Flying in the Face of Tradition: Listening to the Lived Experience of the Faithful

The institutional Catholic Church is dying%E2%80%94and that's a good thing. So says author DeThomasis, a Christian Brother and former professor at Saint Mary's University in Minnesota. He draws attention to a widening dichotomy between the Catholic Church hierarchy and the lay faithful who feel alienated, angry about recent scandals, and frustrated about being ignored for too long. Catholicism honors tradition, but DeThomasis points out that tradition is not supposed to be used as a cattle prod to keep the pew-sitters in line. Rather, it is meant as a tool to help reveal God in a liberating way to people in every era. The impact of globalization on the Church cannot be overstated, but the hierarchy has yet to acknowledge it, let alone embrace it, he writes. The author is a committed religious Brother, one who loves being Catholic, but he has identified a number of vital changes that must occur for this institution to regain its relevancy. Faithful Catholics who are not content with the status quo will find a compelling story here. (June)