We have heard much about [the A-word] and communally decided we have heard enough.
As a person who has been identified as a "liberal" here, though there is nothing in the description of the now discarded term that I admire or hold, may I introduce an acceptable term that I and many "liberal" Catholics will identify with and invite any polite and constructive analysis from other of those who might be called "The Commonweal Crowd".
I like to term "crowd". Not a party, a pressure group, a movement or campaign. And not taking more meaningful title like Church, community or family.
"Commonweal" of course, is the 75 year old liberal Catholic review of religion, politics, literature and the arts published by lay Catholics with a moderation of language and a command of the facts.
It has had its difficult moments with the rest of Catholicism -- its refusal to support Franco, its early calls for racial justice and de-segregation of Catholic institutions, its opposition to the war in VietNam in 1966, and early encouragement of the liturgical movement (Virgil Michel and H.A. Reinhold found in Commonweal a forum for their views not otherwise being offered).
Commonweal has been willing to publish misgivings about the reformed latin liturgy, criticized aspects of Liberation Theology, challenged the idealization of Sandinistaized Nicaragua, favored nuclear deterrence over unilateral disarmament, and cast a cool eye on 'sexual liberation'. At the same time its writers found little to admire with neoconservative "morning in America" Contra warfare. Nor would it organize its thinking around a dichotomous culture war that wrapped feminism, abortion, gay rights, affirmative action, welfare, Hollywood, and liberal Democrats into a single, seamless enemy.
Current writers such as Editor Margaret O'Brien Steinfels, her husband, Peter, E.J. Dionne, Sidney Callahan, Gordon Zahn, and Eastern Christian Fr. John Garvey stand in the tradition of their previosu writers such as Wilfred Sheed, Evelyn Waugh, Graham Greene, Dorothy Day, Jacques Maritian and those not of our faith such as Reinhold Niebuhr, Michael Harrington and Willa Cather.
For those who do not not read the magazine, I would suggest it (see
http://www.commonwealmagazine.org ). It is a decent, respectable, informative exploration of the liberal Catholic project.
Kurt
[ 02-18-2002: Message edited by: Kurt ]
...and even strike out on occasion. Can you blame us?