Bishop says polarization in church corroding Catholic identity

Published: 2006-07-27

BELLEVILLE, Ill. (CNS) -- The growing polarization in the church since the end of the Second Vatican Council has rapidly eroded the "common meaning" of faith that unites Catholics as a community, said Bishop Edward K. Braxton of Belleville. This decline of common meaning is corroding Catholic identity and "is shaking our communal self-understanding, which leads to the dangers of divisions, quarrels and fragmentations," he said in a pastoral letter issued a year after his installation as head of the Belleville Diocese. Although a vast majority of Catholics accept church teachings and the leadership of church officials, there are small groups with polarized views regarding the value of the structures, nature and teachings of the church, he said. "Respectful and friendly dialogue" to clarify positions is almost impossible with these groups, Bishop Braxton said. The pastoral letter is titled "We Are His Witness: Our Spirit-Filled Mission as the Church in Southern Illinois." It is dated June 4, which was Pentecost Sunday, and is posted on the diocesan Web site, www.diobelle.org.

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