LI Catholics hold the key to reforming the church
Newsday
BY DICK RYAN
Dick Ryan of West Islip is the author of "Holy Human: Stories of Extraordinary Catholics."
September 14, 2004
Bishop William Murphy has broken off all talks about a mutual agreement with the Long Island Voice of the Faithful until they begin to play nice, curb the dogs calling for his resignation and get back to filling up the collection basket.
So it comes down to the stark reality that the Catholic Church is still knee-deep in an abuse of authority and trust. And it may be up to the Voice of the Faithful, with the help of many priests and nuns, to step forward and restore some sense of healing, hope and trust to the church. And here are a few things they might consider.
The largest chapter of Voice of the Faithful in the country is on Long Island, so it could sponsor a national Congress of Catholic Laity at the Nassau Coliseum that would explore the concerns and solutions to the current crisis in the church from Catholics and Catholic organizations from all across America.
If the idea sounds like the beginning of an organized union in the best sense of that word, then so be it. Despite all the papal encyclicals about a just wage and the rights of the working person, unions frighten the bejabbers out of many in the church hierarchy, and they are anathema in most Catholic institutions where teachers, nurses and social workers receive skeleton wages and benefits with the pious reminder that they're working for God.Click on this link to read the entire article:
http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-vprya143966765sep14,0,1272746.story?coll=ny-viewpoints-headlines
