Catholics Making Choices

Good job, Catholics for Choice. But I'm just going to have to tell you right now, calling yourself "Catholic" is a stretch when the entire church hierarchy disowns you.

The thing is, being a Catholic isn't just about believing in the Catholic god. There's a lot less leeway here than in a lot of Christian denominations:  Catholicism is (at least in its current historical manifestation) a strict hierarchy with strict rules for who belongs, and who doesn't.

A lot people on the outside don't necessarily recognize that aspect of Catholicism. And of course, this isn't to disown the dissenting Catholics (the majority of them) who use birth control in flagrant disregard for the hierarchy and claim they have no Catholic identity. But Catholicism really does have an aristocracy of clergy in place, clergy who make the rules about what "counts" as Catholic and what doesn't. Is change ever going to come from "the people" in the Catholic church? The people who use contraception, and have far more nuanced positions on and compassion for/acceptance of homosexuality than the Magisterium?

I've seen this divergence between the laity and the clergy time and time again, both now and back when I was a Catholic. And yet I see no evidence that the rigid hierarchy of the Catholic church is willing to even listen to voices from the laity; every ounce of power and decision-making regarding church teaching is held by the (all-male, need I remind you) clergy. It certainly makes one wonder.