Michael Bayly on the Catholic People as an Important Component of the Teaching Process

As a follow-up to what I posted earlier today on the question of consulting the faithful in the St. Paul-Minneapolis archdiocese as churches are closed while the archdiocese accepts funds to attack gay marriage--the following is a marvelous observation from Michael Bayly of the Wild Reed blog (Michael lives in St. Paul):

Now, our church teaches – and history shows it – that the views of the Catholic people are an important component of the teaching process. Our voices need to be heard and respected if church teaching is to be considered authentic. [I'm referring, of course, to the Catholic doctrine of reception.] Yet there's no official venues for such sharing and listening to take place. The Catholic Spirit, the official newspaper of the archdiocese, refuses to publish commentaries or articles that respectfully offer alternative perspectives on, for example, the church's teaching on homosexuality - a teaching that is not infallible, a teaching that we can and should talk about. Is it any wonder that some are compelled to challenge the archbishop as these students did at St. John's? What other options or venues do they have?

I’d like to see Archbishop Nienstedt take a true leadership role and facilitate dialogue forums where all would be welcome to share their stories, where we could hear what the sciences are saying about the diversity of sexuality, and allow all of this information and experience to help shape a healthy Catholic sexual theology.