Over at Open Book, Amy Welborn is at it again. The post-Vatican II crowd that suddenly thinks the doors were thrown open for everyone to run the Church as co-equal magistrates simply can’t understand why anyone in an episcopal office might not agree with them. Amy really nails them with the following:
Here’s what I challenge writers like Ginnetty and Gallardetz to do: show me the money. Give me evidence. Do you think that in the JP2/Benedict/Bishop Finn/Chaput Church that the laity are being oppressed and demeaned, marginalized to pay, pray and obey once again? Prove it. Look at those dioceses and crunch some numbers and tell me if the ordained are in charge of everything, if laity are silenced. Survey the most active Catholic apostolates, movements and ministries – do web site statistics. Survey who’s out there speaking to Catholic audiences, who’s writing Catholic books and articles. Look at the biggest, most active Catholic groups out there, who they’re ministering to, and who’s doing the ministering.
Sure, that possibly does push the edge of the collegiality envelope. But then, so does insisting that the Bishops pray, play and obey.
You are so right!