Dominican Fr Timothy Radcliffe The Catholic Church should not be afraid of crisis; through crisis, it will grow and spring new life, according to Dominican Fr Timothy Radcliffe.
“If you look at human beings, we grow up through crisis,” said the 73-year-old English theologian. “It’s our way. And so, we believe, I believe, it’s the fate of the Church…we do not have to be afraid of crisis.”
The former head of the Order of Preachers spoke about hope at conferences in Montreal and Quebec City in mid-February. He cited the sex abuse crisis, but also the crisis of authority, as Pope Francis has had to face much opposition within the Church.
In addressing these issues, Fr Radcliffe pointed toward the “biggest crisis”, the Last Supper. The apostles “had abandoned Jesus. Judas had sold him. Peter was about to betray him. There was no future. And then in that darkest moment, Jesus did this extraordinary thing. He said, ‘This is my body, and I give it to you’.
“So, I think that when there are moments of crisis in the Church, we should not be afraid. We should ask what new thing will come to be,” Fr Radcliffe said.