Catholics angry over measure that would change church governance

The Roman Catholic Church is livid about a proposed bill that would change the governance structure of its parish churches.
The proposed bill "directly attacks the Roman Catholic Church and our faith," according to Archbishop Henry Mansell in Hartford.
He said it would force "a radical reorganization of the legal, financial and administrative structures of our parishes."
In Bristol on Sunday, and maybe all over the state, priests read a letter from Archbishop Henry Mansell calling for opposition to the move. Buses are set to roll to Hartford on Wednesday to bring a crowd to beat down Senate Bill 1098.
Here's an example of the angry opposition that's flared up.
Connecticut Local Politics has the story. So does The Connecticut Post and The New Haven Register. It's an important one.


Update at 11:40 a.m. --
State Republican Chairman Chris Healy just sent this:

Lawlor's Holy Way Against Catholics HARTFORD - Legislation proposed by the Democratic chairmen of the Judiciary Committee is a brazen affront to the Roman Catholic Church and speaks to their desire to have the state dictate policy and procedure to people of faith, according to Republican State Party Chairman Chris Healy Monday. "Democrats have crossed the line between church and state," said Healy. " Mike Lawlor and Andrew McDonald are now saying that the state knows best when it comes to being church member and ever citizen of Connecticut, no matter what faith, should be frightened by this legislation. Committee bill 1098, which will be heard at a public hearing on Wednesday, would require that each Roman Catholic church's governing body be comprised of between seven and 13 lay people and that the Archdiocese would have an solely advisory role. These lay councils would have complete control over the operations of each church or organization. "Many people throughout Connecticut, including those who are not of the Catholic faith should be very concerned at this power play by the Democrats," said Healy. "There seems to be no limit to the arrogance of power by the Democrats. Now, with a $6 billion short fall, with people losing their jobs and homes, Rep. Lawlor wants to take over the Catholic Church over the management of a parish's money. How can anyone who has spent the state of Connecticut near bankruptcy now support fiscal control over religious institutions?" Healy said many people might think the legislative proposal is a mistake or simply a result of a request from a legislator who is doing it as a request from the constituent. "This bill is a committee bill and would only see the light of day with the support and blessing of its leadership," said Healy. "Now, it seems clear that Democratic Party in Connecticut believes the state of Connecticut should be deciding how are churches are run." Update at 3 p.m. -- STATEMENT OF JUDICIARY COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRMEN SENATOR ANDREW J. MCDONALD (D-STAMFORD) AND REPRESENTATIVE MIKE LAWLOR (D-EAST HAVEN) REGARDING PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE RELIGIOUS CORPORATIONS ACT: “It has been incorrectly characterized that this legislation originated from the two of us as an attack on the church and freedom of religion. That is not the truth, and the facts do not support such a claim. “In reality, this bill was proposed and written by a group of faithful Catholic parishioners from Fairfield County who asked the Judiciary Committee to consider giving the subject a public hearing. Especially considering the fact that one of the large-scale embezzlements which gave rise to this proposal originated from a parish corporation in Darien, a town that Senator McDonald represents, we decided to give these parishioners a chance to present to the Judiciary Committee a case for their proposed revisions to existing corporate law. “A lot of misinformation has been spread about this proposal, and we ourselves are still learning exactly what its impact would be. We are keeping an open mind to what these parishioners have to say about their church, and we respectfully ask that others give them the courtesy of listening to their proposed changes in the existing state law governing Roman Catholic corporations. “We ourselves are questioning certain aspects of their proposal and even the constitutionality of the current law. Despite what has been portrayed, we have not endorsed nor are advocating for this proposal.” The following link contains the current state laws governing religious corporations, which includes individual provisions relating to the Protestant Episcopal Church, Methodist Church, Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church, Lutheran Church in America, and the Roman Catholic Church: http://www.cga.ct.gov/2009/pub/chap598.htm.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

A frightening week

Letter to the editor from Laura Minor:

Every once in a while there is a week that makes you think about things that you take for granted differently. This past week was one of those.

I love living in Bristol. I have been in Bristol for 23 years. My child grew up here and my husband is a city councilman here. I have been involved in many community projects and have many friends. I feel supported and loved in this city.

Except occasionally there are weeks like this that frighten me.

