The Task of Re-Claiming the Moral Center of Catholicism in the Public Square: Reflections
" That incisive moral analysis and strong moral values that so many American Catholics like Margery Eagan exhibit: where are they coming from? At National Catholic Reporter this week, theologian Richard McBrien offers
strong reasons for doubting that the incisive moral analysis or values
are trickling down from the top of the church to the bottom.
McBrien finds that the more and more overtly the bishops reveal
themselves as tools of the Republican party, the more decisively U.S.
lay Catholics distance themselves from the bishops and claim their
birthright obligation as baptized Christians to exercise their informed
consciences in making political and moral judgments. To put the point
as plainly as possible, the Catholic hierarchy may speak, but not many
folks are listening:
In summary, on most of the issues the survey asked about, majorities of
Catholics said the locus of moral authority rests with individuals, not
the bishops, but after taking church teachings into account.
Given the findings of this latest survey, it is clear that relatively
few Catholics look to the bishops themselves as the sole source of
guidance on moral issues. "
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