Governance Accountability And The Future Of The Catholic Church
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Catholic Theological Ethics, Past, Present, and Future by James F. Keenan Pdf
An international meeting in Trento in July 2010 brought together some 500 theological ethicists from nearly 75 countries. This volume represents the "state of the art" in mural theology from around the globe, with contributors from North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Divided into three main parts (the past, the present, and the future), contributors include John W. O'Malley (foreword); Monsignor Luigi Bressan, Archbishop of Trento; James F. Keenan; Archbishop Bruno Forte; Mercy Amba Oduyoye (Ghana); Ahmad Syafii Ma'arif, Ma'arif Institut (Indonesia), Paolo Prodi (Italy), Laurenti Magesa (Kenya), Regina Ammicht-Quinn Germany, Alberto Bondolfi (Switzerland), Diego Alonso-Lasheras (Italy), Roger Burggraeve (Belgium), Anne Nasimiyu (Kenya), Bryan Massingale (US), Antonio Moser (Brazil). ric Gaziaux (Belgium), Margaret Farley (US), Benezet Bujo (Switzerland), Brian Johnstone (US), Miguel ngel S nchez Carlos (Mexico), David Kaulem (Zimbabwe), Leo Pessini (Brazil), Pushpa Joseph (India), Margaret Ogala (Kenya), Julie Hanlon Rubio (US), Aloysius Cartagenas (Philippines), Christa Schnabl (Austria), Simone Morandini (Italy), Myroslav Marynovych (Ukraine), Peter Henriot (Zambia), Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Archbishop of Munich-Freising (Germany), Julie Clague (Scotland), Shaji George Kochuthara (India), and Mar a Teresa D vila (US).
The Crisis of Authority in Catholic Modernity by Michael J. Lacey,Francis Oakley Pdf
One deep problem facing the Catholic church is the question of how its teaching authority is understood today. It is fairly clear that, while Rome continues to teach as if its authority were unchanged from the days before Vatican II (1962-65), the majority of Catholics - within the first-world church, at least - take a far more independent line, and increasingly understand themselves (rather than the church) as the final arbiters of decision-making, especially on ethical questions. This collection of essays explores the historical background and present ecclesial situation, explaining the dramatic shift in attitude on the part of contemporary Catholics in the U.S. and Europe. The overall purpose is neither to justify nor to repudiate the authority of the church's hierarchy, but to cast some light on: the context within which it operates, the complexities and ambiguities of the historical tradition of belief and behavior it speaks for, and the kinds of limits it confronts - consciously or otherwise. The authors do not hope to fix problems, although some of the essays make suggestions, but to contribute to a badly needed intra-Catholic dialogue without which, they believe, problems will continue to fester and solutions will remain elusive.
Best Practices in Catholic Church Ministry Performance Management by Charles Zech Pdf
The Church is not a business, but it does have a stewardship responsibility to ensure that all of its resources are used as effectively as possible to carry out God's work on earth. In the case of human resource assets, good stewardship involves assisting those engaged in ministry (whether clerical or lay) to achieve their greatest potential through the various components of performance management, including performance assessment. This unique collection brings together both scholars and practitioners who tackle the tricky questions related to the performance management of lay Church workers and clergy (priests and deacons). Performance management is multi-faceted, ranging from issues about hiring, job descriptions, performance criteria, performance appraisal, formation, and firing procedures. As a charitable organization, the Church is subject to the same civil law employment regulations as companies in the private sector. Contributors demonstrate that Canon Law and Church tradition supports the performance management of Church ministers (including clergy). This is a valuable resource for programs in church ministry, pastoral administration, and in the emerging field of church management.
Fifty years after the Second Vatican Council, emerging theologians are in a unique position to offer hopeful visions for the next fifty years of the Church in light of the pressing internal and external challenges it faces today. Rooted in the texts of Vatican II and a commitment to the church, Visions of Hope brings together the research of leading young scholars around five important topics: dialogue, ecclesiology, ethics, liturgy and ministry. These ideas represent the future shape of the Church because they are from the theologians who are planting the seminal ideas of Church.
Democracy in the Christian Church by Luca Badini Confalonieri Pdf
Are church structures divinely-willed, and consequently both permanent and irreversible? Can Christians modify the polity of their church like they do with that of civil society? What would be the role of the office of oversight in a Christian church democratically organized? What would its relationship with specialized authorities within the community be? Building on a remarkable number of specialist studies in exegesis, church history, political philosophy, canon law, and ecclesiology, this book convincingly fulfils three goals. First, it encourages Christians to determine the political outlook of their faith community. Secondly, it provides some fundamental criteria for judging the ethical value of church structures, on the basis of Bernard Lonergan's cognitional theory and with the help of recent insights from contemporary political philosophy. Thirdly, it outlines a largely novel and groundbreaking understanding of a democratic church. In the process, it engages with some of the most difficult ecclesiological issues faced by most Christian churches.
Receptive Ecumenism and the Call to Catholic Learning by Paul Murray Pdf
This volume proposes a fresh strategy for ecumenical engagement - 'Receptive Ecumenism' - that is fitted to the challenges of the contemporary context and has already been internationally recognised as making a distinctive and important new contribution to ecumenical thought and practice. Beyond this, the volume tests and illustrates this proposal by examining what Roman Catholicism in particular might fruitfully learn from its ecumenical others. Challenging the tendency for ecumenical studies to ask, whether explicitly or implicitly, 'What do our others need to learn from us?', this volume presents a radical challenge to see ecumenism move forward into action by highlighting the opposite question 'What can we learn with integrity from our others?' This approach is not simply ecumenism as shared mission, or ecumenism as problem-solving and incremental agreement but ecumenism as a vital long-term programme of individual, communal and structural conversion driven, like the Gospel that inspires it, by the promise of conversion into greater life and flourishing. The aim is for the Christian traditions to become more, not less, than they currently are by learning from, or receiving of, each other's gifts. The 32 original essays that have been written for this unique volume explore these issues from a wide variety of denominational and disciplinary perspectives, drawing together ecclesiologists, professional ecumenists, sociologists, psychologists, and organizational experts.
