One of our greatest freedoms as Catholics is loving obedience to the Church. Does this sound contradictory? To some people it does. Usually those people are outside the Church. They never have had the experience of how obedience to God liberates (“The truth shall set you free” [John 8:32]). But sometimes they are inside the Church–sometimes even in positions of authority.
Here is a sad example from the parish bulletin at St. Michael’s Church in Sterling Heights, Michigan, which is in the Detroit Archdiocese:
Fr. William P. Siebert, ordained in 1981, is an associate pastor. In the bulletin for August 3, 1992 he wrote about the Vatican’s recent (and very compassionate, in the true sense of the word) document about whether employers and civil authorities may take into account homosexuality in such matters as military recruitment, the employment of teachers, and adoption and foster care:
“So, out of the mouth of Rome comes another statement to ignore. This one again has to do with sexuality–a favorite topic of the Roman celibates. Whenever some document is published from the Church in Rome to the real Church in the communities, I remind myself how very, very little Jesus says about the topic of sex and how the Church in Rome can never say too much. The most recent blunder was written to the bishops of the U.S. giving permission to discriminate against homosexuals. . . .
“This is another unfortunate situation for the Vatican. What it does is to trivialize again what comes from Rome. It drives another wedge between the Church in America and the Church in Rome.
“This is a perfect example for dissent among the faithful. This document does not fall under infallibility (although many believe that anything issued from Rome is divinely inspired). It is an opinion. Perhaps Rome has forgotten that we are a democracy, not a one-man show. Human experience has a role to play in moral decisions along with collegiality, which was promoted by Vatican II.
“Some of you may believe in this opinion from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. I hope you are not in a position to practice this discrimination policy.
“If there is any ‘objective disorder’ [the document terms homosexuality an “objective disorder”] it is the Vatican and its insistence that sexual activity is moral only when it makes babies. As for me, I will ignore the matter.”
A few comments on Fr. Siebert’s remarks:
1. His attitude is clear (“another statement to ignore”). It is sad enough that he suffers from an authority problem, but he shouldn’t inflict his it on his parishioners.
2. Jesus may have said little “about the topic of sex” because in his time no one had the chutzpah to claim publicly that homosexual and contraceptive acts (both of which, apparently, Fr. Siebert approves of in certain cases) were defensible. Our Lord didn’t need to rail against non-existent defenders of these acts. He and his first followers (Paul among them) railed against practicers of adultery, fornication, and homo-sexuality. At least these people didn’t have the gall to claim their practices were morally licit. Today’s problem is larger: These sins are more common precisely because they’re defended as morally good or, at least, morally neutral.
3. “This is a perfect example for dissent among the faithful.” The term “faithful” commonly refers to lay people, but dissent on homosexual acts isn’t coming mainly from them. Let’s keep one thing clear: Most Catholics, despite having succumbed in greater or lesser measure to the spirit of the age, are still against homosexual practices. The dissent that Fr. Siebert alludes to is not coming from the pews so much as from his own sanctuary. He is practicing “transference”–and he shouldn’t.
4. The CDF document is not merely “an opinion.” It is the authoritative teaching of the Church and interprets for our own time moral principles which have never changed. It should be accepted lovingly and gratefully.
5. “Perhaps Rome has forgotten that we are a democracy and not a one-man show.” Perhaps Fr. Siebert has forgotten that the Church is not a democracy. Its authority comes straight from God, which means the authority of its chief teachers, the pope and the bishops united with him, comes straight from God. Their authority is not dependent upon the consent of the members of the Church. To argue that it is is to argue that God’s authority is subservient to the will of the majority here below. This is untenable, even silly. We need to rise above our slavery to the tendency to judge everything in terms of American politics. We “trivialize” the faith when we talk about running the Church as a democracy. We “trivialize” politics too.
6. “As for me, I will ignore the matter.” Well, he should have. He should have refrained from printing his caustic and misleading remarks. It is not enough that he is simply wrong, doctrinally, morally, and even pedagogically, but Fr. Siebert causes scandal.
What is scandal? It is the setting up of stumbling stones, things that others will trip over. Fr. Siebert has strewn lots of stones in the way of the people in his pews. Some of them will believe what he has written (“If Father says it . . .”). They will suffer for it through heightened confusion.
The Christian Renewal Center of Dickinson, Texas is sponsoring the Houston Catholic Apologetics Conference from November 20-22, 1992. It will feature Catholic Answers’ speakers Karl Keating and Patrick Madrid. The conference will fall on the feast of Christ the King, an appropriate time for dealing with apologetics, says Center Director Drew Pollan.
Modeled after standard weekend retreats, the conference will feature an opening talk by Karl on Friday, a series of talks by Karl and Patrick on Saturday, and a closing talk on Sunday. In addition to the talks there will be Masses, benediction, group rosaries, quiet time, confessions, and a little socializing.
Only 200 places are available (120 sleep-over, 80 walk-in), and conference fees are very low and include meals: $95 for sleep-overs and $65 for walk-ins (but bring more cash because there will be literature tables). For information or reservations, call the Christian Renewal Center at (713) 337-1312.