The seeds of Beacon of Hope...Light of Christ may have been sewn in the early 1960’s with the actual calling of what has become known as Vatican II. From the beginning of Pope John XXIII’s call for a conclave of bishops to bring the Catholic Church into a more compassionate and progressive realm, there has been a resistance…one where very traditional and ritualistic clergy and laity have engaged in a war to retain control of the church.
Until recent times, the rumblings of these neo-traditionalists seemed just that …rumblings in a distant land. Sometimes a charismatic Catholic leaders would announce a position on a church practice, retaining a long-held view, or, a Vatican official would publicly rail against what they deemed to be the vissisitudes of progressivism. All of these pronouncements were a distant rumble against the ideals of Vatican II and the priesthood of the laity.
In 2002 the flood gates of resistance broke open when, in America, the hidden evil within the church was exposed in what has becomes known as the “clergy sex abuse scandal”. It became quite apparent that the openness and transparency called for in Vatican II had been long ignored in favor of deceit and duplicity on the part of many church officials. When the laity fought for openness, accountability and joint management of church affairs in order to prevent future tragedies, those same officials and others resisted with ferocity. They declared that although the tragedy of the scandal was clergy abuse, few would acknowledge that failed governance had been a significant factor.
As other failures of governance were exposed, such as financial misuses and abuses, calls for transparency grew louder and some of the ordained in positions of power became even more intrenched in their efforts to retain the controls they did not wish to share.
As new, progressive organizations formed to demand openness, many traditionalist bishops and like-minded laity continued to move in the opposite direction, calling for an end to what they called "the experiment of Vatican II" and a return to strict, rigid forms of control with pre-Vatican II practices and traditions. A renewed call to commitment to the Magisterium was among these reactions.
After examining many local, regional and national events, and after carefully examining the historical context of recent issues in the Catholic Church and church leadership responses in a broader context, after reviewing Canon Law, and after much prayer and deliberation, Beacon of Hope...Light of Christ was formed in northeastern Wisconsin.
Guided by the Holy Spirit and committed to live the Commission and Commandment of Jesus Christ, the members of Beacon of Hope...Light of Christ are also committed to changing Catholic Church governance, not their faith. Their vision and mission are attractive to all progressive Catholics and friends of Christ, and all are invited to join in their journey to be a member of Beacon of Hope...Light of Christ.