At the USCCB meeting Nov. 15 in Washington, CTA and FutureChurch representatives delivered over 11,000 postcards and letters asking U.S. Bishops to lobby the October 2005 International Synod on the Eucharist for open discussion of mandatory celibacy, welcoming back married priests and ordaining women deacons. Joining in the press conference was Fr. Andrew Connolly of the Priests’ Forum for the Eucharist— over 1,000 U.S. priests asking to openly discuss the celibacy rule.
Sr. Chris Schenk of FutureChurch told reporters proposed synod topics don’t
even mention the priest shortage. ”How can a synod on the Eucharist not
even talk about how half of the world’s Catholics don’t have regular
access to the Mass?” she said. Connolly described how hard it is for priests
to help form worshipping communities when they circuit-ride to three or four
parishes every weekend.
Sharon Shepela of CTA New England pointed to the Boston archdiocese where one
out of five parishes are scheduled to close. Catholics in 10 parishes are holding
round the clock prayer vigils to prevent closure, and other parishes are organizing.
Of the Boston priests surveyed by CTA New England, 66 percent favored open discussion
of mandatory celibacy, Shepela said.
George’s answer “insulting”
At least 4,000 postcards, half of them collected at the CTA conference, went
to the USCCB Committee on Liturgy and its chair, Chicago's Cardinal George.
Senders asked that the synod focus on the priest shortage, availability
of the Mass, and Vatican II understandings of Eucharist. Though George has publicly
endorsed discussion of the celibacy rule, he sent at least one letter-writer
a demeaning reply: “It is hard to tell whether this letter writing campaign
indicates a concern for the availability of the Eucharist or is just another
occasion to advance an agenda that has little to do with Catholic tradition…
At the present time in this country, the Eucharist is readily available. What
is missing is practicing Catholics.”
Schenk called his response insulting. Both FutureChurch and CTA are urging members
to write George and to tell him that it is precisely the faithful practicing
Catholics, deeply concerned about the priest shortage, who care enough to write
to him.
George's importance at USCCB increased during the Washington meeting. He was
elected USCCB vice president, which by custom puts him in line to succeed the
new president, William Skylstad of Spokane, Wash., in 2007. George then resigned
as chair of the liturgy committee.
Erie Bishop Donald Trautman, a surprise nomination from the floor, was elected
new liturgy chair. Trautman is an accomplished linguist who supported gender
neutral language in lectionary translations that were accepted by all English
speaking bishops, only to be rejected by Rome. Some observers believe he was
elected because many bishops are unhappy with Synod preparatory documents and
proposed new lectionary translations that regress to archaic language.
Petition signing to accelerate
Both CTA and FutureChurch members continue to sign and circulate petitions to
the International Eucharist Synod. About 15,000 signatures have been collected
so far. Advent prayer services and petition drives are underway around the nation.
If every CTA and FutureChurch member could get 10 additional signatures, the
impact on the October 2005 synod could greatly increase. For resources, see
the ad below.
Priest surveys on celibacy
The CTA/FutureChurch anonymous surveys of priests have attracted wide secular
media attention all year. Recently articles also appeared in Commonweal and
the National Catholic Reporter. Our findings were corroborated by surveys in
Ireland and Australia released in October. Sixty percent of Irish priests
and 55 percent of Australian priests believe celibacy should be optional.
We found 67 percent of responding priests (2,589 of 3,846) in 53 dioceses supported
open discussion of mandatory celibacy. To survey priests in your diocese, see
below.
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