Massimo Faggioli

Sisters Lea and Consilia

Is Church criminal activity the result of failed theology?

Seems that Church criminal activity IS the result of failed theology…according to Robert Mickens quoting Church historian, Massimo Faggioli, in Mickens’ recent article “Why Catholic Church leaders risk failing on the issue of sexual abuse”

Scrolling down Mickens’ article to the subheading The ongoing implosion of the Church, we find these words:

“As Massimo Faggioli suggested in a recent article published by La Croix International.” says Mickens,

It is not simply a question of dealing with a criminal phenomenon. It is also a theological question: from the theology of the sacraments (especially ordination to the priesthood) to ecclesiological models; from the role of women in the Church to last century’s magisterium on sexual morality. (Bold emphasis ours)

 

“The most complicated issue concerns the structural reforms required to address the mystique surrounding the priesthood and the episcopate, which are often still seen as positions of honor without the responsibilities that derive from holy orders.
(Indented text and absence of most quote marks in above two paragraphs are as in original Mickens’ article.)

At Rite Beyond Rome, we believe that Church criminal activity IS the result of failed theology.

If Vatican II had been taken seriously by the Church preceding Francis, it would not have been dismissed as simply a pastoral council. 

If Vatican II had been taken seriously back in the 1970’s, 80’s, 90’s up to the present day, collegial community would have been the hallmark of a modern theology transvalued in light of the very core of the Gospels and Church Tradition of Collegial Community…and not simply in light of episcopal collegiality which was also suppressed.

Want more on how the Church would look as a Collegial Community?

Also see:  Beyond Damage Control and Church Structural Reform: Theology Supports Sex/Power Abuse?

 

Sisters Lea and Consilia

Polarization or Stifling Consensus: The Only Choices?

Certainly, the Vatican’s choice for “Profound Consensus” over polarization in the Church would seem to be the most logical one.  But is it?

Logical or not, the Church is well on the road to a profound consensus which may not be what Vatican secretary Cardinal Parolin was recommending.

National Catholic Reporter: Cardinal Parolin addresses US bishops with call for ‘profound consensus’

Vatican II expert, Massimo Faggioli, describes the reality and danger of one-way polarization within the Church.  See link below where Rite Beyond Rome responds to his La Croix International article:

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To Read more:   https://www.scribd.com/document/370006049/Church-Polarization-or-Stifling-Consensus-Not-the-Only-Choices…

 

To view and download PDF: Church Polarization or Dangerous Consensus?

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When “profound consensus” is rooted in “safe choice” over the risk of allowing the Holy Spirit to break through staid Catholic consciousness, is it the preferred choice for the Church in the world today?

In this instance, wouldn’t it be wiser and more rational to diversify the Church’s expressions of Catholicism in ways that maintain “consensual unity” AND dynamic and creative diversity…?
…as described in the 1973 book, POLARIZATION IN THE CHURCH, edited by Hans Kung and Walter Kasper?

Thanks for reading…Comments and questions appreciated!

(Click on article title to comment.)

 

Sisters Lea and Consilia

“The Church in the Trump Era: Catholicism or Americanism?”…or Something Else?

In reply to Massimo Faggioli’s article:  “The Church in the Trump Era: Catholicism or Americanism?”  published 11.14.2016 on https://international.la-croix.com

Massimo Faggioli writes, “There is the problem of political and cultural polarization within [the American] Church” and notes “this problem goes beyond the bishops and includes some American theologians, Catholic colleges and universities, and organized lay associations such as the Knights of Columbus.”

When Massimo writes this about the American Catholic Church, he comes close to identifying by name the most influential arm of Catholic neo-conservatism embedded both financially and theologically in the WORLDWIDE Catholic Church from the Vatican down to local parishes…Opus Dei.

