Polarization in the U.S. Church: Naming the Wounds, Beginning to Heal | National Catholic Reporter

Polarization in the U.S. Church: Naming the Wounds, Beginning to Heal | National Catholic Reporter by MSW. MGB: This apporach to humility is very Ignatian and you can find it duplicated in the Seventh Step of Alcoholic Anonymous' 12 Steps.  No surprise a Jesuit Pope would cite it.  It is interesting that MSW would cite the clergy sex abuse as an example of pubic humiliation leading to humility in the hierarchy.  If only that were true.  Sadly, there was no existential angst in the episcopacy - only Public Relations problem and a full court press to protect Vatican assets from being attached. The Archbishop of San Francisco and his continuation of the culture wars after they are basically lost is another example that does not get to public humiliation bringing humility.  Humility would be to realize he needs to start celebrating gay weddings - it would be changing the doctrine on homosexuality and realizing the only reason some think it immoral is that  they find it icky.  Not even Francis has gotten to that level of humility - not even enough to realize putting a culture warrior in the Fire Island of the west was a dumb idea.



I am glad Notre Dame is putting on a conference on polarization.  Sadly, the bishops learned from the Obama speech affair - only that they don't get to say anything (and should not) about universities they don't own.  Indeed, we need to officially junk the idea of the imperial bishop controlling all things Catholic in their benefice.    Oh, love the shameless plug.  I disagree on the polarization of thecommentariat and the leadership of the Church not being reflected in the faithful - one only see my Facebook pages to see it both causes and is caused by such polarization among people in the pews - and thoses who stay away from the pews but are Catholic nonetheless.  I hope the conference has a wide variation of views, but I doubt we will be seeing Courdeleone, Chaput, Burke (who would just denounce it anyway) or Lori.  It would be fund to see the Pope order them to be there.  Not likely - he is one who buys into the collegiality of bishops mythos. Pity.