I’m Jewish. I’m not Christian like more than 97% of my neighbors are (as Mr. Huckabee so nicely pointed out at last week’s city council meeting). I’m Jewish. I worship the God of the Jewish Torah. I celebrate Chanukah with friends and family. I celebrate holidays like Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot which many of my Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Baha’i and Hindu Bristol friends and neighbors don’t celebrate themselves but sometimes celebrate with me.

I am happy to celebrate with all my friends of different faiths and creeds as they worship the religion that they subscribe to. I attend ceremonies at many houses of worship. I believe that the more we know each other and our traditions and religions, the better we will all get along.

I was trying to do just that when I spoke to Rev. Barker at the reception after the City Council inauguration last week. Rev. Barker’s letter to the editor on Tuesday did not mention me by name, but I am coming forward to try again to clarify the message which he misheard.

After a beautiful invocation by Father Georgia and a lovely inauguration ceremony, Rev. Parker gave a wonderful benediction. I was so pleased and felt that we were all of one mind and spirit until his last few words.

I know that he is a Christian minister and this is a deep part of who he is just as I am a Jew and it defines the way I live and speak. His last few words were “in the name of Jesus Christ”. If he were in a church or at a non-governmental function, I would not have any problem with this closing. However, in a public facility where we have all come together to showcase the best of Bristol, by choosing those words, rather than “in God’s name” or “in the Lord’s name” or “in the spirit of togetherness”, he took my religion off of that stage. I couldn’t say “Amen” to a prayer that I very much wanted to say “Amen” to.

I shared this sentiment with Rev. Barker, quietly during the reception. I complimented him on his benediction. I informed him that my husband and I were Jewish and that I was sure that he didn’t mean to do it, but he had cut us out of the prayer. I suggested alternate endings. I thanked him again sincerely as we parted.

I did not try to take the prayer out of the event. I didn’t try to deny him his beliefs nor did I imply that being a Christian was wrong. I believe fervently in his right to believe as he does. I just wish that he believed that I have that right as well and that my religion and others deserve respect in that kind of venue.

On Friday of last week, I saw one of the finest pieces of high school theater that I’ve ever seen in this city. I attended “The Diary of Anne Frank” at Bristol Central High School. Unfortunately, less than a quarter of the auditorium was filled. By the time the Nazis marched down the aisle in the final scene to take Anne and her family to the concentration camp, I was sobbing. I couldn’t stand for the immediate standing ovation that the actors deserved.

I know that this is America and not Nazi Germany. However, in the last few years as I have experienced more and more anger from some Christians who believe that this is a Christian country and that I don’t have the right to have a separation of “church” and state even during a government function in a public school. I now sadly fear for one of our greatest American rights, the freedom of religion.

For those of you who are Christians, please think about how you would feel if our elected officials started wishing you well only on Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist or Hindu holidays or only had non-Christian prayers said as benedictions or invocations. After a while you’d wonder what happened to your religion. That’s how many of us in minority religions feel.

Reverend Barker quoted from the Mayflower Compact, which he said was written in “this land”. Actually it was written in a English colony. I would like to quote from a document that was written in this land, the United States of America, a country where many come, fleeing from persecution as my ancestors did, and become part of this great, delicious stew which is big enough for all of us and richer because of what we bring to it.

In 1790, George Washington wrote the following,“The Citizens of the United States of America have a right to applaud themselves for giving to Mankind examples of an enlarged and liberal policy: a policy worthy of imitation. All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship. It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights. For happily the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection, should demean themselves as good citizens.” He wrote this in a letter to the Newport, Rhode Island Jewish congregation.

I am a good citizen. I vote. I try to be a good Jew. I sincerely thank Mayor Art Ward for speaking out against the anti-Semitic remarks made in the Council Chambers last week. I would like to thank the clergy who have organized the interfaith Thanksgiving service this week in Bristol. I would like to thank all of you who have spoken to Craig and me this week about anti-Semitism. Now I ask the rest of you to take one more step: acknowledge the diversity in Bristol and honor it by recognizing it. This doesn't diminish Christianity. It enhances humanity.

May we all be blessed in this season and give thanks for and treasure the freedoms that we have as Americans.

Sincerely,
Laura S. Minor


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Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com