The Vatican’s highest court has ruled a diocese can close a parish, regardless of that parish’s health, if it decides the good of the church’s religious mission is at stake. Ten churches that appealed their closings by the Boston Archdiocese learned their appeals had been denied in May, but written rulings by the Collegium of the Apostolic Signatura were not released until Saturday.
The rulings were in Latin.
On Thursday, a lay group that advocated for several of the closed churches released a translated version of one of the rulings, and said they all have "substantially identical" reasoning.
According to the translation, the Vatican court said Cardinal Sean O’Malley had "just cause" for closing the parish.
It cited Pope Benedict XVI’s exhortations to work for the common good and wrote that keeping the Catholic church healthy for its evangelical mission for the "salvation of souls" was a key consideration when leaders weigh church closings.
"What is to be judged in deliberation is not only the condition of the parish to be considered, in truth also the entire diocesan salvation of souls is to be provided for, to be accomplished by the best possible means," the ruling said.
Council of Parishes leader Peter Borre said that gives dioceses broad justification for shutting down churches, no matter how robust their finances or attendance, if diocesan leaders feel their evangelical mission is threatened — perhaps by poor financial health.
"Bankrupt dioceses cannot do much evangelizing," Borre said. "And if to avoid acute financial pressure or bankruptcy, a diocese finds it necessary to liquidate strong parishes that have assets and market value, then, by these decisions, that becomes legitimate."
"I did not think they would open the loophole that wide," he said.
The Boston Archdiocese said Thursday it was translating the decrees from Latin into English, though its initial review confirmed the churches’ appeals had been denied. "We look forward to a formal review of the translated text," the archdiocese said in a statement.
The archdiocese announced it was closing dozens of churches in 2004, a year after it settled 500 clergy sex abuse claims for $85 million.
It denied the closings were related to the scandal, citing instead falling attendance, a priest shortage and financial problems.
Several other dioceses nationwide have since announced major parish closings, including in Cleveland and Allentown, Pa.
In the Boston Archdiocese, five churches have been occupied around the clock since 2004 by parishioners protesting the closings.
The Apostolic Signatura’s rulings are final, but the five parishes have said they will remain in vigil at the churches.
The archdiocese on Thursday said it "continues to seek a peaceful and prayerful end to the vigils. We welcome and encourage all who have appealed the parish closings to join us in our efforts to rebuild and heal our local church."
With its appeals exhausted, Borre said the parishes in his group are aiming to present a direct appeal to Pope Benedict XVI in September.
"We’re in the world of long shots," he said. "But what else can you do here?"
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