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Press Release, May 15, 2004
ASSOCIATION FOR THE RIGHTS OF CATHOLICS IN THE CHURCH
3150 Newgate Drive
Florissant, MO 63033
Contact:
John Sheehan, National Coordinator, 413-527-9929
Leonard Swidler, President, 215-477-1080
Secret Machinations
The Association for the Rights of Catholic in the Church (ARCC) deplores the
deceptive tactics of bishops. Some U.S. bishops, including two cardinals --
Rigali of Philadelphia and Egan of New York -- have been secretly organizing to
undercut the work of the National Review Board (NRB) of twelve laymen and
laywomen charged with monitoring the U.S. bishops' compliance with the child
protection policies the bishops themselves had approved last year.
Just as the proceedings of Vatican II were initially supposed to be held in
secret, so still today some Church leaders consider it their right to maneuver
behind the scenes when their presumed privileged status is challenged.
Stonewalling and other secret machinations clearly violate the call of the
People of God for openness and transparency in the way bishops deal with other
members of the Church and the public in general. Political leaders guilty of
such practices would be subject to censure or even impeachment. Surely Church
administrators should be held to at least the same standard of behavior.
Since the NRB is composed of members of the laity these deceptive tactics can
also be viewed as yet another example of the bishops' mistrust of the laity,
exemplified by the negative reaction of many bishops to VOTF and the dismissive
characterization by Archbishop Chaput of the NRB as merely an "important
advisory board at the service of the bishops," with no supervisory authority.
According to Justice Burke, one bishop has even accused some members of the NRB
of not being "good Catholics."
ARCC calls for all bishops to cease and desist from secretive activities and to
pay more than lip-service to the Church's teaching: "All the faithful, by virtue
of their Baptism, enjoy a radical equality" (CANON 208).
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