A Fear-Based Church?: Why So Many Catholics Are Afraid to Speak Out

Rev. James Martin, S.J.

Catholic priest and author of 'The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything'

A Fear-Based Church?: Why So Many Catholics Are Afraid to Speak Out

"Bishop Dowling's blunt address was not only about what he called the "dismantling" of the Second Vatican Council, which reformed the church in the 1960s, but something else: the overwhelming "pressure to conform." Here's an irony: the one speaking out about speaking out apparently did not feel that he could speak out, at least not broadly, or at least not to everyone, or at least not publicly. His desire not to speak more publicly on the topic may have proved his point. "

"None of this is meant to be a slight against Bishop Dowling, whom I've greatly admired for some time. He is a terrific leader, a wonderful teacher and, in many ways, a real prophet. What a bishop should and could be."

"But neither is this surprising. Today in the Catholic Church almost any disagreement to almost any degree with almost any church leader on almost any topic is seen as dissent. And I'm not speaking about the essentials of the faith -- those elements contained in the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed -- but about less essential topics. Even on those topics -- for example, the proper strategy for bishops to deal with Catholic politicians at odds with church teaching, the new translations of the Mass, the best way for priests to address complicated moral issues, and so on -- the slightest whiff of disagreement is confused with disloyalty."

How are we going to grow as a faith community without dissent? Roman Catholic Womenpriests are a gift to an instiutional church that is deeply sexist and fearful of women priests. Needed are courageous prophets, ordinary Catholics to speak truth to power, including to Pope Benedict. Jesus said, "fear not" and this is exactly what we must do. Speaking the truth boldly and in love to our institutional Roman Catholic leaders is not disloyal, it is is faithfulness to the Gospel.

Women, by our baptism, are images of Christ. No natural resemblance to a male Jesus is necessary to serve God's people as servant priests. Let's shout it from the mountain tops. Sexism is wrong. The full equality of women in our church is the call of the Spirit in our times! Let us follow Jesus example of Gospel equality and reclaim the church's twelve hundred year tradition of women in ordained leadership. Bridget Mary Meehan, sofiabmm@aol.com, 703-505-0004