Opus Dei was founded in the 1930’s and has since spread to over 16 countries.  In 1982, Pope John Paul II created a new juridical status for this neo-conservative Catholic clerical/lay group…the “personal prelature” as special canonical recognition by the Roman Catholic Church.  As such, it claims to eschew political involvement in its preaching and practice, while other sources claim its mission is to infiltrate the highest spheres of political, economic and cultural power.  Another neo-conservative revisionist group, the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X, was offered “personal prelature” status by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.

Opus Dei has been operating a strong recruiting campaign for young professionals, prospective seminarians and other college students in the USA and other countries since long before the 1995 America Magazine article about them.  Link below.

Couldn’t this neo-conservative bastion of revisionist Catholicism have something to do with:

  • the neo-conservative relationship of the U.S. bishops with Pope Francis?
  • the neo-conservative relationship of American Catholics toward their federal and local governments?

Remembering that the well-organized Opus Dei papal prelature is doing its faithful work in many other countries beside the USA,

  • could this be part of the reason for the rise of neo-conservative political movments in other countries?

Massimo says: “a rather urgent and dramatic question for Catholics in this great country…deep at the heart of the future of the Church in the United States is the fundamental choice between being a Roman Catholic Church in America or being an Americanist Catholic Church.”

There could be a third choice here, no?   Since Roman Catholicism, beginning with the U.S., is increasingly coming to be defined by revisionist neo-conservative movements of the Roman Catholic Church, shouldn’t the U.S. and Catholics worldwide have the choice to be part of a Vatican II Rite in union with Rome?

*    *    *    *   *   *   *   *   *
Notes:

The Church in the Trump Era: Catholicism or Americanism? by Massimo Faggioli

Opus Dei in the United States: From February 25, 1995 by James Martin, SJ

                    https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2012/12/13/opus-dei-united-states-february-25-1995

See Also:

https://ritebeyondrome.com/2017/09/23/church-unity-is-not-institutional-merger-cardinal-kasper/

Sisters Lea and Consilia

EXISTE UNA GRAN BRECHA ENTRE EL PAPA FRANCISCO Y QUIENES CONTINUAN SOSTENIENDO UNA LITURGIA TRADICIONALISTA

Abajo está la traducción de “Huge gap separates Pope Francis from liturgical traditionalists”by Massimo Faggioli   https://wordpress.com/post/ritebeyondrome.com/2692

Nuestro comentario sobre el artículo de Massimo Faggioli, publicado en el Global Pulse Magazine (ver link del Global Pulse Magazine abajo ):

“Apreciamos la esperanza que tiene Massimo Faggioli sobre la posibilidad de que la Iglesia del Concilio Vaticano II va a regresar.

Sin embargo ¿cree usted que en los pocos años que le quedan al Papa Francisco, le sea posible revertir “la masiva simpatía e Irénica actitud” hacia el tradicionalismo, que ha sido succionado por la población católica y transmitido en numerosas universidades seminarios, parroquias y publicaciones en todo el mundo durante los últimos 30 años o más?

Además el deceso de tantos clérigos, teólogos y laicos creyentes del Vaticano II. ¿Usted cree que podemos sentarnos cómodamente y esperar que el Papa Francisco reviva el Vaticano II… enfrentándose a un movimiento fuerte, tradicionalista, generalizado y penetrante hacia una “Iglesia más pura y pequeña?

El hecho es que el Rito Romano de la Iglesia Católica, se ha establecido como un formidable oponente al Vaticano II y a sus interpretaciones proféticas de la teología, gobierno, litúrgia e identidad católica.

Por lo tanto, ¿por qué no permitir a Roma, -el hermano mayor-, que siga siendo el guardian de la hermenéutica del Concilio de Trento, así como la representante del catolicismo institucional.

Mientras tanto, el Papa Francisco queda en una difícil posición: la de liberar al Vaticano II de las manos de aquellos que siempre verán al Vaticano II solo como una confirmación del Concilio de Trento.

