Dear Fr. Romanowski & Camden Diocese Parishioners:

 

I am very opposed to Bishop Galante's announced plans for the Camden Diocese, and am seeking information which may be used by any/all parishes to stop or place many roadblocks in his path. Toward these goals, I respectfully request any feedback you may be able to provide to me for the following questions. Please feel free to include my request to all subscribers on your Web-site, and have them submit a copy to your Web-site as well.   

 

(1) Do you know of any references which document authoratatively how many dollars resulting from the disposal/sale of Roman Catholic Churches, buildings and land by a Bishop constitute an upper limit before he must first obtain the approval of the heirarchy in Rome? Does it also depend on the number of parishioners at the "to be merged" parish, or are the limits imposed at the diocesan level?

 

(2) How much discretionary authority does a Bishop have in this and related matters/decisions before the approval of Rome is required, including but not limited to Church closings, mergers, or decreeing stand-alone parishes? Who is the immediate supervisor in the U.S or in Rome of a U.S. Bishop? Do you know of any specific examples where the Bishop's supervisors have overturned a decision of a Bishop when documented factual evidence is presented by parishes or Catholic Lay Organization(s) to Rome that the Bishop has acted in an "imprudent manner"? 

 

(3) Can a Bishop use funds which were donated for specific (restricted) purposes (such as donations specifically pledged for renovation of a church, demolition of a rectory, and building a new rectory and chapel) as he wishes? Isn't this a violation of civil and/or Church Canon Law? Is approval by the U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops or the Presbyteral Council and/or another "high-level" appointed/elected body of the Camden Diocese first required?

 

(4) What is meant by the term "secondary worship site"? Isn't this simply a construct of Bishop Galante to appease parishioners when their parishes are to be merged? Isn't there a high probability that once a parish is decreed to be a "secondary worship site", the surviving merged parish pastor together with his leadership team can simply "close" the secondary worship site? If this occurs, who gets the proceeds from the sale? If the assets are "held in trust" by the Bishop's office, who receives the proceeds? If this does not occur, who pays for the maintenance, etc. of the "secondary worship site"? Isn't the concept of a "secondary worship site" a wasteful use of parishioners contributions to the Church?

 

(5) If a parish is "closed" and the assets sold, where do the assets go? Do they belong to the parish to which a Bishop "suggests" the parishioners transfer, or to the diocesan coffers? What are the tax consequences, since once closed and deconsecrated, the Church, its structures and land may no longer be "tax-exempt" since these assets may no longer be able to be claimed to be a "religious" entity?

 

(6) Do you know of any parish in the U.S. which has decided to "withhold" its usual diocesan contribution/taxation to their Bishop's Office? Do you think this is a good idea? Without "money rolling in", I suspect the Bishop's Office may decide to "reconsider" his decision to close, merge, or establish "secondary worship sites". The usual "taxation" can always be held in an escrow account, to be forwarded to the Bishop's Office "IFF" (if and only if) he changes his announced plans, or at least provides a cogent rationale for his plans. What he has announced to date, defies logic! Furthermore, he rarely responds to sincere, well-documented, respectful requests from parishes in the diocese. Perhaps he thinks that parishioners will, as has happened for many decades, stop asking questions and simply accept whatever the heirarchy decrees. If so, he is sadly mistaken. Many of today's Catholics are highly educated and are no longer willing to accept on faith, whatever the Bishop declares.  

 

(7) Since becoming the Bishop of Camden, what is his track record with respect to encouraging youth to become priests, decons, nuns, missionaries, etc? In like manner, what specifically has he done to increase the attendance and participation of parishioners in Church-related activities? There may be various ministries which were previously established at the diocesan level such as Vocation, Outreach, etc., but what have they really accomplished under his leadership and newly appointed leadership? Most of the parish ministries have been done by Volunteers. His plans include hiring new personnel to manage some of  these ministries, and paying the appointees with parish funds, which he also claims are waning. Where will the additional funds come from? Will the diocese increase its required contributions to its office? I suggest the statistics before and since his appointment be published by the diocesan office and "graded" by the leadership of Camden Diocese parishes before he implements his current "announced plans".  

 

Many thanks for your expected response to my questions. May God Bless each and every one of you. Bob Reynik