When I first read an e-mail alert about an anti-Catholic bill in the Connecticut legislature, I honestly thought it was one of those internet hoaxes. But it wasn't.
The judicial committee of the state legislature actually put forth a bill on Thursday (March 5) that would require each Catholic parish to elect a board "of not less than seven nor more than 13" lay persons to oversee the financial operations of the parish, with the pastor and local bishop having little or no say.
There is one little obstacle to the bill -- the First Amendment's free exercise clause. There are special protections for the free exercise of religion, though in recent decades we perhaps have forgotten this:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
Evidently the bill was drafted without one bit of consultation with the four diocesan bishops of Connecticut, which includes the Archdiocese of Hartford, the dioceses of Bridgeport and Norwich, and the Eastern-rite Ukrainian Eparchy of Stamford. The bill has been fast-tracked, with a hearing scheduled for Wednesday, March 11!
One state legislator said the bill may have something "diabolical" about it.
The bishops rightly observe that the bill is an attack on the apostolic and hierarchical structure of the Catholic Church. Many parishes do have lay boards to help administer and invest the finances -- but the state legislature has absolutely no right to require the formation of a lay board and moreover cannot dictate the number of board members while excluding the pastor and bishop from decision-making roles.
The bishops, priests and laypeople of Connecticut have shown themselves up to the task of opposing this violation of religion. A letter was read at all Masses on Sunday and the people in the pews were outraged, many of them hearing of this bill for the first time.
Sometimes we need a wake-up call, and this is it. Even if you're not from Connecticut, you need to inform yourselves about this bill, because it could happen where you live.
Urgent: Read Archbishop Henry Mansell's letter on the Archdiocese of Hartford's website.
The Knights of Columbus is also opposing the bill.
This is alarming, and indeed a "diabolical" hand may be in it. Please keep us posted.
Meantime, I'll forward this article to my community. Couples for Christ. We have presence in the USA.
May God bless you and your household.
Posted by: Marvin Macatol | March 09, 2009 at 08:17 PM