[5] Lakeland served as the Director of the Center for Catholic Studies at Fairfield and host of the Voices of Others video series in which he sits down with distinguished scholars, theologians and social activists to discuss issues surrounding the theme “Listening to the Voices of Others.” Past special guests include Loung Ung, Greg Boyle, Paul Farmer, and Archbishop Demetrios of America.
During the first few centuries of the Christian Era the laity routinely played a part in the choice of clergy up to and including the pope.
In his view, the church is in crisis and losing credibility due to, "the wholly human predilection for rules, regulations, buildings, status, power over others, secrecy, silence, ambition and expediency."
Demands for unthinking obedience to a hierarchical authority reduce the church to something purely human.
Lay Catholics are accepting while the church hierarchy demands lifelong celibacy from people with non heterosexual orientation.