In the recent Enquirer series, "The changing church," Rev. James Shappelle said it all: "If you don't have the Eucharist, you don't have the church."

The church's approach to the declining numbers of priests is just another manifestation of the leadership crisis illustrated so vividly by the sex abuse scandal. Rather than pastoring the community, the hierarchy focuses on preserving at any cost the all-male, celibate priestly caste. The fact that they are willing to sacrifice to this end even the celebration of the Mass - the very center of Catholic life - is absolutely shocking.

If it weren't so tragic, it would be amusing that this series appeared at the same time the local diocesan paper reported the Vatican's latest dicta on the liturgy designed to remind laypeople that we are indeed subordinate to priests.

Wake up! Ask different questions. Imagine a new angle on the situation. As noted in the series, the priesthood has existed in different forms during the church's history. What is the essence of the priestly role? How can that be respected while making the Eucharist widely available? A new day is dawning, and church leaders are missing it.

We need courageous, prophetic and creative leadership from our bishops, not bean counting. The most disturbing statement of the series came from Archbishop Daniel Pilarcyzk, in his description of the decision-making around closing parishes as being based on "ministerial and financial completeness."

Almost as horrifying is the abusively heavy workload being shouldered by our current priests.

Our archdiocese is hardly unique. How ironic that while for years Pope John Paul II has called for the humanizing of economic structures, the bishops (presumably with the pope's approval) apply a very corporate strategy. If the numbers aren't there, close the plant. After a downsizing, expect the ones remaining to pick up the slack.

It's painfully obvious that we can't rely on the hierarchy to save the church - and that is what is at stake here. The Second Vatican Council taught 40 years ago that the church is first and foremost the people of God. It's time to make that a reality.

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Peg Conway of Amberley Village is a lifelong Catholic and an active member of St. Robert Bellarmine Parish.

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