Regional Catholics Getting the Shaft

Editor,

The Allentown Diocese is trying to sell a new Credo to the laity. Coal-region Catholics, in particular, seem to be the targeted consumers. It goes like this:

"I believe the drastic church closings are justified by dwindling populations; I believe an extreme number of our beloved churches must be closed due to priest shortages; I believe the hierarchy always has our best interests at heart."

My response:

I do not believe. Rather, I question justifications given for the massive slaughter of churches and the disenfranchisement of the faithful. Is the end game to sell off our church assets? Is the diocese exacerbating the priest shortage by forcing retirements of clergy members who are able to remain active?

I question whether the diocese concerns itself with meeting our spiritual and temporal needs while jamming 2600 souls into one building.

There may be mischief afoot in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church I have loved my entire life. The secretive process used to implement these closings is disheartening. It leaves faithful Catholics groping for answers. The secrecy and the disrespect add to the mistrust.

In a recent New York Times article (14 April 2008), "Uncertain Church Awaits Pope in U.S.", Laurie Goodstein quotes many lay people who are not accepting reasons given to close their churches. In the piece, Goodstein examines national resistance movements; the first, in Boston. She notes that the priest sexual abuse cover-up has cost the Roman Catholic Church more than $2 billion so far. Who will pay this punishing burden? Will it fall upon the shoulders of the faithful who will be forced out of their beloved churches?

The bishops are to act as trustees, holding our parishes for our benefit. Many Catholics across the country suspect that our churches are being closed and our assets sold because of lawsuits. Many also suspect that an injustice may be done if our dioceses sacrifice our parishes to pay for shameful cover-ups. However the hierarchy arrives at its decisions, the faithful harbor anger because the abuses were allowed to run rampant, destroying innocent youth and bankrupting our sacred trust.

The Philadelphia Inquirer (14 October 2005) covered the Grand Jury investigation in which the current bishop of Allentown was mentioned a few dozen times. The National Catholic Reporter wrote: "Cullen, who is now bishop of Allentown, told Molloy (assistant vicar for administration under Cardinal Bevilacqua, Philadelphia) "never to tell victims that he believed them," the report stated. "Doing so would have made evident the church officials' knowledge of other criminal acts and made later denials difficult," Molloy was also instructed: "Never admit to a victim that there have been other cases (of abuse)."

The local Catholic laity must begin soul searching, Will they accept the "new" creed? Or, will they begin to questions-- as others across the U.S. already have - that there may very well be a direct correlation between the church closings in Schuylkill County and the Philadelphia abuse cover-ups.

As for me, the old Creed works just fine. I've never easily accepted deception, and don't plan to begin now.

Sincerely,

Victoria M. Gennaro
Member of the National Coalition for Parishes
McAdoo, PA 18237