AmericanPapist Comments
Interesting review, despite its idiosyncratic analysis. I would suggest, however, that the decline of liberal Catholicism in America is set for a future date. Perhaps if we lock ourselves into our 'conservative' Catholic 'encaves of the similar' (certain books, blogs and prayer groups), we may get the impression that orthodoxy is spreading like wild-fire. But anyone who has strolled through the halls of the bulk of diocesan chanceries in the U.S. or of major Catholic theology deparments knows that the Catholic powers-to-be speak to the contrary. This is why many 'orthodox' Catholics rally behind only a handful of America bishops or cardinals while often ignoring or even criticizing their own local bishop (who was selected by the Vatican). This is why many 'orthdox' Catholics do not find parish or diocesan ministries amenable to their taste. This is why many 'orthodox' Catholic theology students end up attending small Catholic colleges, universities, and seminaries (myself, included!). This is why a graduate of these same schools will have difficulty gaining admission to the best graduate theology programs or ever gaining employment as a professor of theology. Though Curran may be in decline, the spirit of which he partakes is alive and well.
Sorry for rant.
No, Michael, I would really disagree with you on that one. I daily walk through the halls of one of the largest seminaries in the U.S. and it is thriving with young, orthodox vocations to the priesthood. I have friends at many, many other seminaries who witness the same thing. They are the future of the Church but also the present. And I'm excited about it.
And you will find that there are have been many "young, orthodox vocations to the priesthood" over the past few decades, but that has not affected the U.S. episcopacy. Until there is an improvement in the manner in which bishops are selcted in the Latin Rite, this trend will continue, I assure you.
Maybe the liberals in the Church aren't as far on the decline as Lott would like them to be, but I can tell you, it is DEFINITELY on it's way down. I am part of the JPII generation (a bit older than most) and I can tell you, we are definitely more orthodox than our older, liberal forebears are. Case in point, I am founding member of my parish social justice committee. The other co-founder who left is far more politically left than I could ever dream of being and disagrees with a lot of Church teaching. She's a lovely woman, but she is a child of the '60's that never quite got that dissention is not an inherent good.
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