pseudos from the true Jesuits and their mission. Father Pacwa is a wonderful example of a true disciple of Jesus and guides people in true Catholic teachings.
Imagine a country in which every pew in every Catholic Church is filled every Sunday, and every parish has to offer daily Mass because the faithful demand it. And imagine those faithful taking the sacramental and sanctifying grace that they have received from the altar out into the streets, to become the salt of the earth and the light of the world.
Yes! Amen, amen!
Scott, thanks for speaking for so many of us. I rejected the Church and all it stood for while still a teenager, and finally woke up and returned much later in life. No one is forced to be a Catholic. The “progressives” who insist on “reform” would be do both themselves and the rest of us a very good deed by tucking into one of any number of loosey-goosey Protestant denominations or woo-woo megachurches more compatible with their lifestyle and moral compass.
Beaver, regarding that “cloud of conservatism” panicking you: please actually read Catholic social teaching before you sound off about it. When you do, you’ll see a wonderful “seamless garment” that is pro-immigrant, pro-worker dignity, pro universal healthcare, and pro-education as well as pro-life. Catholicism in practice has noting to do with the simplistic left-right political contstructs you and many others are mired in. Liberate thyself.
JMJ
Great article. I saw that swill last week and was disgusted. Thank you for spot on analysis. Ad Gloriam Ecclesiae!
Sorry, but it’s ALREADY occupied. Jesus lives there.
I bet he’d like more company!!!
I think Beaudoin is going to absurd extremes, but probably out of a monumental frustration much of the laity feels toward a church hierarchy that not only dismisses their feedback but has been complicit in perpetuating and covering up one of the worst strings of crime and abuse in modern history. There is frightening moral corruption going on at the highest levels of our Church, corruption that goes back generations (unless you believe the claptrap about the ’60’s causing the sex abuse), corruption that seems not exceptional but perhaps even endemic. The laity is not just frustrated, they are, in many cases, horrified that these criminals are not only not in prison, or throwing themselves prostrate and repentant at the feet of their charges, but attempting to dictate moral standards to the laity. Really??
What’s next, Charlie Manson preaching about “family” values? The arrogance is nauseating. I think this is behind Beaudoin’s weird call to Occupy.
Amen to that. The Catholic Church is drunk on its own power and has lost touch with most of the common people. And I say most because most Catholics I know aren’t brainwashed with the Vatican rhetoric; they can acutally think for themselves.
Please.
99% of Catholic clergy are salt of the earth. There are no more pederasts in the priesthood than there are anywhere in the general public. Yes some bishops and priests have done despicable things, far, far more have not.
But people with hate Holy Church with the fiery passion of ten thousand suns.
By the way, those who might be arguably ultramontane in our outlook are the ones who are in the healthiest parishes.
Yes, it’s important that we also think for ourselves and use the consciences that God gave us.
A good slogan for our times and what’s going on in the Catholic Church:
WE’RE NOT ANTI-CATHOLIC
WE’RE PRO-ACCOUNTABILITY
Are you sure the “brainwashed” people haven’t used their perfectly satisfactory brains to come to a different conclusion than you? For my own part, I thought my way *in* to the Church, and off of a very cynical high-horse. I mean no reflection on others by this, just that in my personal experience I had a lot of compelling reasons – arrogance, the ability to make up my own rules as I went, fulfilling my own personal desires, etc – to stay *out* of the Church…but my own sense of reason trumped all those things in the end.
If the Catholic creed is true, then it’s true – no matter which stupid people end up in positions of authority from time to time. Anybody can be corrupted by worldly or self interests, even a bishop, even a cardinal, even me. That in itself isn’t a reason to say that the structure or rules of the Church as established by dogma are wrong, any more than the principles of math could be proven to be lacking because some mathematicians abuse their skill to lie and cheat. If you think the dogma is wrong, let’s talk dogma. If you are concerned about the injustices carried out by certain members of the Church (as are we all), then let’s talk about that specifically. To broadly assert that the structure of the Church itself is corrupt implies much more than I’d wager you are able to defend. To state that the “Catholic Church is drunk on its own power” is a statement of personal creed, implying that the Catholic Church is merely a political structure, and is not in fact what it says it is – a communion of the living and dead, repository of the faith, hope of nations, etc. If that’s what you believe, then fine. That’s your prerogative. But let’s be clear that we are talking about very different things.
