With the announcement by Bishop Richard Lennon of the proposed closing of a number of Catholic churches in the Diocese of Cleveland, Ohio, has come a grieving chorus of the faithful. They don’t understand why some churches are on the “Lennon’s List” and others have escaped. It brings to mind a period of Catholic history when laity and clergy went head to head over control of church finances and property.
In “Catholics in the Old South”, Randall M. Miller wrote of the early 1800s, “Church leaders fixed their gaze on the institutional concerns of building churches and an ecclesiastical framework to support them, of recruiting and training priests and nuns , and of invigorating Catholic faith.” Faced with internal problems of their own in that regard, and being unable to do it all, Lay Trusteeism emerged in the developing Southern church. Even the first American Bishop, John Carroll, endorsed the concept, apparently not realizing, or ignoring, the inherent problems it would bring in the area of episcopal authority. Lay trustees, or Wardens as they were also called, held title to church property and had complete control over finances. When the hierarchy attempted to exert more effort to control, they ran into stiff resistance.
Besides holding church purse strings, Trustees assumed other powers, i.e., the appointing and dismissing of pastors and demanding Bishops follow their example. As can be imagined, Bishops fought back, reminding the faithful that Canon law vested that authority with them. Tensions developed and increased and ugly incidents erupted between them.
Trustees took to the streets, staging public rallies that denounced Episcopal and papal “usurpations”. Representatives of the Bishops were denied entry into churches. Schism was threatened and legal manifestations began. In New Orleans, the wardens of St. Louis Cathedral went to court and the state legislature in an attempt to draw civil authorities and the law into their corner.
In New Iberia, Louisiana, sermons were interrupted and the pastors were literally threatened. A priest was set upon with whips and sticks. In Monroe, Louisiana, young boys hurled rocks at a priest that was not very popular. At St. John’s, Lafayette, a priest was beat up by a “ruffian” while the chairman of the board of trustees reportedly looked on with amusement. His sin, amongst other complaints, was proposing catechisms for blacks.
Today, the faithful have empathy for those Catholics of another era. Those affected by today’s church closings have believed, perhaps rightly so, the church building belonged to the parishioners. After all, First Communions, Confirmations, weddings and funerals have all taken place there, events that are a major part of Catholic life. Many friendships from grade school last a lifetime.
Like the southern faithful of the 1800s, bitterness is strong among Catholics in northeast Ohio, and probably elsewhere. Further complicating their hurt feelings has been the ordination of gay men. It bothers many as the church doles out millions to those, actually and allegedly, sexually abused. When discovered, these same priests were simply transferred to other parishes where they continued their behavior, confident their actions would be again “swept under the rug.” Feelings are strong and the attitude has become “And now you want to close our church?”
Where we’ve abandoned the neighborhood, we have no argument. In our affluence, and in some cases concerned for our safety, we’ve moved away to other neighborhoods or cities, away from the churches previous generations built. Yet there are churches reportedly filled each Sunday. What’s the reason for closing them? The first answer that comes to many Catholic minds is the obvious – saving and/or raising cash.
In the business world, local management personally knows their co-workers. It’s a hard, emotional decision to cut people from the payroll or move company operations elsewhere. Many simply cannot make the necessary decisions that allow a company to survive and stay afloat. Someone usually has to be brought in from outside the company or locale to do it. Like that new corporate person brought in to do the job, Bishop Lennon is the Catholic charged with the responsibility.
It almost makes one think that perhaps it’s time to adopt the earlier attitude and separate church responsibilities between Catholic laity and Episcopal. And/or ordain married men. Or women.
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