Msgr. Robert J. Batule: The Decline of Liberal Catholicism

When I was ordained a priest in 1985, my first pastor was about to turn 50 years old; he was a member of the Ordination Class of 1962. He saw himself and others saw him too as a “Vatican II” priest. There were meetings galore, a lot of “co-ministry” with women Religious, and, in discussions, frequent references to the marginalized and minorities of various kinds. But I don’t recall that we had a single Holy Hour in the Presence of the Blessed Sacrament in my five-year assignment there, nor do I remember hearing a word against co-habitation in the parish Pre-Cana program. Moreover, I have no memory of any notices in the weekly bulletin announcing seminars on the topic of natural family planning.

There are always going to be different pastoral emphases, even in what might be regarded as not particularly ideological parishes. What developed, however, in many post-conciliar parishes are what we now call “safe spaces,” meaning places you could go and not be reminded of words and ideas you don’t like. When the “safe space” is breached after decades in some cases, you can well imagine the displeasure in certain quarters. But it was bound to happen at some point. …

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