Thanks for writing this. I wanted to pull a St. Nick on this guy when I read his… garbage, yes, I will say garbage, stronger words may get me in trouble…. Anyway, this Mr. PhD needs to go over to the Anglican church if he so wishes to have a democratic church. Good grief! When will these heterodox morons just leave the Church already? Right? I mean, come on! FRUSTRATION!!!
~Christopher
This man reminds me the drivel I had to endure last Saturday when one of our so-called Charismatics started criticizing the Catholic Church and heaping praise on the Evangelicals and Pentecostals who daily preach that any illness, misfortune or misery is caused by the Devil and are way ahead with the Charism of casting out devils from the sufferers. He had the audacity to declare that the Holy Spirit Catholics received at Baptism is now dormant because we do not publicly and dramatically cast our demons the way the Evangelicals and Pentecostals do. He totally displayed his ignorance that the Catholic Church does have a Ministry of Exorcism but that is strictly exercised by Ordained Priests, not lay people who claim they received Second Baptism of the Holy Spirit. As if there are Two Baptisms, contrary to the Teachings of the Catholic Church. To all of them I say, just move out of the Catholic Church and join those Denominations you admire. For the over 1 billion Catholics, we know the full Salvation and Redemption Mystery subsists in the Catholic Church. The scandals and the hard times the Church is undergoing during this era, are not new. The Heavenly Father is prunning the Bridge of His Son, Jesus Christ because She is Holy as He is Holy.
I’m all for occupying the Catholic Church and do so on a regular and frequent basis. And by sponsoring a new convert for Baptism annually, I’m recruiting other occupiers. You can never have too many. I’m thinking of having a T-shirt made with the slogan “Occupy the Catholic Church. Support your parish RCIA.”
In the meantime, something must be said about the Catholic Church’s support of the Occupy crowd. It is embarrassing and shameful. The only way to stop this is to stop or reduce tithes. Rome has stuck it to America a number of times over the past few years… on immigration reform, Iraq War, Gulf War, and now praising and encouraging the OWS crowd – these people are not likely big Church-goers by the way. Most socialsts aren’t.
“In the meantime, something must be said about the Catholic Church’s support of the Occupy crowd.”
Christian, what exactly are you referring to?
As for Rome “sticking it to America” over the Gulf War and the Iraq War, neither met the conditions for a just war, and John Paul II and Cardinal Ratzinger were correct to say so. Here in the United States, it wasn’t leftists within the Catholic Church who opposed those wars on just-war grounds; it was traditionalists.
The RCC has never ’stuck it to America’.
She has refused to remain silent as America contemplates one more horrendous evil to foist on the world in order to get pump prices down a nickel.
If you want the RCCs to support your policies,you don’t even have to have perfectly good policies. But abandoning obviously evil ones is a step in the right direction.
Scott, the fact that JPII and Ratzinger called the Gulf and
Iraq wars “unjust” doesn’t make them so. Try to separate the Church as a spiritual entity from the Vatican as a geopolitical entity with its own foreign policy interests. JPII had a fundamentally appeasement-oriented approach to Islam; his opposition to the 1990-91 Gulf War ran counter to the UN’s support for it, and the Vatican prefers to use the UN as the main force for international diplomacy.
Had the world listened to JPII in the 1990-91 Gulf War, Iraq would have annexed Kuwait as a province and continued to brutalize the population. Saddam Hussein also would have encouraged to attack Saudi Arabia, which would have resulted in an even bloodier war.
