Working for Church Renewal, by Jayd Henricks

In 2018, the scandal involving then-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick shocked the Catholic world.

McCarrick had a global presence; he operated at the highest levels of the Church, and he enjoyed the highest esteem—both among Catholics and more broadly. But then it was revealed that he had been grooming and sexually abusing young men for decades.

It was yet another heart-wrenching wake-up call for a Church in need of reform, coming after earlier scandals of Church leaders who failed to protect the faithful from predators in her midst.

Despite a slew of meetings, documents, and reforms from bishops on protecting minors and vulnerable adults, Catholics watched as the scandal deepened, and as pews continued to empty, costing souls. It became abundantly clear that the Church’s internal reform needed every hand to the pumps.

In turn, a group of Catholics explored ways in which the laity might better assist bishops to identify healthy environments for priests and models to allow parishes and dioceses to flourish, while helping to spot dangers that could lead to more scandal and heartache for the Church down the line.

The purpose was simple: to love the Church and to help the Church to be holy, with every tool she could be given. And of all the means the Church has employed to help herself, addressing the role of technology was a glaring omission, particularly given that Pope Francis has called for the use of technology for the common good.

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