El Papa Francisco puede proteger de un sisma a la Iglesia universal y bendecir las tradiciones de la Iglesia de Trento y de la Iglesia del Vaticano II, ramas “igualmente válidas aunque distintas” del pensamiento católico y de su práctica.

Esta postura sería semejante a la de “separada pero siendo una en” hermandad, como es el caso de Roma y la Iglesia Católica Oriental. Esta última tiene una interpretación menos escolástica/más mística, que su hermano mayor Romano, tanto de la teología católica, como del gobierno y la Liturgia.

Por otra parte, si el Papa Francisco muere, la Iglesia se acomoda de nuevo en su modo curial, de un catolicismo del Concilio de Trento, como si el Concilio Vaticano II nunca hubiera existido, ¿o no?

Link para Global Pulse Magazine

Muchas gracias a Luisa Maria Rivera por su traducción de este artículo!

Sisters Lea and Consilia

On “When bishops give up on episcopal conferences” – Massimo Faggioli

“One aspect typical of Catholicism today is the division among bishops. The first division follows geo-cultural fault lines…
…The bishops of the region of Buenos Aires in Argentina (endorsing Amoris Laetitia) talking about the possibility for divorced and remarried Catholics who cannot live “in chastity”to receive communion after a process of discernment with their pastor.
…In North America the bishops…deny the idea that the Synod and Amoris Laetitia brought any kind of change…

…what is happening in the reception of Amoris Laetitia among bishops shows… the difference between the pastoral reception and what I am calling the worldview or Weltanschauung reception.”

Source: When bishops give up on episcopal conferences – Global Pulse Magazine

Response to above article: “Weltanschauung bishops” of the Romanist persuasion have successfully silenced Vatican II pastoral bishops over the past 30+ years in the USA, Canada and other countries. The few Vatican II bishops who remain are not likely to speak against brother bishops steeped in “Weltanschauung” theology.

This is no “truly strange reversal of fortune,” as Massimo calls it, for there are two distinctly different voices speaking in God’s name for Catholicism: the Roman literal voice and the theopoetic-leaning voice of Vatican II. Theology, governance, pastoral concerns and liturgy fall to each different side according to the literal/poetic cultural divide.

There are people on both sides of this Catholic cultural divide, each trying to change and/or disparage the other’s position, with the Vatican II side having become disillusioned by the dominant “Weltanschauung” Catholicism.

Isn’t it time to declare the existence of a Vatican II Catholic Rite/Church in union with the Roman Rite/Church and the 22 Eastern Catholic Rite/Churches which are also in union with Rome?

Sisters Lea and Consilia
https://RiteBeyondRome

 

 

 

Sisters Lea and Consilia

On “Relearning critical obedience and faithful dissent” by Massimo Faggioli

Massimo, you say, “…there is actually a deep theological and cultural rift around ecclesiology and in particular about the role of Vatican II in the practical ecclesiology of Catholicism today.”

Could there be at least two different valid interpretations of our Catholic faith, not just “continuity and rupture” or “obedience and dissent”?

As you well know, there is a split between the literal and “poetic” interpretations of Catholicism, well-documented by Catholic philosopher/theologian John D. Caputo in his books, RELIGION WITHOUT RELIGION, THE WEAKNESS OF GOD, and THE INSISTENCE OF GOD.

Vatican II pointed us in the poetic direction while retaining the literal hermeneutic. Might we have need for both literal and poetic interpretations of theology, governance and liturgy in the Church today? https://ritebeyondrome.com/201…

As for the Church, she has the tradition to address this problem in her agreement to allow differing interpretations of theology, governance and liturgy within the 22 other rites beyond her Roman walls. Apparently the Catholic Church, including the Roman patriarchy of earlier time, was not so hell-bent on its hegemony over Catholicism as it is today, you think?

To read Dr. Faggioli’s article and comments: Relearning critical obedience and faithful dissent – La Croix International

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