Catholics Concerned About Their Church Speak Out
DESPITE her gray tweed suit, the woman was a nun. Indeed, she was the administrator general of the Sisters of Mercy of Potomac, Maryland. As president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious she shared a speaker’s platform with Pope John Paul II, introducing him to 5,000 of her fellow nuns in Washington, D.C. In her words of welcome she spoke of her deep concern over the Vatican’s policy not to ordain women as priests in the church. As the pope stepped forward to address the crowd, 53 of the nuns stood in silent protest, all of them dressed in civilian attire.
A few months later, this time in Europe, Swiss theologian Hans Küng said bitterly, “I am deeply ashamed of my church,” when informed that Rome felt he “could no longer be considered a Roman Catholic theologian.” Why not? Among other things, because of his rejection of the doctrine of papal infallibility and his questions regarding the divinity of Jesus Christ.
Although many Catholics supported the Vatican’s censure of Küng, 50 Spanish theologians wrote an open letter disagreeing with Rome. Meanwhile, 67 American and Canadian theologians signed a statement taking exception to the official characterization of Küng as being ‘no longer a Roman Catholic theologian.’
These are some manifestations of the increasing concern being expressed by sincere Catholics over developments in their church. Morale problems in the church are increasingly affecting, not just lay members, but the clergy. Indeed, published statements in the official Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, indicate that problems among the clergy are reaching grave proportions. Consider a few examples:
Clerical Decrease
Says L’Osservatore Romano of May 16, 1979: “We are faced with a sharp decrease in numbers [of seminary students in Italy]. The tendency began to manifest itself about 10 years ago and has maintained its trend up to the present. The phenomenon is part of a more general tendency characterizing the whole of Europe.”
So for the past 10 years, according to the Vatican’s official newspaper, there has been a steady loss of candidates for the priesthood. Indeed, as the accompanying charts indicate, the decrease has been very great. In Italy only one third as many seminary students were enrolled in 1978 as in 1962! In France, ordinations of priests in 1974 were less than one third of what they had been in 1965!
The Vatican paper points out: “The decrease in seminary attendance has caused a corresponding fall in the number of seminaries themselves. They numbered a total of 375 in 1970 against 259 in 1978. . . . From a peak of 918 [priests] ordained in 1966 [in Italy] we have reached a minimum of 384 new priests in 1978.”
This situation is not confined to just a few European countries. According to the Italian newspaper La Stampa: “[World wide] it is ultimately calculated that between ’65 and ’75 at least forty thousand priests, including diocesan priests and those belonging to religious orders, abandoned the holy orders as well as twenty thousand nuns.”
How Many Catholics Are Still Practicing?
Meanwhile, what about the Catholic flock? Some Catholics are afraid that many may be becoming Catholics in name only, and they have cited the following figures in Italian publications: Attendance at Mass has dropped by more than half in France and Italy in the last 15-20 years. In Italy, where it is estimated that 99 percent of the population is nominally Catholic, less than one third of them attend Mass regularly! Even so, the Italians are better Mass attenders than the French, of whom only 16 percent go each week.
If the feelings of young people are an indication of the future, then Italian Catholics have another reason for concern. Panorama magazine interviewed young Italians from 16 to 24 years of age and found that only 12.6 percent felt that spiritual values were the most important in life. Of the values most in doubt among young people, “Religion and the Church” tied for first place with “the family, the couple, marriage, parents.”
Defiant Young Priests
With fewer applicants for the priesthood creating what is called a ‘vocational crisis,’ it appears that the seminaries cannot be too choosy about applicants. The results have been disturbing to Catholics, both in Italy and around the world.
Writing in the Italian journal Seminari e Teologia, a Catholic layman stated in 1976 that “in answer to the ‘vocational crisis’ the seminary doors have been thrown wide open to all and, among others, a motley array of young people have been welcomed inside.” He went on to describe the priests coming from such seminaries as “rebellious, presumptuous, irreverent and almost always irremediably Marxist.”
This Catholic layman spoke of the new generation of Italian priests as “troublemakers who operate from their deconsecrated headquarters full of subversive posters,” and added: “Just let the Bishop try to do anything about those characters. We have seen what can happen—there is a near revolution!” Who is to blame? This writer states: “The fault lies with those who should be holding the reins, but have let them be snatched out of their hands, either as a result of weakness or cowardice, or even because they have been won over to the new modern ideologies.”
What the Pope Is Doing
Pope John Paul II has made it clear that he does not want to let anyone ‘snatch the reins’ of church leadership from his hands. Religious publications in recent months have written of a papal ‘crackdown’ against liberal theology, moral laxity and clerical unrest. Yet, as seen at the beginning of this article, the pope is getting opposition from persons prominent in church affairs.
Illustrating both the papal crackdown and the worldwide nature of the problem with the clergy, the Italian magazine Avvenire reported that the pope gave a stiff lecture to the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). He told the worldwide order (27,700 members in 106 countries): “Certainly I am not in ignorance of the fact . . . that the crisis afflicting religious life in these times has not spared your Society.” He called upon the Jesuits, who “have developed a reputation for providing the theoretical foundation for the church’s involvement in political and social issues,” not to “give way to secular tendencies.”—New York Times, December 7, 1979.
