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June 15, 2000
PERSONAL ATTENTION [name withheld], CPA Office of the General Secretary National Conference of Catholic Bishops 3211 Fourth Street NE Washington, DC 20017-1194
Dear [name withheld]:
This refers to your letter of March 27 in which you advised that you were “meeting with a group of bishops in April to discuss accountability and the canons which are applicable” to my contention that the U.S. hierarchy is not affording an adequate level of protection for its principal source of revenue: the Sunday collection. I acknowledged your letter via Certified Mail on April 4, referencing what I felt were relevant canons and requesting that I be informed of the outcome. As you know, my immediate interest in the outcome is due to the fact that I am in the process of preparing a detailed petition which will be directed to the Holy See, and I want to be sure that it conveys the Conference’s current position and rationale as accurately as possible.
In the absence of any notification from you concerning that meeting, I am once again asking to be informed of the outcome. In all fairness to you, however, I feel obliged to inform you that Bishop Fiorenza’s reticence and our correspondence to date (yours and mine) will form the introduction to my petition. Further, you surely recognize that Bishop Fiorenza has remained silent not only out of disdain for me and what he views as my lack of portfolio but also because it is impossible to defend the indefensible. We all know there neither is nor can be any ethical or moral basis for leaving the Sunday collection vulnerable to repetitive (weekly) embezzlement when, with minimal expense and effort, it can be made genuinely secure.
I assume the referenced meeting did not result in a decision to move toward nationwide establishment of a genuinely secure Sunday collection system. In that case, [name withheld], you will be well advised to ensure that any reply you make is true to the best traditions of your profession.
Clearly, your employers’ position on the matter of Sunday collection security is antithetical to the principles and standards of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, not to mention the commonly accepted understanding of nonfeasance in the business world and courts of law.
Copies of this letter are being directed to Bishop Fiorenza at both his Washington and Houston offices. I would greatly appreciate his personal opinion but trust that any reply you give will have the concurrence of General Secretary [name withheld] and/or General Secretary-Elect [name withheld].
Sincerely,
[signed] M. W. Ryan
cc: Bishop Joseph A. Fiorenza, President, National Conference of Catholic Bishops
RESPONSE SUMMARY
The AGS replied to this letter on June 20, 2000. In so many words, the AGS advised the author that the bishops’ deliberations are confidential and, further, cautioned the author that any petition to the Holy See should not contain any speculation about “what the Conference may be thinking, doing or saying” with regard to the matter of Sunday collection security.
On February 14, 2001, a 4-page petition (accompanied by over 100 pages of exhibits) was mailed to The Holy See in the person of His Eminence Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In a 4-sentence letter dated March 30, Archbishop Csaba Ternyak, Secretary of the Congregation for the Clergy, stated that the “issue … concerning the security of the ‘Sunday Collection’ is something that would fall under the competency of the local Bishop.” That position, of course, is nothing more than a regurgitation of the party line clung to by the U. S. Conference. In spite the strong moral ramifications and consequences of the status quo (a highly vulnerable, sin proliferating Sunday collection system), Archbishop Ternyak confined his remarks to the administrative aspect of the issue and, even then, blithely ignored Canon Law - cited in the petition - in order to reflect Holy See agreement with the U. S. Conference’s thoroughly discredited position.
The Vatican petition, transmittal letter, and Archbishop Ternyak’s disappointing response have been posted at this website. This latest exchange confirms the author’s long-held belief that the hierarchy (now including The Holy See) will stoop to any level to avoid accountability in this matter which so vitally important to the moral and fiscal well-being of the Church and its members.
Click on President 5 to learn about Bishop Gregory’s disappointing response. |
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