I was burdened by the lengthy presentations of the models of the
Church. My impression is that the historical models of the Catholic Church
reflected the perspective of its hierarchy who pushed and shaped its clergy and
lay members to conform to its level of comfort, physical and emotional, in
serving and living among its active members. The increasingly educated and
readily available means of information in society calls the Church to be frank
and honest in its positions with its members and the world at large. I believe the
models of the Church reflect its relationship with its members as its members
become more involved in its operations.
The dilemma
remains to reach and include those who are alienated, whether self-imposed,
imposed by fellow lay members, or imposed by the Catholic Church. Do all
Christian believers believe they are called to be disciples and part of the
community of the disciples as Avery Dulles claims in his “enlarged” notion of
“post-Easter community of disciples” (“The Church: Community of Discipleship,”
202)? What does the Church want of believers who are not faithful? I know,
repent and return. For the divorced and remarried, return to what? How can the
healing and unifying Eucharistic Liturgy be required of its members and exclude
those not in good standing? Who enters any liturgy in good standing? None of us
“measure up” (205); the wonder is that God offers to reconcile all of us poor
and needy folks. And, yes, I recognize that the cloak of discipleship entails
commitment and dedication to an external and internal life of worship and
discipleship while living in a world not affiliated with the Church community
(206, 209-10). The Church’s outreach to those who fall short in the
discipleship category remains a challenge for the community and for me. It is
easy to commune with those who want to belong; it is harder to commune with
those who believe they are not included.
I participate in different
liturgies in several parishes and faiths around New Orleans, but principally worship
in a small faith community, St. Ignatius Chapel, on Loyola’s campus, that has
called me to participate as a Eucharistic minister, bread baker, and liturgical
artist. In this latter discipleship I have collaborated with another artist and
shared with the Loyola community my love of images, symbols, color and design
to communicate the Liturgy of the Word in a series of liturgical season quilted
art cloths. As Adrian Kellard, an American artist known for his woodcuts and
sculptures of religious imagery, said, “…some hear the Word better with their
eyes…”
Now, in my last
semester of LIM, I am beginning a sewing class with a small group of older
citizens at Mercy Endeavors, a program in the Irish Channel that encourages living
a full life with independence, self respect and social engagement, education
and recreation. I hope to welcome the students into a blessed community that
celebrates creativity and play and curiosity. I view my role as servant and
nurturer of the wisdom of the elders in my community; I will be teacher and
taught.
Your pointed criticism of the questionable hospitality afforded to "outsiders" by the institutional church is gift and you are not alone in offering it. I think that Wolfgang Vondey's ecclesiology of Bread, with its focus on hospitality as a central Christian virtue, offers a novel and potentially rich approach for theologians and pastoral ministers (People of Bread, Paulist 2008). It boasts substantial biblical foundations. It serves ecumenical dialogue and addresses key issues posed by modern society such as secularism, inclusion, diversity and authority. This ecclesiology also offers many intersections with the Sacramental, Service, Community and Discipleship models presented by Dulles.
ReplyDeleteYou raise an important question regarding hospitality, especially to those who are on the margins or feel otherwise excluded. This question is valuable to explore.
ReplyDeleteI wonder about the phrase "believers who are not faithful." To be a believer to me de facto implies some faithfulness, commitment, adherence to the life, values and identity of the community. In Christianity no one is a believer alone. Hospitality comes up here again, and this time in the mutual sense. Hospitality of the community to those on the outside, but also hospitality on behalf of the outsider to the identity, values and practices of the community.
The term "cafeteria Catholic" has some currency as a descriptor for those believers who accede to certain doctrinal beliefs but not others. It seems it could be applied to devotional practices as well, but it seems most common as a critique on the Catholic "left" by the "orthodox Catholics."
ReplyDeleteI think this sort of terminology is a red herring and the usage of "cafeteria Catholic" distracts from the difficulty of applying doctrinal and moral teachings to the lived experience of the faithful. This difficulty is exacerbated by the increased pace of social development in the digital age and the pre-modern foundations of doctrine that have not been fully interpreted into the post-modern contexts. It seems necessary the all mature Catholics choose certain beliefs or practices to focus on or fulfill more deeply than others.
Is possible to be a full member of the Church / community of the faithful without participation in all its devotional practices? Without uniform assent to moral principles? Without total conformity to doctrinal orthodoxy? Without practice of the Works of Mercy?