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To: sfousa
Perhaps you can contribute directly to the causes sponsored by your parish, but still withhold on Sunday as a protest against the Episcopates lack of will in dealing with a great evil.

Your money would then stay within your parish and a message would be received by the local bishop. Your priest may be able to lead you in a way to still help the parish and the poor while making sure the message is received by those that need to hear it.

38 posted on 04/27/2002 2:13:56 AM PDT by JosephW
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To: JosephW; history_matters
Your priest may be able to lead you in a way to still help the parish and the poor while making sure the message is received by those that need to hear it.

Thanks, Joseph & HM for your advice. I have a few things to take into consideration, though.

First, my parish, which is a Franciscan parish, has put out a directive urging the faithful to report all religious and clergy abuse of minors long before the Boston scandal broke out. This was precipated by an earlier sex scandal some years back that forced the closure of the Franciscan seminary in Santa Barbara, as discussed in this revealing article:

http://www.ewtn.com/library/ACADEMIC/FULLHEAR.HTM

Also on April 13, the Archbishop had convened all priests in the archdiocese to discuss the current scandal and to incorporate what they have discussed in the homily on Good Shepherd Sunday, which they did. I am sorry I can't give you details of how it was incorporated in the homily - I was seated at the far side of the sanctuary just as the sound system failed, but it was reassuring to know that the matter was at least taken up.

But thanks for what you said, I'll personally talk with our priest on how I feel about the cowardly episcopates.

The irony about our proposal to withhold our contributions to our parishes for one Sunday will fall on me personally like a ton of - well, iron - because being cantor, commentator, and song-leader, I do urge the congregation at Mass, just before announcing the offertory hymn, to "give generously to our parish. That in the Gospel, the Lord does remind us that "the laborer deserves his living (Mt 10:10)", meaning that our priests do earn their material support. I can't imagine myself not following that biblical teaching for one Sunday just because a few really really rotten apples deserve to have a millstone around their necks and be cast into the sea.

I am not minimizing the seriousness of the current Church crisis. I myself had been an "indirect victim" of this evil 45 years ago, just as Vatican II was convening, and it devastated my young mind even then.

Your priest may be able to lead you in a way to still help the parish and the poor while making sure the message is received by those that need to hear it.

I will certainly discuss the matter with my priest. Thanks for your suggestion.

Peace and all good.

52 posted on 04/27/2002 12:43:00 PM PDT by sfousa
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