FLORIDA
News-Press
[with copy of the letter]
Mary Wozniak, mwozniak@news-press.com September 20, 2014
A letter and petition with nearly 1,300 signatures will soon be on its way to Rome, asking Pope Francis to investigate Bishop Frank Dewane of the Diocese of Venice.
The letter, dated Aug. 28, was written by the Southwest Florida chapter of Call to Action and supported by the local chapter of Voice of the Faithful, two liberal Catholic groups pushing for church reform, including allowing priests to marry and more laity input in decision-making.
The letter claims bullying, intimidation, shaming behaviors and outbursts of anger by Dewane, instilling fear in the faithful.
Other claims are that the bishop dismissed several pastors and unfairly fired more than 20 workers without reason or hearing.
Benedict Nguyen, chief spokesman for the diocese, responded Friday with a two-page statement defending the bishop and discrediting Call to Action.
“The Diocese of Venice is greatly saddened to learn of the repeated attempt to smear publicly the reputation and good name of Bishop Frank J. Dewane and the Diocese of Venice, while also misleading the faithful, by ‘Call to Action,’ a group that has been deemed ‘totally incompatible with the Catholic faith’ by the Vatican and countless Catholic faithful,” the statement said.
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