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THE HERALD Monday, December II, 1972 Section I 9Pope Rebuffs His Bishopsf !. itllll?'Religionby Rev. Lester Kinsolvingby LOUIS CASS ELS United Press InternationalFive years ago, the bishops of the Roman Catholic Church, assembled in global conclave at the Vatican Council, approved overwhelmingly the principle of collegiality ’’Translated from ecclesiastical jargon, this principle means that all bishops of the church have a right to share in its government and the making of doctrinal decisions. And they have this right, not by sufferance of the Pope, but by the direct authorization of the church's founder, Jesus Christ.Many expected in that fall of 1967 the principle of collegiality would be the most basic and far-reaching reform accomplished by the Vatican Council. Had it been implemented, it would have led to a great redistribution of power and much-needed decentralization of authority that for centur seihas been tightly held by the Pope — or more accurately, by the papal bureaucracy known as the Curia — in Rome But it has not happened. Collegiality’' remains only a word to which lip service is paid — not a dynamic principle of church government POPE PAUL VI conspicuously ignored the basic idea of shared authority when he promulgated his famous decree on contraception without even consulting his fellow bishops. Many of them were shocked — and told him so in private. Later, the Pope seemed to be carryingout the council s plan for a senate” of bishops, composed of elected representatives from all national hierarchies, to advise and consult with him on major problems.The Pope set up such a senate — although he preferred to call it a ‘ synod” — to meet at the Vatican every two years. But it became obvious at the first two synod meetings that Paul VI had no intention of delegating any real power to this body. He balked even at letting the synod choose its own agenda, specifically refusing to permit discussion of certain hot issues such as priestly celibacy.Whatever credibility might have remained to the “principle of collegiality” i s now being demolished Vatican sources say Paul VI has quietly shelved a plan under which representation bishops chosen by national hierarchies would have joined the College of Cardinals in electing new popes Cardinal Leo Sue-nens of Belgium had urged this plan on Paul VI as the best way to give concrete expression to the concept of collegiality.THIS LATEST rebuff to the bishops may give powerful impetus to a movement already under way in some parts of the church to go ahead and make decisions at the diocesan level without asking Rome for permission.Because it always is done quietly and discreetly, no one knows just how much of this is taking place. But it may be far more widespread than Rome realizes. And if the trend continues, it could lead to a kind of de facto collegiality.‘Encounter groups may be the chief instrument for changing society. contends the Rev. Robert Cromey. a San Francisco Episcopal clergyman whose public pronouncements on controversial social issues have been vast in number and scope.In one of an encyclopedic volume of his letters to editors, the former parish priest recently Identified himself as an encounter group leader and individual therapist. adding 'modestly): More people than ever are coming to join my groups, as well as Esalon and Synanon.The Rev. Mr. Cromey's letter also took issue with a statement by a neighboring family therapist. Dr. Gerald Smith, who conducted the first couple's workshop for the Esalon Institute 1 the big daddv of the Encounter Culture). Dr. Smith now contends that encounter groups are over the hill.”There are increasing signs that Dr. Smith may be right — at least regarding the long romance between encounter groups and certain church leaders. For the past two decades, church members in various denominations i particularly Cromey’s) have been regaled with the alleged salvation-potential of the Encounter Culture's group dynamics antecedents: parish life conferences, ‘‘group life laboratories, buss-sessions” and the like. For these, and now encounter groups, seemed to be the solution to the problem of diminishing fellowship, as the church no longer functioned as the hub ofsocial life for most of its parishioners.NOW THERE ARE an increasing number of second thoughts, and more careful scrutiny of the encounter process from such serious observers as the Rev. Dr. Thomas Oden, Professor of Ethics and Theology at Drew Univerity in New Jersey.In an article in The Christian Century magazine, Dr. Oden reports: I have attended seminars at which eminent leaders of the Encounter Culture backed away from critical dialogue, on the ground that any objection to their practices was rooted in the objector’s psychological state — in his anger or anxiety.This point of view results in a strange phenomenon: The movement that so emphasizes receiving feedback cannot itself receive feedback. Dr. Oden also notes:— ‘‘The Encounter Culture seems unable to police itself, or even to establish internal standards that would prevent abuses . . . Why is a movement Oat emphasizes honest self-disclosure so often accused of being utterly phony?—The Encounter Culture's reputation for places where extraordinary sexual practices are permitted is not altogether undeserved . . Their argument that nakedness leads to honesty is just as spurious as the argument that impulsiveness is always preferable to repression .. . Some of the more influential encounter leaders have testified to the centralimportance of hallucenogenic drugs atcrucial stages of their ‘religious development.’—Perhaps it is just because encounter groups idealize honesty to the Nth degree that their less-than-honest practices appear so glaring. The insincere flaws of the merchants of sincerity are not hard to recognize. These people have a keen and constant eye for publicity. Few of them are poor and the group fees run high.THE ENCOUNTER group gospel of confession and quickie relationships via psychological (and/or physical) striptease is hardly new. Dr Oden goes back to the Middle Ages for similarly odd collections of trip-takers and experience-mongers,” such as a group called the “Free Spirits” and later, the egalitarian millenarians, the Taborites and the Lev-elers.The excesses to which some contemporary encounterists can go is seen in the SI 70.000 damages awarded by a jury to Paula Abraham, a 22 year-old alumnae of San Jose State University in California.Miss Abraham held that she had suffered near fatal kidney damage, severe bruises and a lacerated mouth during 3 hours at the hands of the University's Professor Robert W. Zaslow and his technique of rage reduction.” Commented Zaslow:I think I did her a favor. We do it lovingly.”LET CARE HELI MAKE OUT Y( HOLIDAY LIRemember yourfrien special gift this Hoi son. CARE will provti five Holiday Cards tlt; your friends, telling t the hungry, the need sick overseas will recei aid sent by you in th To participate, simphSend CARE the na addresses of friends for each name on yo as much as you poss Keep a copy of tf you can address the you'll receive from C,Mail your order or £ donation to:CARE, Inc. Dept. N.220 S. State! Chicago, II. 6the liningEnter our sloaon contest nnri
Newspaper Details
Hoffman Estates Herald
Hoffman Estates, Illinois, US
Mon, Dec 11, 1972
Page 9
Full Page
Clipped by
William B.
USA 09 Mar 2025
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