A Vatican-based U.S. priest said the pope is “upset with the general lowering of sexual standards in religious life, including homosexuality,” and he added that it is reported that many young Jesuits in the U.S. “don’t believe in life after death, don’t believe Jesus to be the son of God, and even skip Mass on Sundays.”
The Vatican censure of theologian Hans Küng is another example of the pope’s ‘crackdown,’ and other theologians also may be headed for trouble. In December 1979 Edward Schillebeeckx, a liberal Dutch theologian, was interrogated in Rome by the “Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith” (the C.D.F.). This committee, which censured Küng, is the modern replacement for the Holy Office of the Inquisition. Other theologians, such as Brazilian Franciscan priest Leonardo Boff, have also been summoned by the C.D.F. to explain themselves.
During his travels in the fall of 1979 the pope made an eloquent worldwide appeal to Catholics for unity. He stressed the need to adhere to strict standards of morality—opposing adultery, homosexuality and abortion. For this he received much praise, even from non-Catholics.
At the same time, however, the pope failed to moderate Catholic Church stands that are unpopular among many Catholics, including the prohibition against contraception and the celibacy requirement for priests.
Ironic Situation
All of this has led to an ironic situation. In his opposition to abortion and the ordination of women, or in his defense of strict sexual morality, the pope has invoked the support of the Holy Scriptures. Meanwhile, he has proved to be very sensitive to criticism of the doctrine of papal infallibility—a doctrine not found in the Bible, as his critics point out. Indeed, Küng states that it represents a development quite contrary to the spirit of the Bible.
The pope’s critics claim that he is not giving proper weight to the Scriptures in his refusal to allow Catholics to exercise their own conscience in such areas as contraception. Yet these very critics are generally at the forefront of a ‘new wave’ of scholarship that classifies large portions of the Bible as “inspired fiction.”
The attitude of such scholars toward the Scriptures was illustrated in a Newsweek magazine article entitled “Who Was Jesus?” It stated that “most New Testament scholars believe that at least some sayings attributed to Jesus are authentically his, and a national conference is being planned in which scholars will try to reach a consensus on which passages qualify.” When such persons cite the Bible as an authority, one must wonder how seriously they take their own arguments.
“Examine Yourselves”
The Catholic Jerusalem Bible advises all Christians: “Examine yourselves to make sure you are in the faith; test yourselves.” (2 Cor. 13:5) It is appropriate for sincere Catholics to examine both themselves and the spiritual state of their church.
Of course, the Catholic Church is by no means the only religious organization undergoing change today. Various Protestant denominations are intensely debating subjects such as the ordination of women to the priesthood, the admission of homosexuals into the church, the role of the Bible in church teaching, and the acceptance of contemporary standards of morality into the congregation.
Is your church involved in such debate? If so, you owe it to yourself to be well informed on the Scriptural principles involved. Regardless of whether you are Catholic or Protestant, you may find helpful the chart of Bible principles on this page. Why not compare them with what leaders in your church are saying?
[Chart on page 9]
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SEMINARY STUDENTS (in Italy)
1962 30,595
1978 9,853
[Chart on page 12]
Questions Churches Debate—What Do the Scriptures Say?
IS THE POPE INFALLIBLE?
“When Cephas [the apostle Peter] came to Antioch, however, I opposed him to his face, since he was manifestly in the wrong.”—Gal. 2:11, “The Jerusalem Bible.”
“We have already shown that all men alike are sinners, whether Jews or Gentiles. As the Scriptures say, ‘No one is good—no one in all the world is innocent.’”—Rom. 3:9, 10, “Living Bible,” Catholic Edition.
SHOULD PRIESTS BE ALLOWED TO MARRY?
“It behoveth, therefore, a bishop to be blameless, the husband of one wife . . . one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all chastity.”—1 Tim. 3:2, 4, “Douay Version.”
SHOULD UNREPENTANT HOMOSEXUALS BE WELCOMED INTO THE CHURCH?
“Don’t fool yourselves. Those who live immoral lives, who are idol worshipers, adulterers, or homosexuals—will have no share in his kingdom.”—1 Cor. 6:9, 10, “Living Bible,” Catholic Edition.
SHOULD THE BIBLE BE THE FINAL AUTHORITY FOR CHURCH TEACHING?
“All God’s promises are like metal tested in the fire; he is the sure defence of all who trust in him. Add to his word no word of thine; speedily thy practices shall come to light.”—Prov. 30:5, 6, “Monsignor Knox Translation.”
“All Scripture is inspired of God and is useful for teaching—for reproof, correction, and training in holiness so that the man of God may be fully competent and equipped for every good work.”—2 Tim. 3:16, 17, “New American Bible.”
SHOULD CHURCHES RELAX STANDARDS OF SEXUAL MORALITY?
“But when you follow your own wrong inclinations your lives will produce these evil results: impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure . . . drunkenness, wild parties, and all that sort of thing. Let me tell you again as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the kingdom of God.”—Gal. 5:19-21, “Living Bible,” Catholic Edition.
[Graph on page 10]
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DISAPPEARING CLERGY
Since 1881, the population of Italy has doubled, while the number of priests has halved, from 84,834 to 40,866
(Priests per 1,000 Italians)
1881 (2.9)
1977 (0.72)
[Graph on page 11]
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DISAPPEARING FLOCK
(Percent of regular Mass attenders in Italy)
1956 69%
1977 28%