Failure of Church Leadership
An acquaintance recently argued that the American Catholic Church has stabilized, that it has finally absorbed the tectonic disruptions of Vatican II. To use his metaphor, it may be a “leaner and meaner machine” but it does not face extinction, at least any time soon.
I certainly agree relative to the consistent ratio of reported Catholics as between 23%–24% of the United States population. If you peer behind those numbers, however, you discover that the apparent stability comes from the contemporary influx of immigrants from developing Third World countries. The former waves of arrivals from Europe and Eastern Europe, having overcome their immigrant status, have made it into the American middle class and even above. They no longer look to the Church for the sociological support to integrate into our society.
I wonder how much church-going represents a sociological religiosity? Currently about 20% of American Catholics attend weekly mass; on any one particular day up to 40% may show up, at the highest. That means that over half of us are not regularly meeting the obligation, one threatening mortal sin for non-compliance, of Sunday mass and ongoing financial support of the parish. Empty pews, closed schools, barren convents, hollowly echoing religious houses, and silent rectories groan eloquently of the decamping of European-American worshippers for livelier fields. They leave behind congregations without resident pastors, as circuit-riding priests service any number of parishes. The priests with whom parishioners routinely interact stagger gamely on past retirement age, if native-born Americans; younger missionaries migrate here from Africa, Asia, or South America, with or without the fluency to preach in understandable English and only faintly familar with the culture of modern America. But, then, they often as not are relating to congregations of immigrant Hispanics, Orientals from the former Catholic Indochina, and escapees from the brutal tribal wars in Africa. Will these late arrivals, in time, as they successfully blend into the American landscape, follow their European co-religionists out of revolving church doors, to return only to “baptize, marry, and bury”?
How have the American bishops met this critical situation? Formerly, they organized the nascent American church, created a parochial school system from grade school through college, constructed churches and schools, rectories and convents and chancellories. But recently they have begun shutting down inner-city churches, consolidating churches registering low attendance and dwindling participation rates, and shuttering religious schools. In addition, they are shifting the yoke of running the remainder to non-hierarchical shoulders : to permanent deacons, to lay administrators, to religious sisters and lay women. These substitute stand-ins for ecclesiastical rulers do all the heavy lifting, bear all the burdens, assume full responsibility and are held fully accountable; at the same time, however, they do not share the authority of, the places of honor of, and the material perks of, the clerical order. One wonders how long these modern Christian slaves will accept this unequal situation.
The bishops employ strategies strikingly like those of the executives of a struggling automobile industry. When the public stops buying what either has to offer, they close facilities, shrink the work force, cut back on employee reimbursement, and slice benefits. Typically, however, they do not cut top administrative positions, their pay or their benefits. Nor do they consider how to change their way of doing business. They simply wait out the downturn while they execute with assiduousness their accustomed way of acting. In due time their constituents–auto buyers or the Catholic people–will surely return to their senses and follow their leaders–business executives or bishops–as before.
Neither batch of so-called leaders realize that they are engaged in a holding action, not in strategies that may solve their problems. They need transformation in three areas if they are to stave off eventual bankruptcy, and even liquidation.
Both industries, one in religion, the other in manufacturing, advertise themselves as the best, as indispensable, and as “too big to fail.” The Church constantly trumpets that it is “the one true church,” that no one can get to Heaven except through the grace it has in and through Christ, and that God will “be with it all days, even to the end of the world.” Its bishops take comfort in repeating how the Church has lasted for 2,000 years and how it has weathered many, many storms but has always come through stronger. Both bishops and CEO’s, however, appear to be pleading with themselves as customers buy foreign cars and droves of Catholics just stop listening to the scolding rants and imperious demands of their wannabee leaders. “Buy Roman” appears to work about as well as “Buy American.”
The corporate structural model mimics the hierarchical one baptized by the Catholic Church; neither model acts in sync with democratic societies; neither model utilizes the resources of an increasingly educated population. The fatuous presumption that good ideas come only from above and not out of the community severely limit creativity, adaptability, and active participation in the life and growth of the organization. Just as monarchies and dictatorships foster passive citizenship, just as top-down corporations create a work force that does litle more than punch a time clock, so a privileged hierarchical religious class forms, at best, an obedient people that stands up and genuflects as directed but little else. Capable leaders would seriously be exploring ways of restructuring their organization to develop, grow, and flourish in conjunction with a dedicated and loyal populace.
The American automobile industry clings tenaciously, against the evidence, to its vision of popular demand: luxury cars that produce heavenly rides, robust vehicles that can conquer any terrain, and sleak roustabouts offering superman thrills. The former acts as if the earth did not exist; the second cares not a whit about it if it does; and the last uses and misuses it to its own delight. Auto buyers and users want instead cars that can move them expeditiously and economically, and that can do so without injuring themselves, others, or our common home, our planet. To the auto executives they warn: change your vision to ours or face bankruptcy.
For their part our bishops espouse this vision. The Church exists to get its people to Heaven. This means passing through this vale of tears unscathed by earthly allurements. This will happen to the extent that believers accept the offical interpretation of Scripture and Tradition, and obey the clerical commands aimed at preventing sin and weathering safely this temporal journey. Keep your eyes on Christ and on your eternal reward. Do not get seduced by temporal joys. Look up; look higher; do not look around.
More often now, an educated Catholic people reject this vision. They seek the God Who dwells among them, not off somewhere up high, but down here in our neighborhoods, in our family, living with us day in and day out. Don’t look up, but inward; don’t look there above, but here; don’t look to Heaven, but look with love around you and at the earth, our home. The bishops better join their people if their journeys are to continue together.
