Conscience / Dissent V

Patrick, that may all be fine as far as the skeleton of doctrine goes – but I think the pastoral dynamic has been fleshed out a bit more.  Novo Millennio Inuente n.45 seems to be a little closer to Steve’s hope for “a community of discourse, . . .  an ongoing collaborative effort”:

To this end, we need to make our own the ancient pastoral wisdom which, without prejudice to their authority, encouraged Pastors to listen more widely to the entire People of God. Significant is Saint Benedict’s reminder to the Abbot of a monastery, inviting him to consult even the youngest members of the community: "By the Lord’s inspiration, it is often a younger person who knows what is best".³⁰ And Saint Paulinus of Nola urges: "Let us listen to what all the faithful say, because in every one of them the Spirit of God breathes".³¹

While the wisdom of the law, by providing precise rules for participation, attests to the hierarchical structure of the Church and averts any temptation to arbitrariness or unjustified claims, the spirituality of communion, by prompting a trust and openness wholly in accord with the dignity and responsibility of every member of the People of God, supplies institutional reality with a soul.

Amy