Former CCCB official says church should be less secretive

Catholic New Times, June 29, 2003

OTTAWA (CCN) -- A leading Canadian social justice advocate and former general secretary of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has made a pitch for a "less secretive, more transparent church."

Father William Ryan, SJ, says that if the church were to become more transparent "in its own hierarchical government and use of human and material resources," it would be more in harmony with Gospel teaching and be a more credible witness in the world.

Ryan, the director of the Ottawa office of the Jesuit Centre for Social Faith and Justice, was the main speaker at the CCCB's annual forum with national Catholic organizations May 30-31.

Speaking on the theme, "Catholic Witness in Today's World," Ryan, stressed that the church should "give credible justice in her own way of proceeding and in the lifestyle of our leaders."

It remains clear, he said, that Catholics "still live in two churches in many parts of the world." One "magnifies the infallible governing role of the church and the authority role of clerical church leaders," he said. The other "endorses more strongly Vatican II teaching that all Catholics are the church and hence that there must be a much bigger role for collegial government among church leaders as well as a much-enhanced role for the laity."

"Unfortunately, as the years passed with endless discussions of who can serve around the altar and make inner church decisions, her compelling social teachings--still written largely by clerics--remains largely unknown by the faithful."

Ryan said that the dialogue the church promotes "so strongly" for its own members and with other denominations and faiths ... can hardly make much progress until genuine dialogue becomes standard practice at every level of the church on all the central issues of the church."

Without this "credible witness," he said, "it is difficult to envision the church--even the so-called perfect church--to become the preferred channel for God's work in the world in the coming years."