September 2001 Call to Action News

Wisdom Exchange: What is the next phase of church reform? More dialogue with Rome, or is it time to “just do it”?

Wisdom Exchange is our regular intergenerational dialogue between CTA's Next Generation (ages 18-42) and the Wisdom Generation - older CTA members who had personal experience of Vatican II. CTA's 25th anniversary prompted the topic question: "How will CTA promote the transformation of church and world in the next 25 years?" The extended e-mail exchange was between Laura Blabac, 29, a part-time theology teacher at St. Thomas University in St. Paul, Minn., and Evi Quinn, 73, a leader of CTA San Diego County, "married for 48 years, with five children and 11 grandchildren, active in social justice all my life and in church renewal for over seven years." Here are some excerpts:

Laura Blabac: CTA can promote the transformation by continuing to listen. Listening might well be the key action that CTA can do. I think most would agree that the hierarchy of our church has stopped listening; and it's a painful experience. So, for CTA to listen to the members becomes an enormously transformative element within the church, in and of itself.

Evi Quinn: Listening is important. But listening at this point no longer has my priority. I have listened all my life to "the church" i.e., Rome (though "church" is ALL OF US). Transformation will only come through dialogue, which means listening and being listened to. I will listen to them, if they open their hearts and begin to listen to us. No matter how we have tried and asked them to listen - with a referendum, vigils, demonstrations, letter-writing - the only response is censure, reprimand, silencing, punishment. CTA always has been listening, and is committed to continue.

My motto has always been SEE, JUDGE and ACT. We have been at the SEE stage for 25 years now. JUDGE was done in Detroit 25 years ago and continuously since. It is high time for ACTION.

Blabac: I firmly believe that listening requires action. Praxis is an integral part of the listening process. CTA listens very well to the voices and concerns of its members. CTA's Focus on Sweatshops seemed to arise out of a genuinely expressed concern about the direction of CTA. CTA is transformative because they do listen, and then respond reflectively. Transformation and growth will continue to happen so long as we first remain faithful to that integrity within ourselves as CTA/church.

Part of my basis for this is my perception of Christ in the gospels. The historical Jesus was a radically political figure whose message was designed, in large part, to reform Judaism as it existed at the time. The Jewish religious leaders didn't listen, and ultimately had him killed. Transformation took place independent of the Jewish hierarchical system. No reciprocal dialogue was necessary. Transformation happened because Jesus was faithful to the message of the reign of God that he delivered. Subsequently, so were others.

I believe that CTA models that as well. Successful transformation within the church, if it depends upon "successful" dialogue with Rome, continues to give them undue power over the process of renewal and reform. If we listen to them only when they get around to listening to us, we will have to wait a long time. To sum up, I see CTA as a Spirit-led organization, a status that requires us to ever be listening - and responding to what we hear. As long as CTA continues to do that, transformation will happen, whether or not Rome jumps on the bandwagon. However, I do agree that CTA should - and does - have an action plan which includes continuously inviting Rome to dialogue, as I'm not convinced forming an alternative church is the answer, because to throw the baby out with the bathwater is to risk losing more than we bargain for.

Quinn: Your description of Jesus, who brought transformation to the Jewish hierarchical system without reciprocal dialogue, just blew me away. Thank you for expressing this concept so clearly. In all my protesting Rome, I have been unknowingly giving them undue power, thinking that change in the Church will be completed when it happens in Rome. This has me bestowing on them the power which I, in fact, am fighting. It is a conversion step that I really needed, being of the wisdom generation. I will share this insight with all the wisdom genners, because it's likely most of us are of that mindset.

Blabac: But you and the wisdom generation are inspiring reformers. Demanding action from Rome is a necessary part of the process. One reason I joined CTA is knowing that your generation will not be around in this life forever. Someone needs to continue to strive for change. What attracts me to the protesting is the fact that Rome isn't being flippantly tossed aside in favor of complete schism.

Quinn: You were never as burdened as we were with all the old rules and laws. You took the primacy of conscience for granted and could act accordingly. We had to be freed and re-taught. You could uncomplicatedly "just do it." For us, to "just do it" was a giant step into an almost unknown sphere.

Regarding dialogue with Rome, Joan Chittister referred frequently to the connection of roots and wings, one without the other being meaningless. Transformation will have to take our roots, our tradition into account. As we - though unaware - have given Rome the power, we cannot just simply dump them now. Transformation will have to come in a gradual and healthy fashion, and following the primacy of conscience. Things will simply "just be done" and thus the power will diminish gradually and naturally, just like the Berlin wall came down without a bloody revolution.