I want to share a tension that I see in the Church—the whole body of Christ, from laypeople to priests to bishops to the pope—in the way we talk about the poor, the marginalized, and the vulnerable—including survivors—in the Church.
I've really enjoyed your candor in communicating where you fit into this narrative. I think the way you approach it, by elevating survivor voices but also giving us language to understand how to explain and describe the circumstances of what's going on. For me, the language around conscience, violation of conscience and identification of conscience is key. That, and a clarity around recognizing the utter devastation of what happens when someone speaks as the voice of God, even with the best of intention.
It's easy to say it's bad and even cruel if someone says "God wants you to shut up and stop your blog" It's much harder to quiet the numerous voices that say, "God wants you to pray the rosary."
I don't see you as a white knight or lost sheep but as someone who is learning the ways of the sheep and giving them the tools so they can navigate what it is to figure out this world.
You may like my Saturday article, and I think you'll particularly like the one for Sunday. I want to help you feel affirmed in what you do, which is staying in that spot where God seems to be using your gifts to educate. It's pretty amazing to me because you have provided a level of confidence around actual doctrine (past and present) that I feel secure in my faith in a way I never had before I knew of primacy of conscience and infinite dignity. The people of the church may be terrible, but the deepest root of faith is unfathomably beautiful. And I thank you for staying true to that.
Which Church Father was it who told the Empire he'd lead them to the treasure of the Church, and it was the poor? Maybe he would be a fitting intercessor for those of us who identify with your reflection.
"Ambrose of Milan related that when the treasures of the Church were demanded of Lawrence by the prefect of Rome, he brought forward the poor, to whom he had distributed the treasure as alms. 'Behold in these poor persons the treasures which I promised to show you; to which I will add pearls and precious stones, those widows and consecrated virgins, which are the Church's crown.'" (Wikipedia)
"survivors are the church".... Beautiful. I feel like there is a connection to the pedagogy of the oppressed. That the church is not imposing on the poor from above, rather it is blessed most when advancing together with poor and oppressed people.
I've really enjoyed your candor in communicating where you fit into this narrative. I think the way you approach it, by elevating survivor voices but also giving us language to understand how to explain and describe the circumstances of what's going on. For me, the language around conscience, violation of conscience and identification of conscience is key. That, and a clarity around recognizing the utter devastation of what happens when someone speaks as the voice of God, even with the best of intention.
It's easy to say it's bad and even cruel if someone says "God wants you to shut up and stop your blog" It's much harder to quiet the numerous voices that say, "God wants you to pray the rosary."
I don't see you as a white knight or lost sheep but as someone who is learning the ways of the sheep and giving them the tools so they can navigate what it is to figure out this world.
You may like my Saturday article, and I think you'll particularly like the one for Sunday. I want to help you feel affirmed in what you do, which is staying in that spot where God seems to be using your gifts to educate. It's pretty amazing to me because you have provided a level of confidence around actual doctrine (past and present) that I feel secure in my faith in a way I never had before I knew of primacy of conscience and infinite dignity. The people of the church may be terrible, but the deepest root of faith is unfathomably beautiful. And I thank you for staying true to that.
Which Church Father was it who told the Empire he'd lead them to the treasure of the Church, and it was the poor? Maybe he would be a fitting intercessor for those of us who identify with your reflection.
I’m pretty sure it was a deacon, but I can’t remember the name off the top of my head.
Saint Laurence, I think!
Hey, you're both right!
"Ambrose of Milan related that when the treasures of the Church were demanded of Lawrence by the prefect of Rome, he brought forward the poor, to whom he had distributed the treasure as alms. 'Behold in these poor persons the treasures which I promised to show you; to which I will add pearls and precious stones, those widows and consecrated virgins, which are the Church's crown.'" (Wikipedia)
"survivors are the church".... Beautiful. I feel like there is a connection to the pedagogy of the oppressed. That the church is not imposing on the poor from above, rather it is blessed most when advancing together with poor and oppressed people.
Thanks for this post, Paul.