About 200 priests from across the country assembled in Seattle , Washington
Key-note speakers addressed issues related to the Second Vatican
Council's Constitution on the Church, Lumen
Gentium.
Among the assembly's agenda was consideration of 15
proposals offered by members as potential resolutions from the AUSCP.
The pattern of acceptance and rejection of the proposals
suggests that the AUSCP is taking a moderate stand in its efforts to renew the
Church and support Vatican II.
The association voted to accept a proposal to promote ongoing
discussion of and support for changes in Canon Law which would allow the
ordination of women to the order of the diaconate.
Membership, however, rejected the proposal calling for study
of and open discussion for the ordination of women and married men to the
priesthood.
The proposal to urge the United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to encourage the re-introduction of general absolution
(in reference to the Sacrament of Penance) in U. S. parishes was also passed.
Other proposals rejected included: asking the USCCB to
appoint a bishop as liaison to the AUSCP; asking the pope to allow use of the
former (1974) Sacramentary; asking that the selection of diocesan bishops
become a more transparent process in which the local churches have a voice.
Discussions about the various proposals included highly
nuanced argumentation, not necessarily opposed to some resolutions in principle
but rejecting them as worded or with understanding that corollaries to the
proposal may be misunderstood or misdirected.
Journalist Bob Kaiser, who was Time magazine's correspondent at the Council, offered anecdotes
about his experiences and perceptions. He recalled the many times he had seated around his dinner table some of
the "stars" of the Council: bishops, theologians (Rahner, Kung,
Congar), engaging them in assessing the struggles and direction set by the
Council.
He said again and again, "The Council was a learning
experience for the bishops."
The current Tablet
journalist at the Vatican Bob Mickens spoke about the election of Pope Francis
and the effect his unusual papal style is having on the Vatican bureaucracy and
on bishops' conferences around the world.
He noted that some have criticized Papa Francesco for change
only in style, but Mickens reminded the assembly that historian John O'Malley
insists that after all is said and done style turns out to be substantive.
Theologian Catherine Clifford and canon lawyer Jim Coriden
addressed issues rising from Lumen
Gentium and the efforts of some people to restrict the aggiornamento Pope
John XXIII sorely wanted for the Church.
Priest/pastor/author Pat Brennan was unable to speak to the
assembly because of illness. Bishop Donald Trautman, former ordinary of the Erie diocese, substituted,
urging the AUSCP to continue its efforts at renewal and to enter into dialogue
with the episcopacy.
Among AUSCP's goals and objectives for 2013 is widening
awareness that the AUSCP exists, building bridges between the AUSCP and
religious men and women, raising funds to develop a support staff, and inviting
brother priests to gatherings which engage the vision of Vatican II.
Common prayer, meals, discussions and recreation created a
stronger bond among the nearly 200 who attended. Total membership is slightly
less than 1000 priests.
AUSCP was founded in 2011.
The AUSCP website is http://www.uscatholicpriests.org/
No comments:
Post a Comment