Welcome and Website Protocol

Monday July 11, 2011

Welcome to ‘www.fatherlasch.com’ Revised on July 4, 2011

Almost nine years have passed since I embarked on this website initiative. Though I do not qualify as an accomplished technologist, I continue to be amazed at the smorgasbord of possibilities provided by technology. I enjoyed being a ‘hands on’ pastor for many years but never imagined that I could continue to be so involved in ‘pastoring’ after retirement.

From the very beginning of my preparation for the priesthood in 1956, I wanted to be a pastor. Although after my first year of priestly ministry in 1963, I was assigned to graduate school for studies in Canon Law, the desire to be a pastor never left my mind and continues to be my heart’s desire. My attempt to convince Bishop Navagh to allow me to study theology instead of church law was not successful. Nevertheless, in time I came to appreciate his wisdom with the realization that Canon Law can be a vehicle for church renewal and reform. I now consider his insistence providential. It is not so much the minutiae of law that influenced my interest in reform or governed my effort to serve as an agent of change. It was the philosophy of law that provided the context and the process. In the words of Cardinal Newman, “to live is to change, to become perfect is to have changed often.”

But life is more than change and change for the sake of change is neither healthy nor wise. My understanding of change within the context of faith is rooted in a disposition of the mind and heart that broadens one’s perspective on the teachings of Jesus within an ever evolving world, an evolution that challenges religious belief but that can also enrich and enhance it when believers catch the rhythm of God in the evolutionary process. While it is true every new scientific theory must be put to the test by perennial truths, institutional religion has also done harm to scientific truth as in the infamous case of Galileo. “And Jesus said to them, ‘Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the dominion of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure new and old.’” [Matthew 13:42]

To have studied Canon Law in Rome during three of the four sessions of the Second Vatican Council was nothing short of spectacular. In fact, it was impossible to study law without delving into its biblical, theological and even its secular roots. I realized for the first time that to be truly traditional, change is necessary—changes that keep the Church as the Body of Christ faithful to it’s biblical roots and its earthly mission, faithful to the core teachings of Christ. I realized that to be faithful, the Church must be free to articulate its teachings in a manner that acknowledges the crucial issues of the modern world and adapts to the diverse cultural, political and social conditions in which Christians find themselves immersed at any particular time. It is for this reason that you have heard me state more than once that “we are traditional but not traditionalists.” To be traditional demands adaptation and change; to be traditionalist is to get stuck in one period. It is the canonization of stagnation and a stifling of the Holy Spirit. In the words of Karl Rahner, God’s self-communication is ongoing and our understanding of the mystery of the divine presence in creation is also evolving.

Although I retired seven years ago as an active pastor, I continue to function in a church without walls and in a parish without boundaries but within the Catholic tradition that I view not so much as an institution but as a worldwide movement in and of the Spirit. “The Spirit blows where it wills, and you hear the voice there of, but know not whence it comes, and where it goes: so is every one who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8)

The Church has been challenged in every age to be a church of and for the people of God. Vatican II redefined the Church as ‘The People of God.” This was a radical change from church as defined by Vatican I: “a perfect juridical society.” There was both a theological and political context for this wording but in the light of the Biblical roots of the Church and surely in the light of Vatican II, such a definition was theological anemic.

Most scholars agree that Jesus did not set out to establish a church but to open Israel up to the world of the Father’s love. In essence, the Church was founded on the faith and witness of Peter and the apostles—not just the twelve apostles but all who were sent as witnesses of Jesus’ words and deeds. Nevertheless in time, the Church came to be known as “the Body of Christ.”

The Pope and the college of bishops today consider themselves to be successors of Peter and the Twelve though the succession is a bit more complicated than that. They also hold themselves up as our teachers and guides but as with every good teacher, they must be attentive to the aspirations and the movement of the Holy Spirit among the faithful. The early church was collegial, collaborative and in dialogue with the faithful from the faithful was referred to as the ‘sensus fidelium’, i.e., how did the faithful hear and receive the teaching of the apostles. Ignoring the presence of the Holy Spirit within the assembly of believers is a sin against the Holy Spirit. The manner in which the Pope and bishops exercise their spiritual authority is not neutral. It either nourishes the faith of believers or it diminishes it. This is particularly important in our own time when many Catholics view themselves as having one foot in and one foot out of the institution of the Church. At the same time, they view themselves as being well within the ancient tradition of Christianity.

Of late and of not so late, I have taken to the writings of Franciscan Richard Rohr, founder and director of the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, NM. I think he is far ahead of the movement for reform because his focus is not on reform but on spiritual development. Well, in a sense, I suppose it is reform through a renewal of the spirit. He has put the accent on catholic with a small ‘c’ instead of ‘Roman Catholic.’ He is inclusive, non-combative and deeply human with a healthy psycho-spiritual connection. He neither overstates nor understates his case and cause.

