Just received this via our "tip line." Feel free to email us with your answers/responses. Thinking Catholics clearly have many questions on their mind and deserve clear, direct answers. There's a lot to unpack here, and we'll just have to wait and see what kind of responses come in. info@savestmarys.net
Dear Fr. Romanowski & Camden Diocese Parishioners:
I am very opposed to Bishop Galante's announced plans for the
Camden Diocese, and am seeking information which may be used by any/all
parishes to stop or place many roadblocks in his path. Toward these
goals, I respectfully request any feedback you may be able to provide
to me for the following questions. Please feel free to include my
request to all subscribers on your Web-site, and have them submit a
copy to your Web-site as well.
(1) Do you know of any references which document authoratatively
how many dollars resulting from the disposal/sale of Roman Catholic
Churches, buildings and land by a Bishop constitute an upper limit
before he must first obtain the approval of the heirarchy in Rome?
Does it also depend on the number of parishioners at the "to be merged"
parish, or are the limits imposed at the diocesan level?
(2) How much discretionary authority does a Bishop have in this
and related matters/decisions before the approval of Rome is required,
including but not limited to Church closings, mergers, or decreeing
stand-alone parishes? Who is the immediate supervisor in the U.S or in
Rome of a U.S. Bishop? Do you know of any specific examples where the
Bishop's supervisors have overturned a decision of a Bishop when
documented factual evidence is presented by parishes or Catholic Lay
Organization(s) to Rome that the Bishop has acted in an
"imprudent manner"?
(3) Can a Bishop use funds which were donated for specific
(restricted) purposes (such as donations specifically pledged for
renovation of a church, demolition of a rectory, and building a new
rectory and chapel) as he wishes? Isn't this a violation of civil
and/or Church Canon Law? Is approval by the U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops or the Presbyteral Council and/or another "high-level" appointed/elected body of the Camden Diocese first required?
(4) What is meant by the term "secondary worship site"? Isn't this
simply a construct of Bishop Galante to appease parishioners when their
parishes are to be merged? Isn't there a high probability that once a
parish is decreed to be a "secondary worship site", the
surviving merged parish pastor together with his leadership team can
simply "close" the secondary worship site? If this occurs, who gets the
proceeds from the sale? If the assets are "held in trust" by the
Bishop's office, who receives the proceeds? If this does not occur, who
pays for the maintenance, etc. of the "secondary worship site"? Isn't
the concept of a "secondary worship site" a wasteful use of
parishioners contributions to the Church?
(5) If a parish is "closed" and the assets sold, where do the
assets go? Do they belong to the parish to which a Bishop "suggests"
the parishioners transfer, or to the diocesan coffers? What are the tax
consequences, since once closed and deconsecrated, the Church, its
structures and land may no longer be "tax-exempt" since these
assets may no longer be able to be claimed to be a "religious" entity?
(6) Do you know of any parish in the U.S. which has decided to
"withhold" its usual diocesan contribution/taxation to their Bishop's
Office? Do you think this is a good idea? Without "money rolling in", I
suspect the Bishop's Office may decide to "reconsider" his decision to
close, merge, or establish "secondary worship sites". The usual
"taxation" can always be held in an escrow account, to be forwarded to
the Bishop's Office "IFF" (if and only if) he changes his announced
plans, or at least provides a cogent rationale for his plans. What he
has announced to date, defies logic! Furthermore, he rarely responds to
sincere, well-documented, respectful requests from parishes in the
diocese. Perhaps he thinks that parishioners will, as has happened for
many decades, stop asking questions and simply accept whatever the
heirarchy decrees. If so, he is sadly mistaken. Many of today's
Catholics are highly educated and are no longer willing to accept on
faith, whatever the Bishop declares.
(7) Since becoming the Bishop of Camden, what is his track record
with respect to encouraging youth to become priests, decons, nuns,
missionaries, etc? In like manner, what specifically has he done to
increase the attendance and participation of parishioners in
Church-related activities? There may be various ministries which were
previously established at the diocesan level such as Vocation,
Outreach, etc., but what have they really accomplished under his
leadership and newly appointed leadership? Most of the parish
ministries have been done by Volunteers. His plans include hiring
new personnel to manage some of these ministries, and paying the
appointees with parish funds, which he also claims are waning. Where
will the additional funds come from? Will the diocese increase its
required contributions to its office? I suggest the statistics before
and since his appointment be published by the diocesan office and
"graded" by the leadership of Camden Diocese parishes before
he implements his current "announced plans".
Many thanks for your expected response to my questions. May God Bless each and every one of you. Bob Reynik
