unum catholicam ad mundum et civitatem

 (A Catholic's [word] to the world and the city)

It is a most interesting, and auspicious day. We have a new pope. He is an American, for America is from Alaska to Argentina. He is an Italian born in the new world, who has returned to the old country, to the eternal city. He is a Jesuit. The Jesuits have long been considered, the most learned and educated of the clergy; and recently, the new world has had many Jesuit martyrs. He born, Jorge Mario Bergoglio has chosen as his papal name, a name that has not been chosen before. He wants the world to call him ‘Francesco’, ‘Francis’. Who was this Francis? An Alter Christi, another Christ. People, may misunderstand, we are called to be another Christ; a priest is to act in the rôle of another Christ. Francis is considered by many to have come the closest. Early in the 13th century, Francis went to pray at the ruined church of San Damiano. He heard Jesus, from the Crucifix, say to him, “Francis, go repair my house which, as you see, is falling completely to ruin.”

Francis is considered a most peaceable and loving man. He is the saint who called the sun ‘a Brother’, and the moon ‘a Sister’. He preached to the birds, and the birds listened attentively. He is also called, ‘Il Poverello’, ‘the Poor One’. He was born rich, and he chose to be the most poor. He is considered the Peace Saint par excellence.

This is to-day's religious story of the world, but we have an issue of episcopal governance locally; for the local ordinary has decided to interject his edicts unto the community, and has done so since his coming to the diocese. He has been a bishop of sharp discord. However this is phrased, or stated, the bedrock foundational argument is a simple, and an easily expressed one to the, perhaps, irreparable damage that Richard has done. A parish is a community created to share a relationship with God, defined and chartered by Jesus, therefore, it is meant to be perpetual. When Jesus said, “For where there are two or three gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them”; He meant exactly that. That is what all Catholic Christians, at all times, and everywhere believed, until this generation that we have here. Some of us are orthodox, and strictly conservative, and constant on this point, and have no truck with modern activist bishops whom have invented new rules.

Here in Cleveland and its surrounds, parishes have been destroyed by one man, Richard Lennon, Bishop of Cleveland. All the other arguments are not primary. Any defense of lennonism is, at best, misguided; and in essence an attack on Jesus. Lennon created no parishes. He came to destroy what Jesus had created. These parishes, and the resources of these parishes, Lennon believes are his to do with as he wishes. They are not. They are not meant to be forcibly seized and distributed. People are free to come and go as members of a parish.  Members of parishes are not as juvenile delinquents loitering about in public subject to a policeman's order to disperse, for others to suggest, or insist, for this dispersal is insultingly insensitive.

There is proper authority, and there is an extension of authority beyond its sphere. It is despicable that this abuse of authority is supported by anyone. The assumed dignity of the sovereign is not paramount. The symmetric identity of the person with the institution is invalid. The bishop is not the Church. Presumed authority should not be accepted as absolute. The Nuremberg defense was found not to be valid. There are times that the right answer is “No”. Rome has clearly told Lennon he went beyond his authority, and that Lennon acted in disregard to law, both in procedure and discernment.

Lennon has been a bad shepherd, and a bad steward. He has not only driven people away from their parishes, and from the Church, but also from God. The deep emotional hurt he has caused to people has not been reported by the press, and certainly not acknowledged by his defenders. The first step of reconciliation (as opposed to capitulation) is for Richard to confess this. If he can not do this, the best course would be to have a new bishop here too.