In a response to a letter written by a Good Shepherd School parent, Archbishop Pietro Sambi, papal nuncio to the United States, says that he cannot intervene in the Rochester school closings because "the Apostolic Nunciature is not tribunal for recourse against a Diocesan Bishop's decision or the evaluation of the factors that might have been involved in the decisions made by a Diocesan Bishop."He goes on to state, "If you remain dissatisfied with whatever the Bishop Clark's response to you might be, you can then take recourse to the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education."
2 comments:
Catholics calling for their bishop's head because he was forced to close some schools, and he's too liberal, and the printer forgot to add his signature, and he's a bad, bad bishop who doesn't care about his flock. Please. The Apostolic Nuncio just told you, he can't do anything about it, it's Bishop Clark's decision. So storm the Vatican. See where it gets you. Do you really think the Pope is going to haul Bishop Clark on the carpet, or override him, because he closed some schools and the parents are mad? Do you really think he would curtail the authority of a bishop over something like this, when all the bishops involved in the sex scandal still have their jobs, or new ones in Rome? The Vatican thinks Americans are too individualist already, and is not going to be swayed by letters and petitions. It's time to face reality. The nuns are gone. Costs have skyrocketed. Enrollment has plummeted. This is the result. It's also time to show some respect to a man who has a thankless job that he must wish he could leave to his successor right now. But the Pope won't let him, even if he asked. It won't happen, so get used to it. Instead of continuing this sad event, do something you can do; find another school for your children.
You sent me your blog link and I've posted on it today.
As you search for positive ways to effect change, I have one suggestion that will, I'm sure, eventually bear fruit. If you have the faith and tenacity to attempt it.
What if all the Catholic school parents chose one weekly Sunday Mass? What if they brought their children, family members and supporters? What if they came early to the most crowded of their parish's Masses? What if, after praying as families, they drained the regular supply of donuts, juice, and coffee rather more quickly than the volunteer servers were used to? What if they kept it up every Sunday? What do you suppose the other parishioners would eventually see?
I suspect the parents have far more power than they realize, but they are too accustomed to thinking within the box. Well within it.
You may well need a revolution to maintain Catholic education as you've known it. But there may be better options were you to employ prayer and the support of other lay people.
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