Call To Action leaders were genuinely optimistic about Chicago Cardinal Joseph Bernardin's announcement of a Catholic Common Ground Project as an antidote to "an increasing polarization within the church and, at times, a meanspiritedness" which hinders cooperation and dialogue. The project, said Bernardin at a news conference Aug. 12, "will sponsor conferences that bring together persons of divergent perspectives."

Said Linda Pieczynski, CTA president, "Cardinal Bernardin has proposed constructing a bridge of communication over troubled waters in our church, and we applaud him for the personal witness of hope, courage and respect for others' opinions he brings to the task." Dan Daley, CTA co-director, said, "It is far better to have an open and honest dialogue about the faith we share... It's a step forward, maybe a new day. After all, we're all seeking the truth."

Working "within the boundaries of authentic Catholic teaching," explained Bernardin, "these conferences will address with fidelity and creativity the myriad challenges that we face." Tentative plans, he said, call for the first conference in early 1977, probably in Chicago, on the relationship between the church and U.S. culture. It will address, he added, such questions as "in what ways can we bring the gospel to bear on our culture?" It was by no means clear, however, who would sit at the conference table. In response to a question about whether CTA or the Women's Ordination Conference would be invited, the cardinal said invitations would be submitted "to individuals, not to groups and factions." There must be "boundaries," he said, emphasizing that talks will be "within the framework of authentic teaching." From this, he said, "we may gain a greater understanding of the teachings and their implications." Yet, Bernardin seemed to leave open the possibility that leaders of so-called polarizing groups could be invited as individuals, though not as representatives of their groups strictly speaking.

Ground rules ambiguous
The mixed reactions of some leaders and organizations to the project (related story, page 3) may stem from ambiguity about the ground rules of the discussion.

Interestingly enough, an accompanying, explanatory document released by the cardinal, "Called to be Catholic: Church in a Time of Peril," calls for an examination of all the troubling issues "with fresh eyes, open minds and fresh hearts." And it regrets that the church "increasingly feels pressed to evade or, at best, address obliquely" these issues. Among those mentioned in the statement are "the changing roles of women," "the meaning of human sexuality, and the gap between church teachings and the convictions of many faithful."

The statement also suggested the issues discussed could well go beyond the idea of "authentic teaching" conservatively understood. "Accountability to the Catholic tradition does not mean reversion to a chain-of-command, highly institutional understanding of the church," it says, "a model resembling a modern corporation, with headquarters and branch offices, rather than Vatican II's vision of a communion and a people... Authentic accountability rules out a fundamentalism that narrows the richness of the tradition to a text or a decree, and it rules out a narrow appeal to individual or contemporary experience that ignores the cloud of witnesses over the centuries or the living magisterium of the church."

Dan Daley had one word of criticism about the project as proposed at this early juncture. Noting that the 25-person advisory committee (see page 3) included only five women, he suggested, by way of "a friendly amendment," that "the structure should better reflect the importance of women's participation is this dialogue."

Bernardin said his motivation in initiating the dialogue comes in part from his own illness: "When one comes face to face with the reality of death as a cancer patient, one's perspective on life is altered dramatically. What seemed so important before, now is seen as trivial, and what is truly important invites new commitment and a realignment of priorities."