DIOCESE/State Watch

California: On June 22, the Los Angeles Times reported that “not wanting to lose illegal immigrant volunteers, the Los Angeles and Orange Roman Catholic dioceses have quietly backed away from a pledge to root out pedophiles by running fingerprint background checks on anyone who works with children. The revamped policy in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles allows church volunteer candidates without government-issue identification to give instead a sworn affidavit stating that they have not been convicted of any crime. In Orange, potential volunteers without photo IDs can submit a sworn affidavit and two letters of reference attesting to their character.” For the full story, click here.

  • From the Press Democrat, “Santa Rosa Bishop Daniel Walsh failed to file a timely report with authorities about possible child abuse by a priest who may have used the delay to flee the country, officials said.” In the same article, “The Dallas Morning News reported in 2004 that dozens of priests who no longer are eligible to work in the United States have found sanctuary abroad and are working in settings that bring them into contact with children.” For the full story, click here. See VOTF press release here and visit VOTF Northern California’s web site.
  • National Catholic Reporter, June 16, noted an Orange, CA pastor who wrote in the parish bulletin that parishioners who kneel instead of stand during the Agnus Dei are committing a “mortal sin” and that the act of doing so is one of rebellion. The diocese then printed a retraction (www.rcbo.org) concluding, “The bulletin article by Fr. Tran was never about ‘kneeling’ or ‘standing’ during Mass, it was about respect for the liturgical practices of the Church as approved by the Pope.”

Oregon: From Catholic Online: “A federal judge ruled June 7, 2006, that a sex-abuse lawsuit against the Vatican can move forward with its claim that the Holy See was responsible for the activities of a priest who was transferred from a number of dioceses in the 1960s.” Read more.

VOTF Bridgeport, CT: The Darien, CT beat goes on. See recent coverage in the Darien Times; if you need to get caught up, check the May 4 and June 8 issues of the Vineyard.

The Stamford Advocate reports details of the priest’s spending habits over some years; and a warning for parishioners everywhere, “Church scandal occurred too easily”. Also note the VOTF Bridgeport, CT web site and the Bridgeport diocesan web site.

Spokane, WA: A U.S. court ruled that parishes in the Spokane diocese are not owned by the bishop and, therefore, cannot be sold to resolve abuse claims. Bishop Skylstad believes the decision will accelerate mediation efforts to settle those claims. For more details, go to Catholic Online ; Associated Press coverage in the Seattle Post Intelligencer says that parishes might still be asked to help settle abuse claims. For one more perspective, go to Examiner.com .

Bob Hailey, co-chairman of Spokane’s Association of Parishes, said parishes are not opposed to contributing to the settlements. "We objected to the concept of holding parish properties hostage, so that if we fail to meet goals, we lose our churches," Hailey said. "The parishes are innocent victims just as much as those who were abused. Whatever settlement is reached needs to be a settlement that doesn't create a whole new class of victims: the people in the pews." (from the VOTF Boston Area Council newsletter)

Richmond, VA: Because she asked one too many questions about the background of a new priest and church finances in her Hopewell, VA parish, Lynn Allgeier has been banned from her church. According to Channels 12 and 8 News, the attorney for the diocese said that parishioners are not entitled to such information. See more in this issue at Commentary – “The people are leading; will the leaders follow?”; also, see WRIC-TV 8; and the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

VOTF Boston, MA: From the Boston Area Council newsletter, good news: “BACVOTF representatives will be meeting with Cardinal O'Malley this summer. We hope that it will be the beginning of an ongoing dialogue about issues of common interest.

The Council of Parishes has informed us that the Apostolic Signatura in Rome has suspended the suppression decree for all seven vigiling parishes while their appeals are under review. While this decision is a procedural one, it does indicate that the appeals have merit. The churches involved are: Our Lady of Lourdes in Revere, Star of the Sea in Quincy, Infant Jesus-Saint Lawrence in Brookline, Saint James in Wellesley, Saint Jeremiah in Framingham, Saint Anselm in Sudbury, and Saint Frances Cabrini in Scituate.

Mary Beth Carmody, co-chairwoman of the St. Jeremiah Appeals Committee, said yesterday that the suspension means the archdiocese cannot sell the parishes' property until the appeals are complete. ‘It doesn't guarantee success, but it's a very positive development,’ she said. (Her) parish has asked the diocese to assign a priest to them.¨

Dover, DE: "The House Judiciary Committee voted 7-0 to release a substitute bill that would extend the civil statute of limitations in cases of child sexual abuse by an adult. Delaware law now gives victims two years after the abuse to file suit. The substitute for House Bill 450 would give victims 25 years after they turn 18 to file suit. It also would specifically include public institutions among those that could be sued. The substitute bill removes a provision for a two-year window." The story appeared in delawareonline.com .

Excommunication Update: Lincoln, Nebraska Catholics noted the 10th anniversary this month of their bishop’s (Fabian Bruskewitz) wholesale excommunication of every dissenter and dissenting reform organization he could think of, most prominently Call to Action. A June 16 National Catholic Reporter editorial found a silver lining on the Bruskewitz cloud: “Ultimately, he [Bruskewitz] will be a tiny footnote in the history of the U.S. Church. And long after, Call to Action and a host of other lay groups and the thinking and debate and ministry they have provoked and nourished, will continue to be a major part of the conversation in this resilient community.”

  • Remember St. Stanislaus Kostka parish in St. Louis, MO? Parishioners there were excommunicated, too. Below is Michael Scully’s update.

“Just before Christmas, Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis, MO, excommunicated members of St. Stanislaus parish for their ‘sin of disobedience’ – they refused to hand over parish property and assets to him. Burke further declared that anyone attending Mass or receiving sacraments at St. Stan's is committing ‘mortal sin.’ As a result, the parish, which holds 450 people, was flooded by over 2,000 worshipers defiantly celebrating the birth of Christ at Christmas midnight Mass.

Although Burke continues to refuse sacraments to anyone associated with St. Stan's (including a dying, elderly man who was refused last rites), parish membership and participation have more than doubled since Burke's actions. New members include many lapsed Catholics coming back to the faith. Surely the Holy Spirit is working among the outcasts of St. Stan's!

St. Stan's pastor, Fr. Marek Bozek, responded to the charge of disobedience. ‘There are three other values higher than obedience: justice, truth, charity,’ he said. ‘Authority and obedience need to serve these three values. If any authority demands of you obedience that would be unjust, untruthful, uncharitable, you - as a Catholic - not only can be disobedient, but should be disobedient.’ And remember that St. Thomas Aquinas famously said, ‘Better to die excommunicated than to live in violation of one's conscience’.

Check out St. Stan's website. Click the American flag from the homepage (for English version). Many articles of interest are located in the ‘Our Church in the Media’ link on the left menu. Here we see a Catholic parish community thriving and growing in part because it is willing to obey a Higher Authority.” Michael Scully, VOTF Parkway, MA



In the Vineyard
June 29, 2006
Volume 5, Issue 12 Printer Friendly Version (PDF)


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