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	Catholics Seeking Changes Within Church to Meet at Long Hill, N.j., Shrine By Rob Jennings Daily Record September 19, 2010 http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20100919/COMMUNITIES/100917036/1005/NEWS01/Catholics-seeking-changes-within-church-to-meet-at-Long-Hill-shrine LONG HILL — Catholics challenging the church's existing power structure by seeking a more prominent role in decision-making by those outside the Vatican, including women, are planning to meet next month at the historic Shrine of St. Joseph. The Barrington, Ill.-based "American Catholic Council" is an outgrowth of the national Voice of the Faithful organization founded in 2002 in response to revelations about sexual abuse by priests and the church's role in either downplaying or covering up for the crimes. Local advocates for the council's pursuit of a Catholic rebirth will gather Oct. 2 at the Shrine of St. Joseph, whose signature marble statute of St. Joseph was dedicated in 1926, for the 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. meeting. "For American Catholics the words 'Pay, Pray, and Obey' have long characterized the position of the laity in the church — silent, obedient financiers for the clerical establishmemt," read a statement from the council publicizing the meeting. A spokesman for the Diocese of Paterson declined comment on the meeting; the Shrine of St. Joseph also declined comment, other than to acknowledge that the meeting had been scheduled. The setting for the meeting is somewhat of a surprise since Catholic leaders generally have not allowed dissident groups to meet on church property — though the Church of St. Joseph in Mendham, which permitted gatherings by alleged sexual abuse victims of priests, is among the exceptions. Among those planning to attend the Oct. 2 meeting is Theresa Padovano of Morris Plains, an ex-nun who married an ex-priest and founded the northern New Jersey VOTF chapter. In addition to endorsing the ordination of women as priests and permitting priests to marry — changes ruled out by both Pope John Paul II, who held the position from 1978 to 2005, and the current Pope Benedict XVI — Padovano said wants a more democratic approach to decision-making. Not only is the pope the absolute authority in the church, he is viewed as infallible — known as the principal of "Papal infallibility" on matters of dogma within the church.
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