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Banning – Challenge
to Truth
What do you think? Write to pthorp.ed@votf.org
David Lorenz is in the VOTF Bowie, Maryland
affiliate. The affiliate whose representative testified at the
hearings last year, as noted above, has not been advised of
any change to their meeting on parish property.
Bannings and silencings
have been standard procedure for generations in many a government
and, sadly, in our Church. While both are hurdles, they are
hurdles to be overcome. History remains on the side of truth-telling
just as our faith tradition also remains on the side of our
prophets. Then – as now – it seems that the people of God
are being called to address yet another roadblock to a healthier
faith community.
A member of VOTF
Maryland testified a year ago against the expressed preference
of diocesan leadership (Cardinal McCarrick, Washington, DC
diocese – separate from the diocese of Baltimore, MD). She
spoke at a Maryland State House hearing in support of extending
the statute of limitations, as did over a dozen other groups.
The only speaker against the bill was the Maryland Catholic
Conference, the diocesan lobby group. Last week, the David
Lorenz, an affiliate leader, was advised by his pastor that
contrary to the past two years, the affiliate would no longer
have the use of the parish property for meetings. Lorenz also
learned that the diocese would quietly and slowly advise all
the parishes in the diocese to ban VOTF from meeting on Church
property. The affiliate was told that the reason given by
the chancery was the testimony noted above. Nearly a dozen
attempts by affiliate leaders, via email and phone calls to
the parish office, did not produce one response. The pastor
has elected not to confront diocesan leadership.
Church officials
have been using Eucharist as a tool to enforce conformity
among politicians who support laws contrary to Church teachings.
Earlier in VOTF history, dioceses and parishes chose to deny
VOTF parishioners the use of church property for meetings,
because those officials believed VOTF had some sort of hidden
agenda (handily dismissed by the recent VOTF Study by D’Antonio
et al.) or they suspected that VOTF was challenging dogma
(thus the Statement of Beliefs on our web site). Clearly,
the problem lies not with any hidden agenda but the one that
is out there, and has been, for nearly four years – accountability. Accountability
to survivors means justice for what the Church did to them – regardless
of dates; accountability among priests means integrity in
their ministry; accountability in Church leadership means
transparency in financial dealings and other decisions that
impact Catholics; accountability among laity means accepting
the responsibility of and right to meaningful involvement
in Church governance.
VOTF Maryland will continue to meet. They and supporters will wear red to Mass one Sunday a month. They will continue to discuss their options and continue to speak out for justice and accountability. Lorenz contacted other parish-based VOTF groups and learned that, as yet, they have not been banned from the use of their church property for VOTF meetings. |
