I just found one of my writings from 2008, from the Blog Voice From the Desert. The blog is run by an old liberal heterodox Catholic - but I like his style anyway even if I disagree with him on most everything else.
It amazes me how something I wrote almost 5 years ago (come this July) still applies to today. Here it is:
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I have been withholding and then diverting my Sunday collections to another charity that serves the poor for over 3 years now (they don’t get my money – the donations are all ‘in-kind’ – things that cannot be traded easily on the open market). I made that decision when the powers that be in my Diocese of Toledo used their influence behind scenes to the ban the movie ‘Twist of Faith’. That was further reinforced when a mere two and half months later the home of a S.N.A.P. activist who had extensive hard-copy files on several local priestly predators was torched in a fire so hot that it consumed not only the house she was renting, but also two others that were next door (of course all her records went up in flames, too).
For more than two years I used to send a copy of my weekly collection envelope to my bishop – just as are reminder that protest remained in effect. I stopped that as I figured the point was made long ago.
I tend to agree with Mark I: it would take a miracle to really have any effect here. The bishops know this too. Most of Catholic laity remain in a state of willful self-delusion with regard to the sexual predators in their midst. Only the victimization of a family member or a very close friend tends to animate anyone in this huge silent majority in to action. Robin’s postings are a case in point.
What I’d like to see each parish in the US do is:
1. Found its own 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation with no connection to the 501 (c)(3) of the local diocese;
2. Stop sending any money to the diocesan chanceries (aka the bishop) – and live with to any consequences (e.g. the calling in of loans or mortgages by the bishop);
3. Support their own clergy from monies collected on Sunday (here I’d prefer that one-way debit cards be issued for their physical needs and a rental car for transportation rather than out-right cash be paid to them);
4. Hire a non-Christian, non-Catholic Church affiliated CPA who is bonded to manage the monies and pay the bills and who will, on demand and with a reasonable administrative fee, provide anyone at anytime with a current financial statement of the parish. Annual audits of course would be a part of this.
5. Remove the pastors, associate pastors and deacons from anything involving money management or the management of parish buildings, lands, clubs, etc . . . Their jobs would solely focus on the administration of the sacraments and providing spiritual succor as is rightly proper to them.
I know this is probably a pipe dream and I am sure there are others who have much better ideas than I have on how to deal with this.
Even though withholding collection may seem like a futile act of defiance, I will continue to do so. I believe that to contribute any monies at this time means I’m likely to be passively participating in persecuting the sexual abuse survivors and to passively assist bishops in hiding the predators they are protecting.
It looks like this will last for the rest of my life, but I’d rather not have to face God Almighty on the day I die knowing what I know and to still have willingly participated in the evil. I’ll give where I can provided I can do so in an ‘in-kind’ fashion. In this way I avoid allowing any part of my monetary donation, which is fungible, to be used to perpetrate the criminal acts of our bishops.
“Ego delustro sic non tu poteris nutu”.
I disabuse so you can’t snooze.
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