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PDF versionA younger face on Catholic reform
by Heidi Schlumpf on Jul. 07, 2009
Call to Action is putting a younger face forward with the naming of a new director to replace Dan and Sheila Daley, who had served as co-directors since the church reform group's founding in 1978.
Jim FitzGerald, 37, will lead the 25,000-member organization, which has been working to reach out to younger Catholics over the past several years. He has a background in non-profit administration and theology -- plus a history with CTA, having served as a board member, chapter leader and local faciliator for CTA's "NextGen" program for reform-minded Catholics in their 20s and 30s.
Jim FitzGerald"He's a young Catholic who's passionate about his faith," said Nicole Sotelo, CTA's NextGen and media coordinator. "I think it's a strong signal for the future."
CTA Board Presidents Patty Hawk and Paul Scarbrough praised FitzGerald's expertise in organizational management, including strategic planning, fundraising, public relations and financial administration. He most recently served as a vice president in the education department for Planned Parenthood of Upstate New York.
FitzGerald has master's degrees in both educaitonal psychology (from the College of St. Rose in Albany, N.Y.) and theology and ethics (from Hartford Seminary in Connecticut). He will work from Boston, communicating via the internet with the Chicago CTA office.
FitzGerald will meet many of CTA's members at its annual national conference Nov. 6-8 in Milwaukee.
"He most recently served as a
"He most recently served as a vice president in the education department for Planned Parenthood of Upstate New York." - Yep, that'll be helpful.
How is working at Planned Parenthood the least bit Catholic?
It is great to see a young
It is great to see a young professional with nonprofit experience leading CTA into the future. Kudos to the board for being open to the fresh perspectives and energy of we younger folks.
Re the comment above, providing medical care to women who can't afford it seems pretty Catholic to me. Most of the care received at PP is regular OB/GYN care, not abortions--my mom went to PP to verify that she was pregnant with me, and I seem to exist.
Purpose As societies evolve
Purpose
As societies evolve towards greater democracy and individual freedoms there is one surprising exception to this worldwide trend: The Roman Catholic Church. As the world has developed, the Church has regressed, clinging to an authoritarian style more typical of the Middle Ages. Survival of the institution and its power has become a top priority while the message of Jesus Christ seems lost among the edicts, resolutions and warnings from Rome.
There are many who disagree with and even protest against their autocratic Church, yet are committed to living authentic Christian lives. The institutional Church has little sympathy for them. But there is a way to get the Church’s attention: Cut off the money supply.
Protests
There have been protests against specific abuses around the world. The United States, Canada, India, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Australia are just some of the countries where people have signed letters of protest, got together and expressed their concerns that:
• women are discriminated against
• celibacy is obligatory for priests
• the Eucharist has been denied to many
• abuses are covered up
• free and open discussion on moral issues is forbidden.
Not much has been achieved through these efforts. Issues have been settled on a case-by-case basis with the Vatican retaining much of the control. Guilt has been admitted as evidenced by the large settlements negotiated with victims, but there has been little change in attitude within the institutional church. The recent appointment of 7 Italian cardinals is a sign that there is no interest in changing operational oligarchy of the Church.
Alternative
The Church isn’t listening, but that doesn’t mean we have to wait for a miracle. We can learn something from Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King and even the ANC in South Africa. The approach they have in common is called “satyagraha”, peaceful resistance.
Supporters of this approach would be motivated by a return to a more authentic Christianity taking the early Christians as their model. But rather than simply retreating from Rome, they would challenge the Church to listen respectfully to their concerns; they would challenge the Church to “open the windows” as Pope John XXIII tried to do nearly 50 years ago.
Unfortunately, the institutional church has resisted any change, fearful that in so doing it would lose power and control. So it has retained power on the claim that it alone has the power in matters of faith, doctrine, and practice. Lay people have been unsuccessful in bringing about meaningful change because they lack the power, but do they?
The Church is completely reliant on the financial support of the laity for its continued existence. This, then, is it’s soft spot, it’s area of vulnerability. This is an area of opportunity for change driven by the laity - the women and men whose voices have for centuries been ignored by their Church.
Participants
Individuals or small groups who identify with these thoughts are challenged to take the initiative and move to action. They would support one another in small faith communities and would take advantage of the rapid spread and influence of social media to challenge the Church on issues that concern them, and in response to autocratic pronouncements that come from Rome. The threat to withhold Church financing would provide leverage. Money (from Indulgences) was the central to the Protestant Reformation. It is disappointing that money might once again be the single greatest factor to start another renewal.
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