Church as an 'On-Ramp' | National Catholic Reporter

Church as an 'On-Ramp' | National Catholic Reporter  by MSW. MGB: The first progressive movement was anchored by, of all things, prohibition. There were all the tax and civil service reforms, female suffrage and farmer empowerment and a federal reserve.



Its odd that ending the drug war and releasing prisoners, including dads, is probably the backbone of the next movement, so MSW will have to learn to live with libertarians. It should also include non-governmental funding of education, including parochial schools, early child development and adult literacy, as well as health care and advaced education. The whole on-ramp.



This might come from tax reform, where taxes are collected from employers and they file, not the workers and they distribute the funds to parishes and public schools and agencies, according to the wishes of the workers (with some rebalaching at the top). Of course, some large employers might have their own schools, doctors and even parishes.



While we are at it, parishes might change to. Even with priests, maybe lay deacaons might oversee both the physical property and the schools and programs. If the people have new ideas for services, they could bring them up,so they are more then MSW's five or my list. Of course, I assume parishes will copy each other.



What could a lay deacon be? Not being clerical, no promise of celibacy or remaining celibate (or continent) and being of any gender (including some of the new ones). Even the harshest opponent of female ordination links it to offering Mass (which is using too much symbolism to be taken seriously as a defense against sexism) and which does not apply to lay deacons, who do not offer Mass - ever. Of course the bishop could make them confessors, as this is a delegatable episcopal power - and all may baptize in a pinch or witness marriage. We could also have clerical deacons for this, also including females.



My mention this at all? Because our phyiscal povery might be related to our poverty of the spirit. Not of the poor (although I am currently poor), but of those who would help them. Fix the sexism and clericalism and let the Spirit soar.