1) Unconstitutional interference by the state in church affairs, and yet the liberals want to stop the church from being involved in the state. Go figure.
2) It only targets the Catholic Church, not any other religious organizations.
3) It sets up the possibility of more Phleger, Bozek, and Kennedy type situations where the congregation would only accept pastors "they like." We've seen how that has damaged the parishes under the three above mentioned priests.
Normally, I could feel condident that such a power grab would be reveresed in the Supreme Court, but in today's political climate, I am not so sure. This is unbelievable.
[1. Father Markey's statement:]
Dear Members of the Gospel of Life Society,
Just when you thought it could not get any worse up in Hartford, it has happened.
Yesterday, Connecticut Judiciary Committee of the Connecticut State Legislature introduced bill #1098/2009 that directly attacks the Roman Catholic Church .Should it pass, the bishop and pastors will be deprived of any administrative, financial and legal power over their parishes.
The Bishop is asking for statements to be read at all the Masses this weekend, and to organize a rally in Hartford on Wednesday. Each parish is to send 5 representatives. I will be leading a group from St. Mary Church in Norwalk. Most likely there will be diocesan buses.
We are asked to contact our legislators, and especially the Judiciary Committee list. Now is the time to act! Stay tuned.
In Christ,
Fr. Greg J. Markey
St. Mary Church,
Norwalk, CT
[2. Bishop Lori's statement:]
Diocesan Statement on Proposed Legislative Bill # 1098 / 2009
This past Thursday, the Judiciary Committee of the Connecticut State Legislature, which is chaired by Sen. Andrew McDonald of Stamford and Rep. Michael Lawlor of East Haven, introduced a bill that directly attacks the Roman Catholic Church and our Faith.
This bill violates the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. It forces a radical reorganization of the legal, financial, and administrative structure of our parishes. This is contrary to the Apostolic nature of the Catholic Church because it disconnects parishes from their Pastors and their Bishop. Parishes would be run by boards from which Pastors and the Bishop would be effectively excluded.
This bill, moreover, is a thinly-veiled attempt to silence the Catholic Church on the important issues of the day, such as same-sex marriage.
The State has no right to interfere in the internal affairs and structure of the Catholic Church. This bill is directed only at the Catholic Church but could someday be forced on other denominations. The State has no business controlling religion.
The Pastors of our Diocese are doing an exemplary job of sound stewardship and financial accountability, in full cooperation with their parishioners.
For the State Legislature - which has not reversed a $1 billion deficit in this fiscal year - to try to manage the Catholic Church makes no sense. The Catholic Church not only lives within her means but stretches her resources to provide more social, charitable, and educational services than any other private institution in the State. This bill threatens those services at a time when the State is cutting services. The Catholic Church is needed now more than ever.
We reject this irrational, unlawful, and bigoted bill that jeopardizes the religious liberty of our Church.
I urge you to call and e-mail Sen. McDonald and Rep. Lawlor – contact information is available after Mass. I also ask you to come to Hartford this Wednesday, March 11, to be present at the public hearing. Details on bus transportation will be available on Monday in the parish office.
It is up to us to stop this unbridled abuse of governmental power.
It is time for us to defend our First Amendment rights.
It is time for us to defend our Church!
Joined: 16 Dec 2008 Posts: 231 Location: Westchester County, NY
Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2009 10:54 pm Post subject:
A friend just sent me this:
The two co-sponsors of the bill, Andrew McDonald and Michael Lawlor, are both practicing homosexuals. While cloaked in the garment of demanding fiscal transparency, the real doctrinal intention of the bill is unmistakable.
The parallels to France's harsh secularization laws are deeply concerning. One thinks of the famous photographs of the monks of Solesmes being expelled from their monastery in 1901 by the villagers, not to return from exile at Quarr Abbey until 1922. To this day, of course, every church in France is owned by the state, and rented annually for a nominal sum to an association consisting entirely of laymen, who then in turn happen to use it for divine worship.
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