Understanding Today's Catholic Parish by William J. Rademacher,John S. Weber,David McNeill,David McNeill, Jr. Pdf
People in lay ministry know its joys and challenges well--and Faith Graham here offers guidance and inspiration for developing a spirituality based on these joys and challenges. He focuses on Jesus as a model and the church's liturgy and traditions as guides that sustain and invigorate those who serve as lay ministers today. Recommended for all parish ministers, DREs, and parish leadership teams.
Faith That Dares to Speak by Donald B. Cozzens Pdf
The Catholic Church at the dawn of the twenty-first century is arguably the last feudal system in the West. Once the feudal structure of the church is recognized, the bishops' response to the clergy abuse crisis comes into focus. Bishops and other church authorities reacted to the scandal the only way their feudal culture allowed--with secrecy, denial, and a no holds barred effort to protect the reputation, authority, and resources of the institution. While tragic, and in many cases reprehensible, their response was consistent with the way feudal systems function. In Faith That Dares to Speak, Donald Cozzens addresses the laity's role in challenging a feudal church to embrace accountability and transparency and to bring light where there is now darkness. Awakened to their dignity and responsibility as full, equal, and adult members of the church, lay Catholics in North America are finding their voice and daring to speak to church authorities long accustomed to deferential obedience and compliance. Church life, Cozzens believes, will never be quite the same. The current crisis in the Church, while profoundly disturbing and troubling, offers possibilities for a renewed and revitalized Church. In Faith That Dares to Speak, Cozzens underscores the critical need for laity and clergy to speak honestly and courageously to church authorities. He addresses the obstacles to faithful speech as well as the spiritual and moral foundations of mature, adult conversation and commitment. The current crisis in the Church, while profoundly disturbing and troubling, offers possibilities for a renewed and revitalized Church. In Faith That Dares to Speak, Cozzens underscores the critical need for laity and clergy to speak honestly and courageously to church authorities. He addresses the obstacles to faithful speech as well as the spiritual and moral foundations of mature, adult conversation and commitment. Chapters include "The Courage to Speak," "The Humility to Listen," "Love That Dares to Question," "The Liberation of the Laity," "Voice of the Faithful," and "Contemplative Conversation."
Over the last 25 years, there has been much talk of the presumed decline in religious participation in America. In addition, from the 1960s on, surveys that mark the influence of religion in American life have shown a mixed response. Many suggest that religion is losing influence in the culture as a whole; others indicate that while organized religion may be experiencing challenges, spirituality is on the upswing. At the same time, however, there have been signs that religious life in the U.S. is extraordinarily healthy. But religion in America has changed, to be sure, in a number of ways. And it has changed us and our culture in return. This timely set looks at the major forces that are changing the shape of religion in American life. With an influx of immigrants from Asia, Latin America, and other regions, the diversity of religion has grown to include Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and other faiths. Latin American and African American communities have experienced changes in the ways they practice their faith and in turn influence American culture in general. Women have entered the clergy in record numbers, and the push for allowing women and gays to enter the clergy in religions that limit or prohibit their roles is on the increase. In addition, gay couples are leading the same-sex marriage movement, and other social issues such as abortion, stem-cell research, end of life care, etc., are still being debated. Interest over how people actually live out their religion or spirituality has mushroomed in recent decades, thanks in part to the information revolution and popular culture. What folks do when they gather together to worship, and where they come together, has changed dramatically with the advent of the Internet and the role of sports in American life. So much has changed, and faith in America has become more important than ever—as part of our culture, our way of life, and the way we relate to each other and the world around us. The essays found in these pages shed light on our understanding of these transformations and help us comprehend the enormous role of religion in our society and in our world.
Crisis grips the American Catholic community. Church professionals abandon it in record numbers while many who remain grapple with low morale, overwork, and compensatory addictions. Schools either close or laypeople staff them. Parishes consolidate, bereft of pastors and communicants. The people itself lies fragmented, a landscape of polarized groups, a kaleidoscope of political partisans more than gatherings of the faithful. Its future hangs in the balance. Current leaders fixate on two plans. In one they march steadfastly into the past, pursuing the illusion of a remnant group of the righteous armored by uniformity, a sorry substitute for a religious community. In another they resolutely protect the status quo. Before the eyes of an incredulous people they are transforming the church into a museum of religious artifacts, a fitting destination for inquisitive tourists, occasional visitors, and the uninvolved. The author offers a third alternative. Calling upon the democratic attempts of John Carroll and John England, the incisive comments of Tocqueville about religion in a democracy, and the theology of Vatican II, he challenges bishops to forsake their status as minor lords in a medieval monarchy and, instead, to embrace a servant leadership within the People of God.
In Ethics of the Word beloved priest and author James F. Keenan, S.J., discusses the power of the Word in the Catholic Church. In the ongoing wake of the priest abuse scandals, Father Keenan argues that we need new ways to build trust and open communication in the Church on all levels_from bishops to parishioners. Keenan's engaging style blends stories, Scripture, and theology to show readers the importance of both speaking and listening. The book covers topics ranging from difficult confrontations to apologies to the language of faith, hope, and love.
A concise introductory outline of the Catholic faith based on the Apostles' Creed and including more recent developments since the Second Vatican Council and the challenges of a global church.