The Catholic Church: Moving Forward

The Roman Catholic Church has always had a reputation for strict adherence to its doctrine; rich with traditions, the RCC prefers its members to stick to stick to them. Historically, it has been unacceptable for a Catholic to practice something specifically contrary to a church doctrine, however, that modus operandi seems to be changing under the leadership of Pope Benedict XVI. The Church is moving forward with a more lenient arm around its member's shoulders. From neighbourhood churches to Papal policies, the Vatican is telling its members: it's okay to not be perfect; moving away from the strictness that fostered the idiom Catholic Guilt.

This week, the Catholic Church has been all over the news, and the overall tone is one of progression. After decades of serious talks about reunification with the Anglican Church, the Catholic Church is almost ready to incorporate the Anglican Church into its fold. The Vatican sponsored a five day conference of scientists and theologians to contemplate astrobiology (the study of the origin of life on other planets), and its meaning. In both Italy and the United States of America, the Catholic Church has been surprisingly quiet about issues that in the past would have invoked an outcry from the Vatican. When Pope Benedict XVI was named, moderates cringed and conservatives rejoiced; yet it would seem that he has taken to following more closely in his predecessors footsteps than anyone would have imagined.

For decades, The Anglican Church and the Roman Catholic Church have made efforts at unification, but talks stalled constantly due to inherent doctrinal differences amongst them. Perhaps one of the most important differences is the Eucharist. Like most Christian religions, the Anglican Church views communion as symbolic. One of the cornerstones of Catholicism, however, is the belief that the priest actually transforms the wafers and wine of communion into the body and blood of Jesus Christ. This was perhaps the biggest issue of unification for Catholics- but not for Anglicans.

The Anglican Church allows women and married men to be ordained as deacons, priests, and bishops, a practice which the Catholic Church has vehemently fought to keep out of its ranks, especially in recent years when the American Catholic Church has lobbied hard to change this policy. Clergy in the Anglican Church have found it impossible to join a church which would exclude a large number of its members from conversion. In a striking move forward last week, the Catholic Church released a document outlining the compromises each church would have to make in order to successfully unite, and its overall reception by the Anglican Church has been positive.

The Roman Catholic Church would create separate dioceses for Anglican Churches, which would incorporate many Anglican beliefs into the church, indoctrinating them and allowing them to foster and grow as part of the greater Roman Catholic Church. And although the Church does not plan on lessening its requirement for celibacy of the priesthood, it would admit married priests on a case by case basis, and create a separate seminary and model of priesthood for men interested in becoming priests in the new dioceses. However, with all those concessions by the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican clergy would have to make a few as well- like re-ordaining as a Roman Catholic priest, and accepting the doctrine of the Eucharist.

Unification is not the only thing the Roman Catholic Church is rethinking. The possibility of sentient life on other planets, and what that means about Creationism, has become something which deserves consideration by the RCC and the Vatican Observatory. In the seventeenth century, the Roman Catholic Church imprisoned Galileo and burned Bruno at the stake for their thoughts on the universe. For centuries, these acts set the tone of the Church regarding the nature of the universe, and sentient life within it. Now, however, the Vatican is admitting that life on other planets is possible, and insists that if true, it would not undermine the Church's belief in Creationism, but help to understand it more fully. The RCC is now admitting what many of its members often held to be true: life on other planets and Creationism are not mutually exclusive.

Aside from unification with the Church of England and the RCC's openness to the possibility of sentient life on other planets, the Catholic Church has been surprisingly quiet about other issues. Recently, a Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights ruled that crucifixes must be removed from public schools in Italy. Most citizens were outraged by the ruling; public officials stated that the symbol was more cultural than religious, and that Italy plans to appeal the ruling. The RCC, though displeased, has left most of the lobbying to the State. Similarly, in the United States, health care reform has once again raised the issue of abortion in the States. Historically, the Vatican has seized every opportunity to get on its soapbox where abortion is an issue, but this week little has been heard from Rome, though American Bishops were less quiet.

The RCC, it would seem, is making a huge effort to incorporate more members into the Church. Once mortal sins are now venial; what was once grounds for excommunication is now grounds for compromise and exploration. The Catholic Church is now attempting to reclaim the title that has for millennia been its namesake: Universal.