One of the outstanding characteristics of the pontificate of His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, is the canonization of the many saints including the beatification of the Italian couple, the Quattr'ócchi. The significance of the beatification of the Quattr'occhi is not lost on the Church. Married couples and individual Christians can become models of good and laudable Christian lifestyle. Theirs can be a living out of the call to holiness in their ordinary day-to-day activities. The recent beatification and canonization of saints, including men and women of our time, is a clear and compelling invitation on the part of the Holy Father to Catholics, clergy, religious and laity, that it is possible, in these times of spiritual turbulence, to become genuine disciples of Jesus Christ, that it is possible to live and to promote the values of the Kingdom, that it is possible to walk faithfully in the footsteps of Sts Peter and Paul whose Feast Day we celebrate today. The numbers of saints that are being canonized are to serve as an antidote to the spiritual tepidness of our times. They are to serve as concrete examples of men and women who are able to rise above the material things and are able to work through human limitations, in order to pursue and live the Christian ideal.
It is in response to:
So there is a two-pronged invitation to lay people. The Church is looking for saints of the ordinary. Lay people sanctify themselves in the ordinariness of their daily relationships and daily activities, in the ups and downs of daily living and challenges. Secondly, lay people, you are invited to carry out your lay apostolate in the "public square", as it were. You are to bring to bare the positive influence of the values you embrace on the communities in which you live and work. As Christians, you are to strengthen the moral fibre of your families and of the society in which you live.
We know now, from the teachings and action of Pope Paul II, that the holiness of lay people is not a second-class holiness to that of the saints, to that of clergy and the religious. Secondly, we also know from the Council of Vatican II that the vocations of both clergy and laity are distinct and yet complementary. This distinction and complementarity has not always been clear in the Church. The laity have their own distinct mission to fulfil. The challenge in this regard is to give concrete form to what we believe in, in theory. Acceptance of lay people as equal partners in the work of the Church even though the roles of both clergy and laity are distinct, is extremely important for the success of the Mission of the Church.
We urge that the Church Leadership dedicates time and energy to responding to what has already been acknowledged by the Church Fathers of the Council, that lay people have a specific and distinct role to play as full partners in carrying out the Mission of Jesus Christ.
Today we live in a South Africa where there is a total separation between the realms of Church and State. We have a government that was forged in the liberation struggle. Human rights are therefore the cornerstone of the new democracy. As Church we have new spiritual and political challenges. These challenges compel us to enlist the help of the laity and in the process, to clarify the role and the relationship of the laity to the hierarchy and the clergy.
There are a number of vexing moral questions and practices that deviate radically from the moral teachings of the Catholic Church. Rights of citizens, clearly going against the Church's own Teaching but upheld by the constitution or upheld by the courts in the light of the constitution, have brought into sharp relief the nature of the conflict concerning moral issues. To cite but a few examples: The Catholic Church continues to feel not only extremely uncomfortable but is also opposed to the legislation on abortion. The Termination of Pregnancy Act has created a crisis of conscience for Catholic Health Workers. The constitution asserts that women have a right over their bodies. Their bodies are not to be controlled by the Church or any other institution. Secondly, the likely recognition of gay unions or civil partnerships by the state or by the courts of law equally offers a political challenge to the Church. The Church upholds heterosexual unions. Gay unions would undermine the moral basis of heterosexual marriages. It would undermine the family, the very cornerstone of society. Again the human rights culture favours and promotes the rights of individuals irrespective of their sexual orientation. The use of condoms to prevent infection with HIV/AIDS is yet another area of moral conflict. Condom use is seen by the Church not so much as preventing death but as promoting sexual promiscuity among the youth, thus undermining the values of self-restraint and the very sacredness of the Sacrament of Marriage.
(Another potential area of tension concerns the promotion of the Catholic ethos in public schools on private property. The government is concerned about the teaching of a particular religion and prayer practice that might infringe on the right of the minorities in such schools. This challenge arises out of the human rights culture).
