Poetry:
Thielman, James
vitae is correct or incorrect in its position on birth control, the en our authority? process by which it was developed, and the way in which it has "4. Yesterday we passed a document on...
...You must understand, these are not dissidents...
...They found What to do...
...It is also the earnest sunlight from the day belief of our church that the Spirit acts through the entire peowhen we were born ple of God in developing doctrine...
...It set back the reemergence of an approach that Christian understanding of marriage, sexuality, and family is desperately needed as we move into the postmodern world...
...It was in that context that I spoke and "Those are my questions, and I pose them as questions...
...discussion, at least in acknowledging that after twenty-five years "After some discussion, I passed out slips of paper and asked Humanae vitae hasn't been accepted by the majority of them to write down `yes' or `no' on whether they agreed with Catholics...
...When we know Somewhere this, and don't say it, many would compare us to a dysfunc- stars that used to be tional family that is unable to talk openly about a problem that are sending their last everyone knows is there...
...is moving on, "The sensus fidelium is, of course, more than an opinion poll...
...1...
...I note that the bishops advisory council also had problems with The only solution, it seems to me, is to have honest and open this section...
...not compelling to many priests...
...acting through the magisterium...in developing this doctrine.' Not that far from here This is true, but it is not the entire truth...
...In the text we briefly restate the teaching on birth control and say, `We hope that the logic expressed here is compelling.' I wonder how we can claim credibility when we make a statement like that knowing in fact that the logic is not com- James Thielman pelling...
...We are without them on Humanae much sensitivity...
...Standing there "The sensus fidelium is more than a head count, but the be- we see an earth liefs in the heads and hearts of our people must count for some- about to hold us and thing...
...not com- Not Far pelling to the Catholic laity...
...We've got to do something about tion, I found myself asking questions, and I wonder if the time that...
...Thus, my question: Do we have adequate structures and we rush to pick procedures to listen to the sensus fidelium, particularly on this up something we issue...
...great problems with this particular section on birth control...
...rays to touch earth "2...
...that everyone accepted...
...I am wondering what would happen if we did it among trol in a way that seemed to imply that it was one of those "givens" ourselves right here...
...These are a wide mixture of people, totally dedicated to the church...
...might need for "3...
...I I shall close by quoting this hitherto unpublished statement: ask them up front and out loud, in the conviction that if we do not ask them, we are unintentionally causing great dambelieve that the proposed document on age to the credibility and the unity of this church that we love guidelines for education in human sex- When asked what he thought about the laity, Cardinal f f uality is well written, and that the sec- Newman said something like, "Well, the church would look tion on birth control is written with strange without them...
...Yesterday we passed a document on Family Ministry, been handled these twenty-five years seem to represent this lat- and we renewed our commitment `to listen perceptively, trustter approach...
...The count was I expressed some of these concerns to the assembled bish- one yes and twenty-two no...
...ready to arrive...
...Could they not say to us, `We will, begin to remember...
...In the same text we call for those who dissent to study a life we soon and pray over their position...
...El has come to ask the questions out loud...
...if you will...
...This has had a wide effect which I believe to be ingly, and compassionately to what people are saying about their a negative one...
...We pen if you did the same with your pastoral council...
...Yet, as I read that sec- vitae, and we look strange...
...But when people disagree with us, we cannot simply assume that it is mere opinion...
...and let's do it together?' Would such a process weaken the authority of the bishops, or would it in fact strength14: 18 June 1993 Commonweal...
...and not compelling to many bishops...
...I am wondering what would hapops of the United States at our November 1990 meeting...
...I am wonwere debating a document on guidelines for education in human dering what would happen if you did the same with your sexuality, and one section referred to the teaching on birth con- priests...
...this 'section...
...They were not to sign their names...
...It is not compelling to people in general...
...I have four questions...
...life.' I tried that last week with our Saginaw Pastoral Council...
...We also say, `It is our earnest belief that God's Spirit is light years from now...
Vol. 120 • June 1993 • No. 12
