Pope should retire to save Church in China
By Gary Caruso
With our recent leap into the 21st century comes news that China and the Vatican are at odds over the installation of Catholic bishops.
China, without Vatican approval or consultations, ordained bishops of their political liking into the Catholic Church. In an obvious and blatant disregard of the Holy See, politics is driving the Asian country's agenda. Yet the Vatican has remained paralyzed in this outrageously disrespectful assault on the Church.
Such blatant actions against the Church have historically triggered more than just a luke-warm condemnation as in this instance. Some wonder if the lethargic inaction is an indication that Pope John Paul II is unable to keep pace with the rigors necessary to lead the Church against major assaults from powerful government officials.
Critics cite one paradox that immediately comes to mind as a slowing down of the pope. While the Vatican has not forcefully acted against China, last year the Holy See took swift and heavy-handed action against Sister Jeannine Gramick, a school sister of Notre Dame, and Salvatorian priest Robert Nugent, who ministered for 29 years to the gay community. The Vatican permanently prohibited the two "from any pastoral work involving homosexual persons" and declared them "ineligible, for an undetermined period, for any office in their respective religious institutes."
In defending the Vatican's actions, Bishop Joseph Fiorenza of Galveston-Houston said that while Sister Gramick "offers the opinions of others, she does not mention the church's teaching" that homosexual activity is intrinsically disordered "and she confuses theological opinion with authentic church teaching." The bishop went on to say that Sister Gramick offered the opinions of moral theologians who hold that, like heterosexual acts, homosexual behavior "is good and holy in God's sight when it is an expression of special and unique love which one person has for another."
Swift and harsh sanctions were issued over how the rank-and-file religious carried out Church dogma regarding what is intrinsically evil versus intrinsically evil persons. Bishop Fiorenza seems to be supportive of swatting a fly with a bowling ball in an effort to maintain discipline within the Church ranks. Yet the seriousness of the bishops' elevations in China is met with silence. Not since the days when popes sold cardinalships to raise crusade funds has such perplexing behavior come from the Vatican.
Pope John Paul II was the right man at the right time when elected pope. His roots in oppressed Poland tied into a global movement to crush communism and eliminate the Iron Curtain. He energized oppressed peoples around the world and greatly contributed to the new world order steeped in freedom.
In light of the pope's failing health, some question why cardinals are required to retire while a pope is infallible for life. Is the policy another of those "corrected" details, like establishing Christmas in late December to coincide and compete with the pagan holiday, that were defined during the early days of the Church? Does anyone really believe that the next pope miraculously somehow changes on the day of his election, or is he, as some contend, the same today — mere years, months or maybe just weeks before he ascends as pope?
Many wonder why the current pope cannot retire. Modern demands of 21st century society upon the Church, like the current China situation, the AIDS crisis in Africa or starvation in overpopulated Third World countries, dictate that the pope be more responsive. Was it Jesus or a pope who decreed that popes serve until death? Wouldn't it strengthen the Church to have a pope emeritus to advise a sitting pope?
We need not abandon our values while moving towards bold, imaginative responses to world problems. A vast majority of Catholics in the 1970s, along with political leaders like Ronald Reagan, opposed both abortion as well as the use of fetal tissue research. Yet today, through fetal tissue experimentation, scientific research, without intrinsically supporting abortion, is close to curing the very disease that will soon claim Reagan's life. Fetal tissue research is now seen by many Catholics as a valuable tool in the fight of disease.
Each journey into a new millennium carries with it a new set of demands along with a new set of opportunities. It is easy to rewrite scripture so the congregation may better understand it. However, increasing the ranks of our religious may depend upon relaxing the rule of celibacy. Thwarting AIDS, hunger and overpopulation in undereducated nations may demand the use of contraception.
The Catholic Church's survival in Asia may rely on the retirement of a pope. What some view as words of a heretic may just be bold, successful answers in a difficult, fast-paced global society.
Gary J. Caruso, Notre Dame '73, is serving in President Clinton's administration as a Congressional and public affairs director and is currently assisting Vice President Gore's Empowerment Commission.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
All Viewpoint Stories for Thursday, January 27, 2000
