Catholics call for greater accountability in decisions

A national conference organised by Australian Reforming Catholics (ARC) was held at the Independent Theatre in North Sydney on 23-24 October 2004.

A theme that kept recurring under the many aspects discussed might be called “ownership of the Church”. If the Church is the People of God (so defined at the Second Vatican Council in its Dogmatic Constitution on the Church) then the People should own it. A cursory glance at the present structures, traditional as they are, suggests that a male group identifying themselves with “Church” owns the People. The participants considered that in an era when people are mostly literate, even in religious and theological spheres, and communication is instant around the world, people should no longer be passive listeners. There is a growing appreciation of the truth that the Holy Spirit informs and instructs all of the People, not only a male hierarchy, and there must be ground shift to give effect to these developments. Surely the process will be slow as progress in that direction is not yet happening. But it must not now be denied. Such a shift can only occur with a greater sharing of responsibility of the authority that is now exercised by only a few.

Those present at the conference insisted that the accountability of the clergy should be exercised in a manner by which the People of God participate in decision-making processes. People should not be in situations where they are simply the “first to know the latest”.

In addition to participation in decision-making, the participants at the conference strongly believed that all should be able to exercise their right of freedom of expression, even for example, the freedom to discuss such topics as the ordination of women.

Amongst a range of issues, the primacy of the individual informed conscience and the ability to act upon it emerged as an issue of crucial importance.