It is this moral battlefield that challenges the hierarchy, clergy, religious and the laity. The hierarchy is not likely to influence the change of the constitution in order that the moral teaching of the Catholic Church be accommodated. Enlisting the support of the Catholic laity that is clearly seen and that sees itself as a partner of equal value in the Mission of the Church is imperative if the excesses of the human rights culture and the pervasive influence of secularism is to be confronted head on. These challenges can no longer be seen as a task for the hierarchy alone nor relegated to laity because the hierarchy has failed to turn the tide. The spiritual and moral challenges demand that complementarity between clergy and laity be taken seriously. Besides, the Catholic Church needs to be cooperating visibly and fully with other Churches, faith communities and organizations intent on restoring the moral fibre of our society.
Entering the moral battlefield inspired by the Gospel of Jesus Christ and in the name of moral re-generation presupposes a measure of moral integrity. For the Church to claim to be a moral watchdog in the name of Jesus Christ, presupposes fidelity to the moral teaching of the Gospel and to the discipline of the Catholic Church.
In a sense, the Catholic Church is in a moral crisis as a result of the revelations of sexual abuse committed by some of its clergy. One reported case of sexual abuse is one case too many.
As Church, we dare not underestimate, even for one moment, the sensitivity around sexual abuse, especially by men who claim to be the moral guardians of society, by men who claim to be speaking in the name of Jesus Christ, men who claim to be the "alter ego" Christ himself.
We live in a vibrant culture of human rights. Personal dignity and the rights of others, especially of children, are held in high regard. The community is outraged at such misdemeanour because clergy hold a position of trust in the community. The outrage at the allegations of sexual abuse is a rude moral awakening for the Church. Our code of conduct for Church personnel is apparently not adequate. As leaders in the Church, we are being called to account publicly for the deeds of our clergy. If there is a breakdown of discipline within the Church then it is the problem of the Church. But if Church personnel assault the dignity of others through sexual abuse, the public outcry is that the perpetrators be exposed to the wrath of the law and that the Church be held accountable. The Church cannot call upon the state and the private sector to be accountable and yet be perceived to be diffident when she is called upon to account for the clergy. The screaming newspaper headline about the "church of shame" or the "brotherhood of silence" (even though it may appear disproportionate to the actual facts) is an interpretation influenced by the public's revulsion.
It is equally important not to confuse the message with the messenger. An announcer of bad-news has never been popular. Our reluctance or refusal to report such cases to the justice system will only perpetuate the perception of our being more concerned about scandal. The Church Leadership is seen to be closing ranks. This is the public's perception. A close collaboration with statutory agencies is being called for in order to ensure that allegations of abuse are swiftly dealt with, victims supported and perpetrators held to account. What is being demanded of the Church is the same kind of transparency and accountability that the Church as a moral watchdog, demands from both the public and the private sectors.
Allegations of sexual misconduct by clergy compromises the integrity of the priest, limit his effectiveness as a genuine disciple of Jesus Christ. There is a sense of collective guilt among the clergy and Bishop. Confidence is undermined, suspicion and doubt promoted among the faithful and our moral integrity compromised as we seek to promote a culture imbued with moral values. We run the risk of being simply "a gong booming or a cymbal clashing" - as St. Paul painfully reminds us (I Cor. 13). We now stand squarely in the fire of testing and purification. St. Peter, on the other hand, reminds us that Priests, like Christ, are to be the "living stones making a spiritual house." We must, even though our ministry bears testing by fire, continue to give reason, reason for the "sure hope" we have in us. (I Pet. I). To the people of Bloemfontein, thank you for your warmth and for the wonderful spirit of cooperation. To the priests, religious and people of the Diocese of Johannesburg, I have been called to serve you. I kindly request you to allow me to serve you. I kindly request that you help me to serve you.
Pula.
+B. Tlhagale
Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul
29June 2003