The christian churches are in a serious crisis. Young adults (18-34) and others have left or are leaving the institutional churches in droves. In the Catholic church it is largely due to a crisis in leadership. There is a priest shortage, both in numbers and in the capacity to respond effectively to the needs of the
community. There is a dearth of bishops, including the bishop of Rome, willing to try creative solutions that stray in any way from their vision of tradition or from their interpretation of the dictates of Canon Law. Is there no way to maintain good order while, at the same time, making Spirit driven changes that can renew not only the Church, but the world as well?

Based on initiatives occurring in Quebec and in northern Canadian dioceses, I have thought that it was possible to come up with win/win strategies that would help bishops relieve the pressure of the priest shortage, while at the same time renewing the priesthood in line with Vatican II ecclesiology. With this in mind, I initiated a dialogue on the "Corpus-L" and "CITI-L" internet lists with a proposal for utilizing married/partnered priests as lay pastoral coordinators in parishes suffering the effects of the priest shortage (see Jim Noonan's article in this issue). Except for Chris Diamond, editor of The Journal, and Jim Noonan, also on the editorial board, I received no substantial reply.

Frankly, I am baffled by the lack of response. Until otherwise informed, I can only presume that there is no interest in proposals that would involve married/partnered priests in the present clerical system of diocesan and parochial pastoral governance. If that is so, what other Roman Catholic strategies are possible to renew the priesthood and, at the same time, respond to the spiritual needs of the faithful?

CITI Ministries, Inc., now registered as a religious society (like the Jesuits, etc.) under the name of the "Society of Christ's Priesthood," continues to urge married/partnered priests to get involved in pastoral ministry wherever and however the faithful, churched and unchurched, ask them to. If they ask you to heal the sick and the elderly in nursing/palliative care homes, do it. If they ask you to celebrate the Eucharist in their homes, do it. If they ask you to bless their marriages, do it. If they ask you to do spiritual counselling or to help them reach a point of reconciliation and liberation, do it. If they ask you to do chaplaincy work in a prison, a hospital, a soup kitchen, a coffee house or even a pub, do it. If addicts, gays, street people, and all who are shunned, ask for your spiritual help in providing them with dignity and respect, do it.

And Corpus Canada, as well as its associated religious society, the "Xristos Community Society," urges all, the ordained as well as the non-ordained, to respond to the needs of the people, particularly the unchurched, by creating or participating in Small Faith Communities, just as Jesus did. I am delighted to note that the Corpus Calgary community has chosen to focus on this topic for the upcoming Corpus Canada National Conference in September of this year. Right on!

If you feel you need permission to do these things, know that Jesus has already given it to you. Other than that, remember that in all things that you do, remain open, honest, truthful, respectful, caring, and, above all, profoundly connected to Godde's Spirit that Jesus continues to send us. Surely, this is the best way to help the leaders of our Church to renew the face of the earth.