Another gem from the “The Studentbaker Corporation” [my comments in red]:
At a 1990 diocesan Priest Convocation, Bishop Clark outlined three desires he had for the Catholic church: That
1) Rome give more autonomy and authority to the local church, [There are 194 dioceses in the United States. Do we really want 194 different flavors of Catholicism? How would that work?]
2) there be a greater commitment to women and the poor, [sure – that’s great, but doesn’t this lay at the feet of the bishop as it is? If he wants to help poor people, there’s nothing standing in his way. How does this require a “change” in the universal Catholic Church? Doesn’t the Church speak of a great respect for women and the poor already? Of course what he’s implying is the anti-Catholic notion that current Catholic doctrine discriminates against women; which I always chuckle at considering the great respect for a certain saint by the name of Mary. ]
3) there be a great willingness to live with unsettled questions [aka – allow for dissent on human sexuality and women priests. To be fair the bishop’s statement here does predate Ordinatio Sacerdotalis. However one could argue these “unsettled” issues were settled before then.]
Tags: Bishop Clark, Spiritus Christi
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“unsettled questions” ??? What is that supposed to mean? It could mean anything so it means nothing.
Ben,
Refresh my memory. The author of the The Studentbaker Corporation is sympathetic to Bishop Clark and his “vision”?
As for +Clark’s desires – they are equal parts predictable and frustrating. Since when does the Church NOT have a commitment to the poor? It’s hard enough to have non-Catholics attack the Church with this mendacious stick, but to have it come from the mouth of a bishop is infuriating. Do we really need to review the stats for him?
And a commitment to women? Again, review the Church’s history. Just because she speaks out against artificial contraception and abortion does not mean that she is anti-woman. See Muleris Dignitatem here:
http://www.rcan.org/evangelization/mulieris_dignitatem.pdf
for one of many treatments on the role of women in the Church.
And, finally, the “piece de resistance” – “a great willingness to live with unsettled questions.” Ah, yes. The unsettled questions of homosexual relationships? Contraception? Divorce? Abortion? Ordination? Heck, even with definitively written documents the bishop and many under his leadership think they are unsettled! How much clearer can Humanae Vitae be? How about Ordinatio Sacerdotalis? The catechism?