“More and more important in the future”

adminonJanuary 13, 2022January 5, 2022Leave a Comment

Volunteer sexton in preparation for worship service © Jorg Loeffke (KNA)

In the view of the Viennese pastoral theologian Paul Michael Zulehner, the future of the Catholic Church will be determined by the commitment of lay volunteers. This could have drastic changes for "full-time officials," according to Zulehner.

In the future, priests, too, could thus "fulfill their ministry in a parish on a voluntary basis and, like lay volunteers, make a living from a profane profession," Zulehner told "miteinander" magazine. Such a church does not necessarily have to be "poor"; rather, it can be "poor and blessed at the same time".

A revaluation of the honorary office is not only a consequence of a shortage of priests, but of a changed theology and a changed image of the church after the Second Vatican Council, according to the pastoral theologian, and further: "There are no uncalled in the church. (…) Each and everyone is good for something, has a vocation for the whole community." Today, he said, there are "more volunteers in the Church than ever before.".

Conversion to a "priestly people's Church of God"

A change in mentality can be seen, for example, in a "conversion from a priestly church to a priestly Church of the People of God". This development will continue. For this transformation is wanted by Pope Francis, said Zulehner with regard to the idea of a "poor church": Thus, the church will probably be "financially poorer" in the future. This will be the hour of honorary office.

According to Zulehner, what is needed is the promotion of a "culture of vocation" in the Church, in order to specifically encourage volunteers and not leave them alone. Volunteer work has changed and is much more characterized by "human motivations": "Those who participate want to work in a team, be able to shape things in the long term and receive recognition from the community." This, he said, must be positively promoted. It is also the pastoral task of priests to no longer see the laity as "co-workers of the clergy" but to value them as "co-workers of God.

In an extraordinary ceremony, Hildesheim Bishop Norbert Trelle asked for forgiveness for lapses of the church throughout history.

During the service on Ash Wednesday evening in the Hildesheim cathedral Trelle confessed kneeling before the altar the sins in the history of the diocese Hildesheim. "We have not recognized that our place is with the victims of violence and abuse," Trelle said.

The jubilee celebrations for the 1.The 200th anniversary of the diocese is also a reason to pause and be aware of past transgressions, "the sins of ourselves and the sins of those who belonged to the Church of Hildesheim before us.".

Asking forgiveness for violence and sexual abuse

Trelle also asked for forgiveness for violence and sexual abuse that priests and church employees have inflicted on children. Eyes have remained closed for too long, and the church has left the victims alone for too long. "Today we see that we have not walked the path of love and have omitted good things. Now we stand before you, merciful God, in this time. We stand before you and the people, weighed down with old guilt. We ask for forgiveness," said the bishop.

Previously, Trelle had already confessed guilt for the violent spread of faith in the Middle Ages, for example, in the Crusades, the sale of indulgences, the burning of witches and the acceptance of the division of faith through the Reformation and the Thirty Years War.

Commemoration of those persecuted in religious wars

During the ceremony, which lasted about half an hour, the bishop was assisted by auxiliary bishops Nikolaus Schwerdtfeger and Heinz-Gunter Bongartz, as well as diocesan council president Elisabet Eicke and Jubilee project director Thomas Hartling. During the Crusades, "the use of violence at that time was justified in the name of God," said Elisabeth Eicke. Thomas Harling commemorated those persecuted as a result of religious wars and witch trials.

Auxiliary Bishop Dr. Nikolaus Schwerdtfeger lamented "the failure of the church during the time of National Socialism" and auxiliary bishop Heinz-Gunter Bongartz confessed: "For too long, eyes have been closed to the sexual abuse of wards and to violence in education." Afterwards, the traditional distribution of the ash cross as a sign of repentance took place. Intercessions followed for all people who had been wronged by the church.

86 percent of U.S. Catholics consider doubts about the doctrine of the faith to be compatible with a fundamental loyalty to the church. For nearly nine in 10 Catholics, a person's specific behavior is more important than whether he or she is Catholic.

This is according to a survey of 1.442 adult Catholics, which the magazine "National Catholic Reporter" published on Monday. The survey also reveals a shift in religious practice. While 44 percent said they attended mass at least once a week in 1987, the current figure is 31 percent. On the other hand, the number of those who celebrate mass once a month has risen from 26 to 47 percent.

As a striking development compared to previous surveys, the authors of the study note a loss of authority for the Vatican among all age groups. The church's opposition to same-sex unions and married priests, as well as its no to the death penalty, is no longer supported by the majority of U.S. Catholics, said Michele Dillon, co-author and sociologist at the University of New Hampshire. On moral ies, too, such as sex before and outside marriage, the majority of even practicing believers follow their own opinions rather than the directives of church superiors. Bishops have also lost credibility as pastors and shepherds, Dillon said.

Conversion loses significanceu
Four in 10 Catholics in the survey say you can be a good Catholic without believing in the transubstantiation of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ at the Eucharist. 73 percent consider belief in the resurrection of Jesus to be the central doctrine of the church; 67 percent consider the commandment to help the poor to be particularly important, 46 percent daily prayer.

For 40 percent, according to the National Catholic Reporter, opposition to abortion is essential; for 36 percent, devotions such as praying the rosary; for 35 percent, opposition to same-sex marriage. 30 percent consider it very important to listen to the Vatican, 29 percent declare the fight against the death penalty essential, 21 percent the teaching that only unmarried men may become priests.

On the subject of abuse by Catholic church employees, 83 percent say the scandal has at least partially damaged the political credibility of church leaders. 77 percent also see the current activities of pastors affected by it. 29 percent, however, also believe the bishops have handled the scandal well.

Protestant churches in the USA lose members
In the U.S., major Protestant churches continue to lose members. The Catholic Church, Pentecostal churches and the Mormons have seen their membership grow. The decline from 2009 to 2010 was particularly pronounced in the United Church of Christ (2.8 percent to 1.1 million), the Presbyterian Church (2.6 percent to 2.8 million) and the Episcopal Church, which is part of the Anglican Communion (2.4 percent to two million). The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America saw a decline of nearly two percent to 4.5 million.

The Roman Catholic Church remains by far the largest church in the USA (68.5 million members). Thanks to immigration, their membership increased by 0.5 percent. The Pentecostal Assemblies of God (2.9 million people) were also involved
members) and the likewise Pentecostal Church of God (1.1 million) registered increases. The Mormon Church, known as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is the fourth largest church in the U.S. It grew by 1.4 percent to 6.1 million members. As in previous years, the Southern Baptist Association also lost members. The evangelically oriented Southern Baptists are the largest Protestant church in the U.S. with 16.2 million members. Among Protestant churches, the Methodists rank second with 7.8 million members.

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