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More DIOCESE/State
Watch
Chicago IL: The long-awaited “comprehensive
report concerning the Archdiocesan policies, practices
and protocols for responding to allegations of clerical
sexual abuse of minors” is available on the archdiocesan website.
The Chicago Tribune reported, “Prompted
by criticism surrounding the case of Rev. Daniel McCormack,
the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago announced Wednesday
that it has overhauled rules related to sexual abuse
of children, including immediately removing any accused
priest, reporting allegations to civil authorities and
training church employees and volunteers.” Read
more.
In the same article, “David Clohessy, national
director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by
Priests, expressed frustration with the report, saying
no archdiocese officials had been disciplined in connection
with the McCormack scandal. ‘The report clearly
says all personnel must be accountable for noncompliance,’ he
said. ‘Well, the sad truth is that never happens.’”
Cleveland OH: The Cleveland Plain
Dealer says, “Former Cleveland Catholic
Bishop Anthony Pilla received $177,000 in money and
furniture over a decade from an off-the-books church
account set up to hide the transactions, a former diocesan
official said.” For full story, click
here.
Bridgeport CT: To follow the climb
toward accountability in the Bridgeport diocese, click
here and see the recent ad the VOTF affiliate placed
in their regional newspaper.
Louisville KY: Vince Grenough of VOTF
Kentucky circulated some good news in the form of a new
bill that has been filed in the Kentucky Senate. Go to
the Courier-Journal.com.
AFFILIATE Highlight:
Cleveland OH
from Tom Byrne
Cold and damp evenings in northern Ohio seemed to energize
a group of laity for William Clark, SJ’s presentation
of “A Voice of Their Own: The Authority of the
Local Parish” at John Carroll University. Perhaps
the recent rollout of the Cleveland diocese parish clustering
plan was on their mind, and the boiling financial misdeeds
of the diocese added to interest, but certainly it was
about the laity being ignored by the bishops that propelled
attendees into the auditorium on Feb 27.
Fr. Clark, a native of Maine, was sponsored by FutureChurch, who has partnered
with VOTF in Ohio to help parish members exercise their rights and manage their
communities as the priest count continues to plummet. Theology vs. Community
creates tension for everyone, and in Clark’s very diverse parish experiences
it is perceived to be accelerating.
Focusing on the awareness of local network relationships,
the parish teaches our whole church about genuine authority.
The traditional hierarchical model has continually alienated
the local parish in the USA. Drawing on the ecclesiology
of Karl Rahner, the laity must exercise its right to
build the local parish community in order to fulfill
our baptismal promise and rebuild the model of church
from the local level.
A Voice of Their Own: The Authority of the Local
Parish by William Clark, SJ is available at amazon.com
and local booksellers.
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