USD Magazine, Spring 1995

one expert noted, most members of the church consider public debates on such volatile issues to be inevitable, something the Vatican frowns upon and sometimes forbids. Others contend that some of the issues that have been debat– ed in recent years have been counterproductive; that by taking a stand on certain issues, the church is moving its focus away from the essential message of the faith. "Whether we have altar girls or not is not a substantial question that is going to influ– ence who we are as people," Father French explains. "The con– dition of families, poverty and living the gospel message - those are, but not whether or not the people who serve at the altar have bows in their hair or don't have bows in their hair. It's not relevant to the substantial doctrine of the church. That widens the gap between what is being lived and what is being taught." In the midst of such immense change and controversy, an out– side observer would be tempted to think the church is facing imminent disaster. Insiders, however, say you need just two things to see a positive future: faith and a knowledge of the church's history. "The Holy Spirit will take care of the Catholic Church," says Diana Raiche. "I think God is pruning us and when we are pruned it hurts; it's discomforting. God will do what God needs to do with us. Our role is to be more in tune not with what we want, but with what God is doing with us at this time." As Raiche says, there is discomfort in change, and when that change involves religious structures, it can be downright dis– tressing. "Nobody likes a church to change because we want our idea of God to be solid," Plovanich says. "Since the idea of God is mediated through the church, changes in the church make us nervous. You can touch anything but people's religious ideas, even if what they could be moved to is something better. "The church is not supposed to keep people living in the past," she adds. "It is supposed to help them be people who are responsible for the community and the world in which they live. Almost always, that requires changes in the structure because the old structure that supported the previous mission of the church is no longer appropriate to the new world condi– tions in which that mission is to carry on." A person's perception of the Catholic Church, however, is often based on a myopic view of what that person has experi– enced in his or her lifetime. The fact is that since its beginning, the church has been a changing, evolving entity. Many prac– tices and beliefs have come and gone; many have endured. The church has experienced periods of crisis that require a historical perspective to see that they were necessary for growth. As some try to mold the future of the church, others are content that the purpose of today's trials will be revealed in time. "I loved the church that I grew u,p in," Plovanich says. "I had this idea that the true church was like the gothic cathedrals - nothing could ever damage them. So, the church was time– less; it was unchanging. But now we know that the gothic cathedrals erode. And we know that life is about adaptation and change, and therefore, so is the life of faith."

or, as she explains it, instructors who help people make the connection between liturgy and life. She says she is called to her work in religious education, that it's her way of taking the mission of the church out into the world. "I don't think the church is a place where you escape," says Raiche, who has volunteered or worked in the church since she was 15. "I think the church is a place where you find nourish– ment so you can go out into the world and make a difference. I feel that I'm called to help people find that nourishment." Bridget Burke, a USD graduate student of practical theology and an up-and-coming educator, sees teaching as the way she can make changes she considers necessary in the church. Like Raiche, Burke believes she has a calling to her work and plans to teach Christian ethics at the college level. "One of my teachers said to me, 'Being a teacher is the best way to be a revolutionary, because you can change the way peo– ple think about things,"' Burke explains. "Even if you just pre– sent something to a class from a different angle, and even if the students don't necessarily agree with it, they're going to think there's another way of looking at it. That's the way changes are going to happen." As a young woman in the church, Burke is enthusiastic about her faith and yet takes issue with some of the church's traditions and practices. She finds it ironic that, though her parents always told her she could be whatever she wanted to be, only one role is out of her reach - the priesthood. She says she's not called to be a priest, but she doesn't believe the avenue should be closed to women. Though many women have walked away from the church over such issues, Burke chooses to stay. "The only way things are going to change is if we work with– in the church and try to change the way people view things," she says. "I don't think the right thing to do is to turn your back on it." OuesHonl.ng Aull10rH:y As Burke demonstrates, with a laity that is more highly educated than at any other time in church history, questions inevitably follow concerning the stand the church has taken on many issues. A church that used to preach its law to a quiet congrega– tion is now finding individuals and groups standing up and demanding further explanation. "It's not sufficient to say the church teaches," says Gillman. "One must say why the church teaches what it teaches, and one must convince the membership, not merely order them. "It hasn't been successful in some areas," she notes. "Many people are not convinced yet by the arguments against the ordi– nation of women. Statistics also indicate that Catholics have not been convinced that they should not use artificial birth con– trol." In fact, statistics show that the majority of American Catholics favor allowing priests to marry and women to be ordained, as well as the use of artificial birth control. Those who do not strictly follow the church's teachings on such issues are often referred to disparagingly as "cafeteria Catholics," or Catholics who pick and choose among the beliefs of the church. Because in America we "endlessly chew things to death," as

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