Had the world listened to JPII and Ratzinger in the 2003 Iraq War, Saddam and his evil sons likely would still be in power, using rape and hideous torture to intimidate and destroy their opponents.
Political positions have consequences, Chris. That’s not “consequentialism;” that’s fact. Regardless of what one thinks of American foreign policy, JPII’s and Ratzinger’s opinions — if acted upon — would have produced more brutality and human misery.
Another of the New Age Prophets who have arroagted for themslves the right to “fix” what the Catholic Chuch has been done wrong for two millenia. How it has survived as long as it has is completely beyond them. This survival owes very little to its members but a lot to its founder and the Holy Spirit and thier commitment to “be with you till the end of time” and “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”.
If you have a problem with the Church therefore your best bet is to pray and not to “occupy”. The French revolutionaries tried the occupation and “start again accroding to out will” and so did the Marxists. Like many others before them and since, they failed.
I like the idea of “Occupy your Local Catholic Church . . . for the Forty Hours’ Devotions” . . . !
Imagine the pews full of Moms, Dads, kids – families, young couples, single young adults, middle-aged, and older people, too, . . . with their attention directed to Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, because the pastor is offering Benediction and Exposition!
With Latin hymns and prayers! And organ music. And incense.
And confessions are being heard in the confessionals in the back of the church.
And after Benediction, those present recite together the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary. And sing The Lourdes Hymn and the Salve, as well.
Now that’s the kind of “Occupy your Local Catholic Church” that I’d like to see happen in my neighborhood.
I’d be so there!
These comments from “Conradg” on Rod Dreher’s blog show why an “Occupy the Church” really isn’t so far-fetched.
The Church as an institution is about authority, not spiritual truth, and it protects its authority above all else, because it actually equates its own authority with spiritual truth. So it creates a circular logic that makes it impossible to deal with matters like these in a clear and humane manner. It’s how authoritarian cults always work, and how they distort and pervert the normal human cognitive process, as well as the normal human compassionate empathetic process. This sort of thing happens wherever authority is made the supreme value. Ought to make you wonder about the value of “spiritual authority” in the overall religious process.
These people did not consecrate their lives to God, they consecrated it to the Church, thinking it was the same thing. It wasn’t. They devoted themselves to protecting and promoting and nurturing the Church, and so their primary response to clerical abuse of children was to protect the Church, not the children. This is what they had been taught to do, and what they were consecrated to. They did not see those children as the God to whom they were consecrated, so they did not protect them. They protected the Church. And their reaction to the scandals has been to feel that the Church is being abused, not the children.
Actually, they did not see those children as made in God’s image. Yet the Church talks about “natural law”!
The Church *was* abused by these wrongs, because those poor children were part of the Church, every bit as much as any ordained minister is part of the Church. All the members of the Catholic Church suffer for the horrible evils that have been perpetrated. But if you wish to look at this through a sociological institution-based lens, then let’s be thorough. Many, many groups involving men and children went through (or continue to go through) a similar tragedy around the same time and with the same percentage of offenders and enablers. What was the response of all these groups at the time? Much the same. No one knew what to do. Does this excuse any of it? Not in the least, but it provides a broader framework that suggests it was not peculiar to the Catholic Church or due to particular failings that were found only in the Church. The fact that it happened at all within the Church is *worse* because the members of the Church are supposed to know better and do better. We are all well overdue for some seriously public sackcloth and ashes, because we are supposed to know better!! But institutionally speaking, the systems of the Church did not fare worse than many of the other organizations of the time.
I am interested by the frequent comparison of the Catholic Church with an authoritarian cult. The Church misses one of the key features of a controlling authoritarian cult. These cults are almost without exception either very small or very short-lived. The Church however, is 2,000 years old and comprised of many millions of different people and many dozens of different cultures. It would be a very odd type of cult that let people come and go as they pleased, offered a full theological accounting of all its beliefs, and whose every theological adaptation over time could be traced back coherently to its original tenets.