As for me, I am finished battling the institution. In the light of the sex scandal and the abuse of power, the credibility of our hierarchy is weak. Nevertheless, I do my best to be a prayerful presider at liturgy at the two parishes where I assist and will continue to validate and affirm Catholics who gather for worship but whose attention to church leaders who speak a different language or to preachers who think they know it all has diminished.

I was bitten by the bug of renewal at Vatican II and the ‘bug juice’ or syrup or whatever still courses through my veins. As I re-read the documents of Vatican II, however, they seem quite conservative compared to where ‘we’ are now. Vatican II only opened the door or in the words of John XXIII, the windows. The Holy Spirit is dynamic and what the Spirit is saying to the churches now has progressed far beyond the words and thoughts the Spirit breathed then.

There are a variety of reform movements and organizations within the Church at the present time. They all have their place. Some bishops have banned a number of these groups such as Call to Action and Voice of the Faithful because they view them as inimical to the mission of the Church. Although there may be individuals within these organizations who seek changes that exceed the what church authorities believe to be the bounds of orthodoxy, I believe most active members are articulating the need to revisit and reexamine teachings in order to recapture the ‘spirit’ of the teachings of Christ in the Gospel. By the sake token, reform groups need to be careful lest they become as authoritarian as those they criticize.

True dialogue more often than not bears good fruit and creates common ground among people of faith and good will. The Common Ground initiative of the late Cardinal Bernardin is a good example of the dialogue that should be taking place at every level of Church life. “Organized religion has not been known for its inclusiveness or for being very comfortable with diversity. Yet pluralism, multiplicity, and diversity is the only world there is! It is rather amazing that we can miss, deny, or ignore what is in plain sight everywhere.” [Rohr, “Falling Upward,” Jossey-Bass, A Wiley Imprint, San Francisco, 2011.]

When people of faith, good will and openness to the Spirit gather to dialogue, a new truth emerges. It may not be my truth or ‘their truth’ but God’s truth. Say not that God is on my side but that I am on the side of God! If this attitude had prevailed among the Pope and bishops in Martin Luther’s time, we probably would not have suffered a split. In fact the abuses raised by Martin Luther were later corrected in the Church as late as Vatican II.

In recent times and despite the aspirations of the faithful, I believe our Pope and bishops have not always been attentive to the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking in the hearts of ‘people in the pew.’ Sexual abuse by clergy, as serious as it is, is only one symptom of the abuse of power and authority among too many of our bishops.

Several years ago, three of my brother priests and I initiated “Project Millstones.” It was and remains a challenge to our bishops to hold one another accountable for the abuse that has shaken our Church to its roots. Notwithstanding the Dallas Charter, the John Jay Study and the ‘tweaking’ of the Dallas norms, the issue remains a significant wound in the heart of the church and its members. Though not a ‘white wash’, the John Jay Study dealt principally with pedophilia, not with the sexual abuse of vulnerable teens and adults, both men women. The study was too narrow and did not include the input of many secondary and tertiary victims affected by the scandal. For an excellent analysis, click National Catholic Reporter on my website homepage and then search for “http://www.NCRonline.org/users/mary-gail-frawley-odea” on the NCR homepage. This website will continue to keep visitors abreast of the truth including the poor response of church officials whenever it is brought to the attention of this forum. Make no mistake about it, the abuse scandal is far from over but many Catholics are in denial. Victims and their advocates are still re-victimized when they bring their pursuit of justice to the public forum. Governors and legislators are still fearful of raising the bar on justice for victims.

Quite frankly, I do not worry as much about the disparate and sometimes desperate voices within reform groups as I do about the slow erosion of Catholic practice among young and old who are walking away from the Church or at least moving into a diaspora. They view the Church not as a faith community focused on Christ that challenges us to live the Gospel but as an institution that hassles its members, corralling them into subjection to rules and regulations that pertain more to the preservation of the institution than to the promotion of the Gospel.

This is a strong sentiment, but if we challenge one another to become thinking Catholics then we will become responsible Christians in a world that views Christianity as outmoded.

As a pastor of a ‘territorial’ parish, I will preach and teach and provide services vis-à-vis this website with the hope that those who ‘tune in’ may not be turned off but be challenged to think about our tradition and its traditions so that we may live our tradition and traditions with greater enthusiasm.

“The Catholic Church is now expending huge amounts of effort and time changing words in the liturgy back to the “original Latin” (which Jesus never spoke and was actually the language of his oppressors), while the world is facing unparalleled disasters at every level. The sanctuary is the only world where the clergy will have a bit of control, it seems. So again the meticulous navigating of our small river surpasses ever diving into the Big River.” (Rohr, Ibid.) Some have assigned this effort to “the world burns while Rome piddles department.” However, I don’t think cynicism contributes much to sincere dialogue.

