Can Francis Change the Church?: How American Catholics Are Responding to His Leadership

by Thomas

Overview

Jesuit Thomas Sweetser has worked for more than 35 years with Catholic faith communities on evaluation and renewal. In 2011 he set out to interview a broad range of American Catholics, both practicing and non-practicing, about their relationship with the Church. A few years into the new papacy, Fr. Sweetser asked the same people again. Had anything changed with Pope Francis? The answers are enlightening for the church's future. Based on before/after interviews, this helpful resource is for everyone concerned about the Church. The value of this book lies in the direct conversations with people from very different walks of life between 20 and 80 years old. They include faithful Catholics as well as people who have left the church. They touch on hot button questions such as hierarchy, women in the church, and sexual abuse, and offer insights into the nature of a deep desire for authentic spirituality. Together these conversations offer a picture of the current state of the Catholic Church as experienced by its members.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780824599676
Publisher:	PublishDrive
Publication date:	06/15/2019
Sold by:	PUBLISHDRIVE KFT
Format:	eBook
Pages:	176
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Thomas P. Sweetser, SJ is the founder and current director of the Parish Evaluation Project. He has taught at the Institute of Pastoral Studies, a department of Loyola University of Chicago, at the University of Dayton in Ohio, Boston College, University of Seattle, Retreats International, and Loyola University in New Orleans. He is the author of numerous books on renewal and health of parish life. His articles have appeared in America, National Catholic Reporter, Commonweal, Chicago Studies, Today's Parish, Human Development, Review of Ignatian Spirituality, and Church.Fr. Sweetser was educated in both sociology and theology. He received an M.A. in sociology from the University of Minnesota, and an M.A. in theology from Loyola University in Chicago. He received his PhD from Chicago Theological Seminary in a program of study combining sociology, theology, and group process. Fr. Sweetser is a Jesuit priest of the Wisconsin province. His original home is Minneapolis, Minnesota. Thomas P. Sweetser, SJ is the founder and current director of the Parish Evaluation Project. He has taught at the Institute of Pastoral Studies, a department of Loyola University of Chicago, at the University of Dayton in Ohio, Boston College, University of Seattle, Retreats International, and Loyola University in New Orleans. He is the author of numerous books and his articles have appeared in America, National Catholic Reporter, Commonwealth, Chicago Studies, Today's Parish, Human Development, Review of Ignatian Spirituality, and Church.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Foreword Thomas J. Reese, SJ xi

Introduction: An Energizing Church xiii

The Before: How People Felt about the Church Prior to Francis Becoming Pope 1

1 The Degree of the Problem 3

2 Reactions from Those Who Had Moved On 8

3 Still Growing Spiritually 25

4 Suggestions for Parish Life 33

5 The Struggles for Those Who Remain 41

6 Liturgy and Ritual: The Anchor 52

7 Spirituality as the Source 58

8 Suggestions for Parish Renewal 66

The After: Reactions to Pope Francis 77

9 The Current State of Affairs 79

10 From Those Who Have Left 85

11 Proud to Be Called Catholic 103

12 The Ordination Issue 121

13 The Parish Response 132

14 Could Be a Turning Point 141

Conclusion: Making a Difference 157

Appendix: Methodology and Sampling 165

Index 171

About the Author 175