Remi J. De Roo
Accountability and the Gospel The ideal of moml responsibility, of imputability, of rendering an account is an important dimension of the revealed message.
Tensions abound in the Church today. We Jive in a violent society. Tensions and conflicts are all about us. They lie smoldering under the surface. They rise in the path of every major initiative, shouting their defiance. They are ready to explode with each new confrontation. Across our land the mood is restless. Many Catholics are clamoring for more definite leadership. Some wonder why priests and bishops seem so nervous, insecure, hesitant to settle issues. Others feel their freedom and initiative are being suppressed. Many have quit attending Church regularly. Others nurse the wounds and scars of battle, discouraged and frustrated. People alive with enthusiasm during the Vatican Council euphoria are now giving up hope. Questions and accusations fly back and forth. What is happening to the Church? Why doesn't someone do something about this mess? Whose fault is it? These tensions, variously expressed in Canada and the United States, are fundamentally born of the same experience; and the growing interest in accountability in the Church cannot escape the conflict they provoked. Hopefully, an exploration of the theological and scriptural dimensions of accountability will alleviate some of the inevitable tension. . 155