I will be adhering firmly to the ‘salami technique’ familiar to so many of you – one thin slice at a time. Compassion not combat will be the password to renewal and it will begin with within my own soul in the full consciousness of my own sins and failures and of my own arrogance at times. Last year I announced to my nephews and niece, “Uncle Ken doesn’t have all the answers, never did and it is not likely that he will ever achieve the genius of knowing all the answers to life’s mysteries. I am a pastor, not a scholar. I believe our Church leaders would do well to acknowledge their ‘fallibility’ and that in truth, the Church is a work in progress. In the words of Bernard Prusak, it is a “Church unfinished.”

Ultimately, this website is dedicated not to controversy but to building bridges between disparate souls inside and outside the Church, and to the promotion of a true dialogue of mind and heart between mutually respectfu people of every perspective and point of view in a common search for truth. All too often dialogue is the occasion for attack and condemnation. Moreover, the threat of sanction by church authorities serves only to weaken their case and cause. The imposition of the penalty against women who challenge the church to accept a greater role for them in the church vis-à-vis women’s ordination in the same category as priest pedophiles is appalling.

“Truth is not always about pragmatic problem solving and making things ‘work’ but about reconciling contradictions. Just because something might have some dire effects does not mean it is not true or even good. Just because something pleases people does not make it true either. Life is inherently tragic, and that is the truth that only faith, but not our seeming logic, can accept.” [Ibid.] In the words of one sage, “Truth has a thousand faces.” Moreover, data based decisions are more effective than power-based decisions. There are more ‘both/ands’ than ‘either/ors’ in this life and yes, life even in the Church can be messy.

In the words of my colleague and good friend, Dr. Bernard Prusak, in the introduction of his excellent book, “The Church Unfinished”, “As the community called Church, we should seek to know and to appreciate our past. To value our past, however, does not require that we simply repeat it. Faith, hope, and love, look beyond ‘what is’ to ‘what is yet to be realized.’ That includes consolation, generosity, and loving care for the distressed and sorrowful, and mercy and patience for the sinful and hesitant. It does not exclude the joys of walking with those whom one loves under a starry sky or of feeling the wind upon the sea. It is never to be self-satisfied with what one has done.”

“The tradition of faith and the shape of the Church are not inert elements simply passed along. Rather, they involve the dynamics of choice and performance; they must be practiced and lived in new times and situations. How we live out and thereby hand on the traditions of faith and the shape of the Church received from those who preceded us is crucial to those who in some distant future will look back to us as the unfinished Church in a world becoming. In that regard we are called prayerfully to ponder what new insights God’s Spirit, ever present in our midst, might be drawing the Church toward. We must ask which dimensions of the every-young Church are not predetermined and unchangeable, but have arisen from past decisions that God is patiently expecting us to reconsider.” [Bernard P Prusak, ‘The Church Unfinished’, Paulist Press, New York/Mahwah, 1989.]

“Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak the truth each to his neighbor,
for we are members of one another.
Be angry but do not sin;
do not let the sun set on your anger,
and do not leave room for the evil one.
No foul language should come out of your mouths,
but only such as is good for needed edification,
that it may impart grace to those who hear.
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,
with which you were sealed for the day of redemption.
All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling
must be removed from you along with all malice.
And be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another
as God has forgiven you.” [Ephesians 4:25-32]

“I, too, hearing of your faith in the Lord Jesus
and of your love for all the holy ones,
do not cease giving thanks for you,
remembering you in my prayers,
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of glory may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation
resulting in knowledge of him.
May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened,
that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call,
what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones,and what is the surpassing greatness of his power
for us who believe in accord with the exercise of his great might,
which he worked in Christ, raising him from the dead
and seating him at his right hand in the heavens.” [Ephesians 1:15-20]

Holy God, Creator of the Universe, we know that you are Mystery beyond mystery, yet our finite minds and fragile fears often want to contain you in a way that keeps us comfortable. We resist stretching to break with the past, even if it is filled with illusion. Help us to be open to your revelation, not merely because it is new, but because i can bring us closer to the truth of who you are and who we are in you. As we encounter your mytery and love in he hearing of the new story of creation, may we be open to radical amazement and led into a way of living that embraces the connectedness of all that is. Amen. [Judy Cannato, Radical Amazement, Contemplative Lessons from Black Holes, Supernovas, and Other Wonder of the Universe, Sorin Books, Notre Dame Indiana, 1993]

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Website Protocol

Headers:

To access data listed on the ‘header’ of the website, simply ‘click’ the particular header of interest.

• Article Archive lists all past postings according to date and title. Clicking the link at any point will give access to articles in any particular category. Or simply click ‘Article Archive on the header.

• Calendar, Bulletin Board and Announcements contain a list of recent postings and announcements of interest to guests and visitors.

Internal Website Links:

These are categories of articles and information including guest editorials and op-ed articles from other publications. It serves as a ‘clipping service’ for interested visitors.

Harvey Interviews

The “interviews” is a format for topical interests. ‘Harvey’ is a fictional character whose questions I will entertain with opinions and comments on current items of interest to visitors.

External Website Links:

These are links to other note-worthy websites and publications also dedicated to Church reform and renewal.

Welcome to www.fatherlasch.com.!

Kenneth E Lasch

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