This story from the Washington Post I think reveals a big problem in the American Catholic Church.
Kathleen Riley knows her beliefs on the male-only priesthood and contraception put her at odds with leaders of her church. But as a fifth-generation Catholic who went to a Catholic school and grew up to teach in one, Riley feels the faith deeply woven through her. So when her Arlington parish asked for volunteers last summer to teach Sunday school, she felt called by the Holy Spirit to say yes.
A year later, the 52-year-old computer scientist feels the same spirit calling her to say no.
You see, the diocese is requiring CCD teachers to essentially sign an oath of fidelity to the teachings of the Church. She, along with a few other teachers, are saying no way.
It’s like the 60’s all over again man!!! Throw off your patriarchal oppressors. Or better yet, they’re like 21st century Gallileos being forced to submit to the Church and bury their own brilliance. But whereass Gallileo attempted to show that the Earth wasn’t the center of the universe, these women seem be attempting to put themselves squarely there.
But here’s the thing -they’re volunteering for this duty. The Catholic gestapo hasn’t sent out its thuggerati in order to press them into servility.
I know that a strong streak of “Don’t tread on me” is woven into the American DNA. And there’s something about oaths of fidelity that just strikes Americans as being put under someone’s thumb, despite them being so commonplace.
In a weird way, I applaud these women for at least taking the oath seriously and realizing that they don’t truck with Church teaching in some areas and therefore refusing to take the oath.
But on the other hand, they should realize what that says about their faith. I think many people believe they are Catholic because they were born into a Catholic family, or they went to a Catholic grammar school, or they took a Latin class in high school.
I think many people believe that they’re Catholic but they build their own personal Catholic Church in which their uninformed conscience serves as their Magisterium and every whim as their catechism.
Everyone is free to do that but you can’t call it Catholicism. And you don’t have a right to teach children that it is.
July 13, 2012 at 2:33 pm
I have homeschooled off and on for the past five years. Being military puts us in locations with some really horrible schools so I have to look at them every time we move. This summer we're moving to a location that has this very policy in effect for all of the teachers at a Catholic school (of signing a fidelity oath) and let me tell you, it's one of the deciding factors as to why I've even considered spendings thousands and thousands of dollars to send my kids to this school. I'm so sick and tired of CINO's being in our Catholic schools teaching the kids Catholicism.
Catholicism is a religion, not an ethnicity. I don't care how many generations Catholicism has been in a family, if you don't believe it, don't practice it and are openly defiant to it's teachings… then you're a Protestant.
July 13, 2012 at 3:08 pm
You comment about people believe that they are Catholic because they were born into a Catholic family are dead on. I have heard a few people say they were Catholic because one of their parents were. People do not know their faith and are not interested in learning it. I am glad to see that some areas are doing this because when we have people who teach the faith that do not believe in it, we are just making the problem that much worse.
Cheri
July 13, 2012 at 3:25 pm
What a great column…in a short space you've managed to score many good points.
July 13, 2012 at 3:47 pm
Part of the problem of bad Catechesis in the 1970’s through the 1980’s, as far as I can tell, is the idea that the Sacrament of Confirmation was ones “choice” on whether or not to be an “adult” in the Church.
My wife didn’t “choose” to be Confirmed. I have friends who sent their kids to Religious Ed only to pull them out when they learned (in our Diocese) the children were to be Confirmed _before¬_ receiving their First Communion. The argument was “they are too young at eight years old to be making that choice.” It’s a silly argument. My attempt at re-catechizing them was repulsed “No! We were taught…..” You were taught wrong. “NO! We were taught!”
Sigh. Meanwhile whatever law Congress passes is accepted hook, line and sinker.
July 13, 2012 at 4:01 pm
The thing that bothers me about this argument is that they are doing it. This is similar to the problem I have with political conservatives who are still trying to defend the constitution. It didn't work to stop these devils up till now, how do you expect it's glorious 'return' to solve anything? Just declare the Old Republic dead and start trying to figure out how to get the original principles- which is what we really want- back.
Same thing here. Those old girls are still Catholic because they can be. The mere existence of such an oath shows the problem. We are a bureaucratic church- lets have a freaking piece of paper to sign so that we don't have to actually know each other, develop relationships, and maybe even allow bishops to ordain married men so we'd have enough clergy to take care of some of this stuff in the confessional rather than suffer the indignity of having our batty old ladies flutter about this in the media.
But I digress.
They are doing it. Don't say 'you can't do that'. Say 'repent'. Don't have them sign a paper. The priest should know her. Does she receive the sacraments? Is she confessing? Sure, right now there is almost no point, but this is because we've emptied out the meaning of it. If we could actually rediscover how things were done (for progressives have changed everything, including 'tradition'), then this stuff could be handled and fewer people's souls would be in danger.
July 13, 2012 at 4:54 pm
Yet another fruit of the post-conciliar failure of catechesis. When the "faithful" think that they can select which elements of doctrine to support, then faithful is what they are not. It matters not, how often they attend Mass, nor whether they tithe. Being Catholic means accepting all of what the Church teaches, and living it.
July 13, 2012 at 5:19 pm
"Kathleen Riley knows her beliefs on the male-only priesthood and contraception put her at odds with leaders of her church"
WRONG. It puts her at odds with the Faith she professes to hold, the Church to which she belongs, and the Creator of all things to whom she owes obedience.
July 13, 2012 at 5:52 pm
To me there's an integrity issue here. Many years ago I considered responding to an appeal for catechists. I wondered how I would reconcile my doubts about certain issues with teaching the faith, even if the children I taught were too young to get into any of the difficult teachings. I realized that my "disagreements" with the Church in those areas meant I wasn't even in agreement with the Church's understanding of itself. This self-revelation made me study the Church's teachings and grow in understanding and acceptance. After that my integrity was restored because I was then truly Catholic and then I became a decent catechist (and a much better parent,too.)
July 14, 2012 at 2:13 am
Jeanne,
Your comment is a gem!
July 15, 2012 at 6:01 am
I understand your frustration, but these people aren't Catholic because their parents were, or they went to Catholic schools or whatever; they are Catholic by virtue of their baptism, which leaves an indelible mark on their soul. No matter how sinful their actions or heretical their views, unless there is a formal act of apostasy (which is almost impossible to do) they remain Catholics. Yes, even those who are excommunicated are still Catholics. Furthermore, at any point, they might, by the grace of God, see the error of their ways, repent and be saved. This is not to say that their views and actions should be tolerated or condoned, but simply declaring them to be "protestants" or urging them to jump ship and join the Episcopalians, where they will surely die in their sins and be damned for eternity, is a terrible thing.
July 16, 2012 at 8:51 pm
For five years, I was an infiltrator, a spy, an undercover agent for the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, teaching catechism to 5th and 6th graders. I was given the most inadequate, inane, and erroneous (heretical) curricula and materials. I took all my creative energy to teach the true Catholic faith while making it appear that I was following the curriculum given to me by the parish DRE. The rest of the catechists at the parish would have never taken a fidelity oath. They knew I was "a little old fashioned" but they couldn't call me out on it, because that would have exposed them and brought trouble their way. My archdiocese is so far gone, the a fidelity oath would effective shut down all catachesis, because as it is today, its ALL erroneous (heretical).
July 16, 2012 at 9:12 pm
You actually can call it Catholicism, though it is more appropriately known to be devout Catholicism.