Church in the 21st Century
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Initiated by Boston College President William P. Leahy, SJ, and begun in September 2002, The "Church in the 21st Century Initiative" was originally conceived as a two-year project aimed at examining the controversial issues raised by the sexual abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic Church. The most comprehensive response to the crisis, "C21" included academic symposia, conferences, public lectures, publications, video and audio streaming resources, reading lists, and programs for Boston College students, staff, faculty, alumni and the general public. It broke ground on a number of previously-taboo issues facing the church and coincided with the growth of Voice of the Faithful and other lay movements committed to church reform. In 2004, the Church in the 21st Century Center was established as a permanent research institute at Boston College. Following an international search, Timothy P. Muldoon, Ph.D. (BC '92) was selected as the center's inaugural director. C21 is led by an Advisory Committee composed of Boston College faculty, staff, students, and alumni, a Steering Committee drawn from the Advisory Committee, and selected subcommittees focusing on specific issues or activities. Since 2003, C21 has published C21 Resources, a progressive journal of contemporary Catholic issues which has become the second largest Catholic publication in the United States.
The center's three major areas of focus include:
- Defining the roles of lay men and women, vowed religious, priests, and bishops
- Sharing the faith with the next generation and securing its future renewal
- Developing a contemporary, holistic understanding of sexuality in Christian life
[edit] Mission statement
"As a Catholic university, Boston College seeks to be a bridge between Catholicism and contemporary society. The Church in the 21st Century Center seeks to assist the Church's mission of discerning the “signs of the times” and responding to them in a manner consistent with the gospel. The Center is oriented toward three foci: first, understanding more clearly the roles and relationships of lay men and women, vowed religious, priests, and bishops in the Church of the 21st century; second, identifying and exploring the critical issues that Catholics face in living, deepening, and sharing the faith with succeeding generations; and third, developing a contemporary understanding of sexuality in the light of Catholic tradition and beliefs. The Church in the 21st Century Center does not intend to take the place of those in the Church ultimately responsible for resolving these issues, but rather to fulfill what Pope John Paul II identified as the proper role of a Catholic university: to provide a forum and resources to serve both the good of the world and the good of the church. The Center aims to help the Catholic community—lay men and women, vowed religious, priests, and bishops—respond to challenges and see them as opportunities for renewal."
