LA cardinal says church must look at uneven success of parish life

Published: 2003-10-16

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- As the Catholic Church looks to the future, one issue to study is why the U.S. church has succeeded at renewing parish life in ways other regions have not, said Los Angeles Cardinal Roger M. Mahony Oct. 15. In an interview with reporters at North American College the day before Pope John Paul II's 25th anniversary Mass, Cardinal Mahony was asked to identify two or three problems that he and his fellow cardinals should focus on in the coming years. The "uneven situation of the church throughout the world," was the first he suggested, explaining that "in many places our churches are filled to overflowing," while elsewhere, such as across much of Europe, attendance is at record lows. "This unevenness in the church, what is the reason for that?" he asked. Cardinal Mahony said one clue may lie in an observation the pope made about lay movements. The cardinal explained that a few years ago he was with a group having lunch with the pope as the discussion turned to movements such as Opus Dei and charismatic renewal. "We were asking him why (the church in Europe) favors movements so much," Cardinal Mahony said. "And he said to us, 'You must remember that these movements are primarily here in Europe because there is no life at the parish level.'"

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