By John Norton

Who's most responsible for Church: Priests? Laity?

Several weeks ago, following publication of a report showing that one out of 10 Americans was a former Catholic, I asked why you thought Catholics in the United States leave the Church.

From the hundreds of responses, a common theme emerged: that in one way or another, it's ultimately the fault of priests. Many of you cited the abuse scandal. Many cited slights endured from imperious and unpastoral pastors. Many lamented homilies that were weak in catechetical content or edification. Some described parishes in which catechesis and the sacraments seem an afterthought.

In some ways, this focus on the clergy makes sense. Christ did set up our Church as a hierarchy guaranteed by apostolic succession. As Church leaders, the clergy have an awesome responsibility for the souls under their care. And there's no doubt about the huge impact a priest can have -- positively or negatively -- on the life of a parish by virtue of his position.

But here's my next question for you: What are our responsibilities as laypeople in all of this?

Let me start off the conversation with a few observations.

When we're tempted to criticize priests, we have to be sure we're not indulging -- consciously or not -- in clericalist, passive thinking in which we see our role as lay people as simply to "pray, pay and obey." I'm not fomenting revolution; I'm talking about embracing the priesthood we share by virtue of our baptism. That priesthood of the laity only makes sense in light of Christ's own priesthood, the key elements of which were most vividly displayed on the Cross: self-sacrifice and conformity of one's will to God's.

The more we succeed at this, the more we commit to a daily discernment of God's answers, not insistence on our own. So when faced with a priest -- or anyone else, for that matter -- who troubles us, we'll be stirred to wonder for what purpose God has made our paths cross, and what God expects of us -- not primarily of them.

And isn't it possible that the long-term health of the Church depends less on holy priests than holy, healthy families? After all, it is reasonable to expect that strong Catholic families will produce a generation of holy priests.

So where do the responsibilities lie? Do you have a strategy to propose? Write me a letter or email me at feedback@osv.com.

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Congratulations to our columnist Teresa Tomeo and her husband, Dominic Pastore, who were this year's recipients of the Family First Award, given by the Lennon Center Resources for Pregnancy and Parenting based in Dearborn Heights, Mich. It honors people who work hard on behalf of families, support the unborn child and show leadership in philanthropy related to the family and the unborn.