Dear Friends

With the Feasts of Pentecost and Mary Mother of the Church behind us and the Plenary Council ahead, it’s opportune to consider the future of the Church. I’m not a prophet or a futurologist, and of course, in the end, the future of the Church is about hoping against hope in the Spirit. However, it seems that we can’t simply carry on as we have been, when foresight and planning are possible and even required of us.

To start, where do we stand today? We are certainly shrinking; we are a smaller “flock” than in the past, and undoubtedly we will become smaller. Our social influence has also shrunk; compared to what it once was, it is now near negligible. There is also marked diversity; in fact growing diversity. The style of Christianity appropriate to each cultural group is quite different. We are also a Church of polarisation. Those who hold different opinions have formed themselves into groups in such a way that there are barriers between different groups. In many cases they no longer live together, pray together or work together.

So, what do we need? I’d suggest the Church of the future needs to be characterised by seven features. Firstly, our identity as a Roman Catholic Church is indispensable. The relationship of Christianity and the Church to Rome is absolutely necessary for us Catholics and not merely the result of historical or sociological accidents. However, the Petrine ministry, for us a matter of faith, may be conceived and required by the situation of the modern world in a very different concrete shape. What could that be?

Secondly, we will be a declericalised Church. The Church is much more than its officeholders. Those who love, who are unselfish, who have a prophetic gift in the Church, constitute the real Church and are far from being always identical with the officeholders. Next, we will need to be a Church concerned with serving. Of course, the Church must be concerned with itself, but also with all people. We must stand up for justice and freedom, for human dignity, even when it is to our own detriment, even when an alliance (perhaps tacit) with the ruling powers would at first sight seem beneficial. Next, we must be concerned with morality, but without moralising. The Church must be one which defends morality boldly and unambiguously – but without moralising. However, we cannot be simplistic or arbitrary: for it isn’t always easy and clear to say how these concrete questions of human morality should be answered both in the light of the Christian message and with regard to our contemporary world – especially when new areas of morality emerge.

Fifthly, we have to be a Church with open doors, that considers the fluidity and indefiniteness of our frontiers in a positive way. Next, we also need to be unafraid to give concrete directives. The world needs the Church to nominate imperatives, even in, maybe especially in, socio-political action by Christians in the world. The Church must be free to proclaim concrete imperatives both in the sphere of the Church’s own life and with reference to social policy and social criticism.

Finally, we need to be a Church of real spirituality. If we are honest, we must admit that we are in many ways a spiritually lifeless Church. The Church’s public life is dominated to a terrifying extent by ritualism, legalism, administration, and a boring and resigned spiritual mediocrity continuing along familiar lines. How can we remain the Church of mystery, of evangelical joy, of redeemed freedom? In a Church of true spirituality one thing must be vigorously proclaimed: Jesus.

It seems that we must be a more open Church and an ecumenical Church. The Church of the future will be built from the grass roots – from below, most probably from basic communities that result from free association and initiative. We must also be a more democratised Church with more obvious participation by the laity, particularly women. We require a synthesis involving spirit, love, hope and humility. And this will lead us to offer a genuine service to the world.

Now friends – a confession: none of the ideas above, in fact very few of the words, are mine. They’ve been appropriated from that famous twentieth century theologian, Karl Rahner SJ, and were published in a book, entitled The Shape of the Church to Come. The book was a collection of thoughts he directed to the German Church. The year: 1971, 50 years ago.

I’ll leave it to you to draw conclusions!

Br Peter Carroll FMS

CRA President.