Posted on 03/08/2009 8:30:59 AM PDT by Oakleaf
Catholic Family News • March 7, 2009
Write to the Senator and Representative - Show Up for the Rally on March 11!
See below:
• Urgent letter from Brideport Diocese Webpage • Information on March 11 Rally • Contact information for CT Senator and Representative • Statement from Father Greg J. Markey
(More details also at http://wdtprs.com/blog/2009/03/connecticut-state-legislature-introduced-bill-10982009/)
(Text of bill at http://www.cga.ct.gov/2009/TOB/S/2009SB-01098-R00-SB.htm)
This past Thursday, March 5, the Judiciary Committee of the Connecticut State Legislature, which is chaired by Sen. Andrew McDonald of Stamford and Rep. Michael Lawlor of East Haven, introduced a bill that directly attacks the Roman Catholic Church and our Faith.
This bill violates the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. It forces a radical reorganization of the legal, financial, and administrative structure of our parishes. This is contrary to the Apostolic nature of the Catholic Church because it disconnects parishes from their Pastors and their Bishop. Parishes would be run by boards from which Pastors and the Bishop would be effectively excluded.
This bill, moreover, is a thinly-veiled attempt to silence the Catholic Church on the important issues of the day, such as same-sex marriage.
The State has no right to interfere in the internal affairs and structure of the Catholic Church. This bill is directed only at the Catholic Church but could someday be forced on other denominations. The State has no business controlling religion.
The Pastors of our Diocese are doing an exemplary job of sound stewardship and financial accountability, in full cooperation with their parishioners.
For the State Legislature — which has not reversed a $1 billion deficit in this fiscal year — to try to manage the Catholic Church makes no sense. The Catholic Church not only lives within her means but stretches her resources to provide more social, charitable, and educational services than any other private institution in the State. This bill threatens those services at a time when the State is cutting services. The Catholic Church is needed now more than ever.
We reject this irrational, unlawful, and bigoted bill that jeopardizes the religious liberty of our Church.
We urge you to call and e-mail Sen. McDonald and Rep. Lawlor:
Senator Andrew McDonald: Capitol phone: (800) 842-1420; Home phone: (203) 348-7439 E-mail: McDonald@senatedems.ct.gov
Representative Michael Lawlor: Capitol phone: (800) 842-8267; Home phone: (203) 469-9725 E-mail: MLawlor99@juno.com
We also ask you to come to Hartford this Wednesday, March 11, to be present at the public hearing. Details on bus transportation will be available on Monday. If you would like to attend, contact your Pastor.
It is up to us to stop this unbridled abuse of governmental power
It is time for us to defend our First Amendment rights.
It is time for us to defend our Church!
- From Bridgeport Diocese webpage ALSO AVAILABLE IN SPANISH FROM Diocesean webpage
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Statement of Father Greg J. Markey
Dear Members of the Gospel of Life Society,
Just when you thought it could not get any worse up in Hartford, it has happened.
Yesterday, Connecticut Judiciary Committee of the Connecticut State Legislature introduced bill #1098/2009 that directly attacks the Roman Catholic Church .Should it pass, the bishop and pastors will be deprived of any administrative, financial and legal power over their parishes.
The Bishop is asking for statements to be read at all the Masses this weekend, and to organize a rally in Hartford on Wednesday. Each parish is to send 5 representatives. I will be leading a group from St. Mary Church in Norwalk. Most likely there will be diocesan buses.
We are asked to contact our legislators, and especially the Judiciary Committee list. Now is the time to act! Stay tuned.
In Christ,
Fr. Greg J. Markey St. Mary Church, • Norwalk, CT
When the Nazis came for the communists, I remained silent; I was not a communist. When they locked up the social democrats, I remained silent; I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists, I did not speak out; I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews, I remained silent; I was not a Jew.
When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out.
Pastor Martin Niemöller
If they can do this to the Catholic Church they can do this to any Church. If they are able to do this to the Catholic Church they WILL do it to the other Churches and Temples.
I just sent the link to the text of the bill to my Pastor.
They must control EVERYTHING in our lives.....
I read it and still don’t understand what’s going on here.
Could you explain it a bit for me?
Does this apply to muslims also......I would bet not.
The real problem is far too many Catholics (and others) voting for dems who bring about laws such as this.
The Freedom of Choice Act can be summed up like this:
In the past, the government has allowed sinners to sin.
In the future, the government will force non-sinners to sin.
My best interpretation of this bill is that it would allow the liberal lay Catholics who support Obama and other liberal causes to have power in running Roman Catholic churches.
This power would be denied to Catholic clergy who believe in traditional values (anti-gay marriage, pro-life etc.) under the legislation.
Consider thst more and more traditonal values bishops and priests are standing up to oppose the anti-life and gay activist agendas. They are trying to discipline those in the church including politicians who are voting against chuch teaching.
This legislation is designed to attack traditional clergy by denying them administrative power in church affairs.
Is this bill the FOCA?
It looks like this bill is something different. I know what FOCA is. But thanks!
OH!!!!
Thanks, this is very scary.
O ne
B ig
A ss
M istake
A merica!
Can someone summarize this bill for us? I read the link but didn’t see the bill posted.
We have entered a very scary era. They’re coming for our money, our guns, our religions, our jobs and our children.
