Cardinal Avery Dulles speaks on the meaning of dialogue between Catholics
Sept 28, 2007
Catholics who disagree over matters of faith should respectfully dialogue with each other on the common ground of Jesus Christ; however, they should not reject church teachings, said Jesuit Cardinal Avery Dulles during the annual Joseph Cardinal Bernardin Lecture given Sept. 18 at Elmhurst College.
(Catholic Explorer, Sep 28, 2007) Elmhurst - The lecture, entitled “Common Ground, Solid Ground,” sought to clarify the intent of Cardinal Bernardin’s controversial Common Ground Initiative, which Cardinal Dulles said has been misunderstood.
Jesuit Father Thomas Marciniak read most of the lecture for the 89-year-old cardinal whose health has recently declined. But Cardinal Dulles, a professor of theology at Fordham University in New York, began the lecture himself, standing before a large audience in the college’s Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel.
The Common Ground Initiative, launched by Cardinal Bernardin shortly before his death in 1996, seeks to foster dialogue between factions within the Catholic Church, decreasing a polarization which he saw as a threat.
After the National Pastoral Life Center introduced a document entitled “Called to be Catholic: Church in a Time of Peril,” the objections came quickly. Within days, four American cardinals independently denounced the document endorsed by Cardinal Bernardin. They argued it “obscured the true common ground” already found in sacred Scripture and church tradition, Cardinal Dulles said.
However Cardinal Dulles, widely considered one of America’s top theologians, said it was never Cardinal Bernardin’s intention to invite attacks on doctrine.
He said Cardinal Bernardin advocated for respectful listening, not doctrinal compromise. Additionally, Cardinal Bernardin believed polarizing disagreements frequently center on pastoral, not doctrinal issues.
“Many interchurch conflicts have to do with programs of religious education, the conduct of the liturgy, the design of church buildings and the practice of private devotions,” Cardinal Dulles explained.
In a short conversation with the Catholic Explorer after the lecture, Cardinal Dulles said polarization in the church has recently decreased. Nevertheless he stressed the continuing need for dialogue between disagreeing Catholics who need to acknowledge the value of their differing points of view.
Earlier in the day, meeting with a group of honor students, faculty members and news media on the Elmhurst campus, he said, “There was a lot of fighting, infighting between liberals and conservatives in the church.” He called this “destructive,” responding to a question posed by the Catholic Explorer.
During the lecture he referred to the pastoral instruction “Of the Means of Social Communication,” issued in 1972 by the Pontifical Commission for the Means of Social Communication.
“This instruction, while dodging the thorny question of dissent, advocated a responsible exchange of freely held and expressed opinion among the people of God, so that all may arrive at a loving consensus of truth under the guidance of the magisterium,” Cardinal Dulles said.
However, during the lecture, the cardinal criticized American Catholics who reject church teaching.
While they see the church as their home “… they do not really believe that the church can issue binding decisions about questions of truth and morality, and for this reason they contend that individual Catholics have a right to dissent, at least in their thoughts and private utterances,” he said.
Cardinal Dulles believes a liberal, social model of dialogue, which seeks social harmony by denying absolute truth, contributes to this erroneous attitude. Under this model, dialogue only becomes possible when parties show willingness to disavow their beliefs.
Interpreting the intent of “Called to be Catholic,” Cardinal Dulles explained it is the work of believers to recognize some Catholics are troubled. “Even if they dissent, as some do, it is not enough to condemn them as dissenters or heretics: we must reach out to them and seek to understand their difficulty. In order to be of help, we must find a common ground from which to work. That common ground, if it is to be solid, will consist of those elements of the faith to which these marginal believers still adhere.
“Using this body of shared beliefs, as a foundation, the parties may face their differences with a real prospect of reconciliation,” he said
However, he stressed “Called to be Catholic” does not imply Catholics should endorse beliefs that contradict church teaching. “Faith demands a certain stringency,” he added.
The lecture also touched on ecumenical dialogue. Instead of diluting their beliefs through compromise, members of different Christian communities should acknowledge their disagreements, patiently resolving them in love.
Responding to a question after the lecture, Cardinal Dulles said both Protestants and Catholics can learn much from each other through dialogue.
The Rev. Scott Matheney, a United Church of Christ minister and the Elmhurst College chaplain, oversaw the event. “I’m very thankful [Cardinal Dulles] was able to come,” he said.
“What was presented was a very concise, conservative understanding of dialogue, and it raised a lot of very serious theological questions, but it’s an important thing to do,” he commented.
Rev. Matheney said the Cardinal Bernardin lecture series helps to nurture the school’s large Catholic community, both spiritually and intellectually. Elmhurst College is affiliated with the United Church of Christ.
Cardinal Avery Dulles speaks on the meaning of dialogue between Catholics