Cleveland priest, Fr Bob Begin, who saved his church from closing last year by convincing Bishop Richard Lennon to change his mind, is now publicly challenging the bishop on the closings of other churches. Fr Begin, pastor of St. Colman on Cleveland's West Side, told the bishop in a letter Friday that the ongoing closings of churches in the Cleveland Catholic Diocese are violating the rights of parishioners and may be turning people away from salvation, The Plain Dealer reports.
Begin, 71, who has a long history of challenging the church over perceived injustices, sent a copy of the letter to The Plain Dealer, saying he has written similar letters privately to the bishop, but has not received responses.
"By this public letter," Begin wrote to Lennon, "I wish to make it clear to the people of our diocese that my own public silence on this matter and that of many other priests is not a silence that has agreed with your decisions.
"It is a silence that was motivated sometimes by a fear of your retaliation, sometimes by an unwillingness to hurt the faith and culture of the church we love and/or by a sense that speaking up would not do any good."
Diocese spokesman Robert Tayek said Friday that he read a copy of the letter, sent electronically to him by Begin. However, Tayek said the bishop had not seen it.
"Father Begin's opinion is just that, one man's opinion," said Tayek.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to us or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that we agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
SIC: CTHUS