In the Catholic Church, basically, the Pope is in charge and he appoints the Bishops. Each Bishop is in charge of his Diocese and he appoints the Pastor to each Parish. The Pastor reports to the Bishop personally and is responsible for all aspects of running the Parish.
My reading of this bill is that the Holy Father and the Bishop and the Pastor are no longer in charge, they are replaced by a group of parishoners who are totally in charge of the Parish. Several leftist/liberal groups who claim to be part of the Church have been agitating for this for years. It would fit in nicely with their agenda.
This way of running a Church may be the way many Churches are run and it is fine for them if that is what they want to do. The problem, the ‘wrongness’ with this bill is that it COMPELLS the Catholic Church to be run that way. I am forced to conclude that their main reason (ignore the purpose stated at the end of the bill it is a smokescreen) that the legislators who introduced this bill did so is because don’t like the Catholic Church. I submit if this is such a noble idea why aren’t they submitting bills for the other Christian Churches or for Jewish Congreations?
Again, if they can do this to the Catholic Church they can do this to any Church. If this succeeds is a “Patriotic Catholic Church of Connecticut” run by the state just like they have in Communist China far behind?
Spelling error, it should be Jewish Congregations. Apologies.
http://www.cga.ct.gov/2009/TOB/S/2009SB-01098-R00-SB.htm
N.B. Rather than play around with formatting these are the changes proposed to the law.
Section 1.b through 1.h is new (underlined in the original bill from CGA) as are Sections 2 and 3 entirely. The section in [brackets] in one is deleted.
General Assembly Raised Bill No. 1098
January Session, 2009 LCO No. 4528
*04528_______JUD*
Referred to Committee on Judiciary
Introduced by:
(JUD)
AN ACT MODIFYING CORPORATE LAWS RELATING TO CERTAIN RELIGIOUS CORPORATIONS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 33-279 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2009):
(a) A corporation may be organized in connection with any Roman Catholic Church or congregation in this state, by filing in the office of the Secretary of the State a certificate signed by the archbishop or bishop and the vicar-general of the archdiocese or of the diocese in which such congregation is located and the pastor and two laymen belonging to such congregation, stating that they have so organized for the purposes hereinafter mentioned. [Such archbishop or bishop, vicar-general and pastor of such congregation and, in case of the death or other disability of the archbishop or bishop, the administrator of the archdiocese or diocese for the time being, the chancellor of the archdiocese or diocese and the pastor of such congregation shall be members, ex officio, of such corporation, and, upon their death, resignation, removal or preferment, their successors in office shall become such members in their stead. The two lay members shall be appointed annually, in writing, during the month of January from the lay members of the congregation by a majority of the ex-officio members of the corporation; and three members of the corporation, of whom one shall be a layman, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.]
(b) The corporation shall have a board of directors consisting of not less than seven nor more than thirteen lay members. The archbishop or bishop of the diocese or his designee shall serve as an ex-officio member of the board of directors without the right to vote.
(c) The members of the board of directors shall be elected from among the lay members of the congregation at an annual meeting of the corporation. The members of the board of directors shall serve for staggered terms of not more than three years. The members of the board of directors shall owe a fiduciary duty to the corporation and the members of the congregation.
(d) The board of directors shall meet at least quarterly. A majority of the members of the board of directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Notice of the meetings of the board of directors shall be sent by mail or electronic mail to each member of the board of directors and be delivered or published in a manner likely to come to the attention of a majority of the members of the congregation.
(e) The general administrative and financial powers of the corporation shall be exercised by or under the authority of the board of directors. Such powers shall include, but are not limited to:
(1) Establishing and approving budgets;
(2) Managing the financial affairs of the corporation;
(3) Providing for the auditing of the financial records of the corporation;
(4) Developing and implementing strategic plans and capital projects;
(5) Developing outreach programs and other services to be provided to the community; and
(6) Any of the powers enumerated in section 33-1036.
(f) The pastor of the congregation shall report to the board of directors with respect to administrative and financial matters.
(g) Any member of the corporation is entitled to inspect and copy, during regular business hours at the corporation’s principal office, any of the business records of the corporation including accounting records and financial statements of the corporation if such member gives the corporation written notice of his demand at least five business days before the date on which he wishes to inspect and copy.
(h) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit, restrict or derogate from any power, right, authority, duty or responsibility of the bishop or pastor in matters pertaining exclusively to religious tenets and practices.
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2009) The provisions of section 33-279 of the general statutes, as amended by this act, shall apply to all corporations in existence on January 1, 2010, that were organized under subpart D of part II of chapter 598 of the general statutes prior to said date.
Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2009) Any person having reason to believe that monetary contributions to a corporation organized under chapter 598 of the general statutes are being misappropriated and not being used for the purpose for which they were given may report that belief to the Attorney General. The Attorney General shall, pursuant to his authority under section 3-125 of the general statutes to represent the public interest in the protection of any gifts, legacies or devises intended for public or charitable purposes, investigate such report and take such action as he deems necessary.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2009 33-279
Sec. 2 October 1, 2009 New section
Sec. 3 October 1, 2009 New section
Statement of Purpose:
To revise the corporate governance provisions applicable to the Roman Catholic Church and provide for the investigation of the misappropriation of funds by religious corporations.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]
OMG! How is this possible in this country?
Ping ... for Christianity under assault from the government.
I’ve read this article 5 times and I still have no idea what the bill is trying to do or how it would affect the Catholic Church.
bump...
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