Discussion and Diversity Bring Unity, Not Schism

I read a commentary this past weekend about the Anglican Church and marriage equality, and one of the points made has me thinking about why the Roman Catholic hierarchy has been so negative on LGBT issues.

An essay by Alf McCreary in Northern Ireland’s Belfast Telegraph responded to the Church of England General Synod’s recent rejection of a bishops’ report re-affirming marriage is only between a man and a woman.  McCreary’s evaluation of the decision is:

“. . . [T]he Church is in a no-win situation. The latest developments in the Church of England , following a three-year process that had attempted to solve this most divisive issue, merely showed how difficult it is, if not impossible, to satisfy both sides.”

McCreary steps back a bit from the Anglican debate to look, somewhat wistfully it seems, at the Roman Catholic situation in regard to marriage equality:

“This [marriage equality] is one of the most difficult issues facing mainstream churches the world over. With the exception of the Roman Catholic Church – it is still firmly against same-sex marriage and gay ordination, despite the fact that many of its clergy and laity are gay and lesbian.

“The Catholic Church’s attitude is the easier to live with. Its overwhelming opposition to LGBT issues stifles open debate, and it presents on the surface at least a united opposition to change.”

I admit that I chuckled a bit when I read these lines, thinking to myself, “The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.”  But then I wondered if maybe McCreary might be onto something.  Is the Roman Catholic hierarchy just afraid that if they open the discussion on this issue that major confusion will break out in the Church?

I have to admit that I often assume that the reason Catholic leaders won’t discuss LGBT issues is because they believe that they know all there is to know and that they are right in their position. McCreary’s essay has me wondering if perhaps another motivation might also exist:  they don’t want division in the Church, which is what is happening in many other Christian denominations, including the Anglicans, who have had the courage to open a discussion.

The synods on the family in 2014 and 2015 are examples where open discussion was finally allowed in the Church, and bishops spoke their minds.  The world did not end.

Granted, LGBT issues received short shrift at the synods, but other contentious issues like divorce/remarriage did get more comprehensive discussions.  And disagreement was enormous, but the Church, as an institution, stayed strong. No schism happened.  In fact, the unity of the Catholic Church probably was strengthened by the discussion.

If Roman Catholic bishops and Vatican leaders think that they will contain the debate on LGBT issues by not providing it an official forum, they are sadly mistaken.  The discussion is happening in all areas and levels of the Church.  It has been going on for decades, even under the previous two popes who actively tried to silence the debate.  Stifling or ignoring the discussion are the things that endanger the unity of the Church, not participating in free and robust discussion.

The universal Christian Church, born on Pentecost, was born amid a diversity of languages, not a single, authoritative one.  The power of the Catholic Church, which claims to a universal one which embraces all cultures and languages, is in its diversity, not its uniformity.

The Catholic discussion of LGBT issues is blossoming and growing. The Spirit will not be silenced. If bishops choose not to be a part of it, they will be the ones who are diminished by their absence.

–Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry, February 20, 2017

New Ways Ministry’s Eighth National Symposium, Justice and Mercy Shall Kiss: LGBT Catholics in the Age of Pope Francis, is scheduled for April 28-30, 2017, Chicago, Illinois. Plenary speakers:  Lisa Fullam, Leslie Griffin, Rev. Bryan Massingale, Frank Mugisha. Prayer leaders:  Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, Bishop John Stowe, OFM, Conv.  Pre-Symposium Retreat Leader:  Sr. Simone Campbell, SSS.  For more information and to register, visit www.Symposium2017.org.

 

6 replies
  1. Don Siegal
    Don Siegal says:

    The Episcopal Dioceses of San Joaquin
    San Joaquin Valley CA

    This dioceses of the Episcopal Church (USA) has been torn apart over its ministry to the LGBT community.

    A dissident bishop, John David Schofield, announced that the Diocese of San Joaquin in California had left the national church and had realigned with the Anglican Church in the Southern Cone, located in South America.

    The remnants of the original diocese Inhibited Schofield (a process similar to excommunication in the Roman Catholic Church) and removed him as bishop, and appointed an interim bishop to preside over the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin.

    Now there is a legal dispute in the California courts over who actually owns the church properties.

    In the meantime, the Episcopal Church of Visalia CA in exile gathers for worship on Sundays in the Jewish Temple—how is that for back to the future?

    Reply
  2. Tom Bower
    Tom Bower says:

    The split has occurred. The result of of the Bishops shaming their non-straight members, is less peopled congregations that will die off leaving empty buildings. There are a few islands of perhaps a more open church of the people, but the fear of mixing with the sheep as Pope Francis suggests is sad to watch. Perhaps that is what it will take – the seed must be buried to grow anew.

    Reply
  3. John Raab
    John Raab says:

    Frank,

    How I see it that we have a much larger church to hold together than the Anglicans and other denominations do. That not all of our Catholic populations (Asia, Africa) are moving at the same speed.

    So we naturally proceed more cautiously for that reason.

    John

    ________________________________

    Reply
  4. Don Siegal
    Don Siegal says:

    “The universal Christian Church, born on Pentecost, was born amid a diversity of languages, not a single, authoritative one. The power of the Catholic Church, which claims to a universal one which embraces all cultures and languages, is in its diversity, not its uniformity.”

    The first and most important document from Vatican Council II “The Constitution…” (sorry I cannot remember the complete name of the document) says that the Catholic Church subsists within the “One, holly, apostolic, and catholic church. (lower case “c” as in the Nicene Creed). This is clearly the voice of the very important reformer, Edward Schillebeeckx. who contributed to many of the important conversations of Vatican II. He is one of my favorite and important Catholic theologians.

    Schillebeechk, considered it Christian Imperialism if all faiths including non-christian faiths were not included in the Universal Church.

    Reply

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