Leslie Hittner: We’re not going back to that church

MINNESOTA
Winona Daily News

By Leslie Hittner | Winona

Now that the election is over, my wife and I have had to ask ourselves a couple questions. You see, we have not gone back to our old church since I walked out. We chose not to do so for two reasons: We didn’t want to be counted as a part of the Mass attendees (The Winona Diocese counts Mass attendees every October.) and I did not want to make “walking out” a routine that could disrupt the religious ceremonies of other parishioners during those pre-election campaign prayers.

But now the election is over. “Our side” won. October is past. What do we do next? We believe that our church is still on the wrong side of the civil same-sex marriage debate. The hierarchy is still refusing to take full responsibility for the sexual abuse cover-up in the church. Vatican II initiatives — the hope of the church — are still being increasingly misrepresented and pushed aside.

We are not willing to return to “business as usual.” We are not willing to accept a regression to a pre-Vatican II church. We are not willing to abide by the demands of a hierarchy that is more concerned about its own organizational success and appearances than it is about teaching the rest of us what it means to be a follower of Jesus. We aren’t willing to go back to that church.

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