CATHOLIC Bishop Richard Lennon Still Weighing Whether to Appeal Vatican Decrees on Cleveland Church Closures

By Michael O'Malley
Plain Dealer
March 29, 2012

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2012/03/catholic_bishop_richard_lennon.html

Bishop Richard Lennon says he hasn't decided yet whether to appeal Vatican rulings that reversed the closing of 13 churches. But he pledged to "act in the interests of our church, our diocese and all of its people."

-Bishop Richard Lennon said in a prepared statement today that he has not yet decided whether to appeal recent Vatican rulings that reversed his closings of 13 churches in the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland.

The bishop's statement comes two weeks after he officially received word from Rome that he did not follow church law or procedures when he closed the churches between 2009 and 2010.

The 13 churches -- out of 50 he closed in a finance-driven, diocesewide downsizing -- had appealed to the Vatican's Congregation for the Clergy, arguing they were self-sustaining communities that shouldn't be closed.

The Congregation issued decrees in favor of the churches and gave Lennon 60 days from March 14 to appeal.

"This is a very complex matter with no easy or perfect solution," Lennon said in the statement. "With the help of a number of advisors -- including members of the clergy, laity and experts in church law -- I am carefully studying and seeking to fully understand the decrees.

"I can assure you," Lennon continued, "that this is not nearly as clear-cut as it may appear on the surface. Although the decrees are brief in length, they are deep in underlying meaning and I continue to receive significant input and clarification."

Lennon sent his statement (see full letter in DocumentCloud viewer below) to priests, deacons and parish life coordinators, requesting that it be distributed at Masses this weekend.

The diocese put most of the churches closed by the bishop on the market. But under canon law, the 13 with appeals pending could not be sold, so the diocese secured those buildings and kept their grounds maintained.

With word from Rome this month, some Catholics, believing they will soon return to their mothballed sanctuaries, have been celebrating with prayer vigils and rallies.

Many have been speculating about Lennon's next move.

But in his statement, Lennon cautioned, "No one should speculate or try to read anything between the lines of my message. . . . I assure you that I will share with you the rationale behind whatever action I eventually take.

"Be assured that I will act fully in accordance with the teachings of the Catholic Church and with the utmost respect for its governance and authority," the bishop wrote.

The 13 churches are: St. Adalbert, St. Barbara, St. Casimir, St. Emeric, St. Patrick (West Park), St. Peter and St. Wendelin, all of Cleveland; St. James in Lakewood; St. Mary in Bedford; St. Margaret Mary in South Euclid; and St. John the Baptist, St. Martha and St. Mary, all in Akron.

Patricia Schulte-Singleton, a member of St. Patrick and head of a group called Endangered Catholics, which has been fighting the closings, said today it was disheartening that the churches apparently won't be open for the upcoming Easter week.

"Again, we're in limbo," she said. "After two weeks and he still doesn't know what to do? This could be a stall tactic. It's very troubling."

Schulte-Singleton said canon lawyers in Rome, hired by St. Patrick's parishioners to represent them in their appeal, had been alerted to Lennon's statement.

"We're ready to engage in canonical action," she said. "I understand it's a complex issue for the bishop, but he created the issue. And the time for studying it is over. You either obey Rome or not obey Rome."