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Sent: Tuesday, June 9, 2009 11:47:55 AM
Subject: Letter of Departure
The author gave me permission to share.
Love,
John
Dear John,
Here’s a message I sent to my friends at my parish and in my family just after Easter this year;
I received lots of wonderful support and understanding:
I’ve been thinking and praying about this for quite some time – in good conscience I simply can no longer support the Catholic Church as an institution. Recently, I decided to stay through Easter. So now, I will rely more than ever on the Spirit to guide my faith journey.
There are many ominous signs in the Church that have been present for some time: the marginalization of women; two successive socially conservative Popes over the last 30 years leading to an ever expanding degree of conservatism in the ranks of bishops and priests; the narrow focus by some American bishops and priests on a few select issues - abortion, embryonic stem cell research and gay marriage - in a thinly veiled attempt to manipulate Catholics to support right-wing candidates; denial of the Eucharist by certain bishops and priests for political purposes; the sex abuse scandal and its cover up over decades; the emphasis on large suburban parishes with money while schools and poor, inner-city parishes are closed; the failure to confront militarism and American wars in light of the Gospel; the silence of the current group of US Catholic bishops on nuclear weapons, in contrast with those who developed the 1983 “peace pastoral;” the attempt to silence prophetic voices (Tom Gumbleton, Jeannine Gramick, Agnes Mansour, Edwina Gately, Robert Nugent); the December 2008 Vatican decision to oppose a UN resolution calling for de-criminalization of homosexuality; and, intertwined with all of this, the persistent efforts of conservative elements in the Church to roll back Vatican II.
My decision to stop supporting the church means that I am leaving a good parish with some wonderful people. Membership at any other parish however, involves a responsibility to provide monetary and other forms of support, and implies consent for the broader organization - the Church itself - which is where I have significant differences.
I think you all know this, but (just in case) I want to make it clear: this does not mean I am rejecting any of you!! Just because I’ve come to a decision at this time, based on my own conscience does not mean that anyone who remains a practicing Catholic has all of a sudden been diminished in my eyes. After all, I’ve had these doubts about the Church for years, and have nevertheless continued on in spite of them. And, I’ve been a practicing Catholic myself for darn near 60 years.
I will continue to support many outstanding Catholic organizations: Pax Christi, NETWORK, Call to Action, Groundwork, and so forth. I also hope to receive the sacraments when possible (perhaps at 6:30 Mass prior to our meetings; perhaps at an Episcopal Church, a community I intend to check out … they have a female “rector” who is active in peace and anti-racism efforts in her church).
I intend to search for another faith community, and take whatever time is necessary to feel comfortable – in an institution with values I can support.
Finally, I’ve been strengthened in this recently by a prayer from Thomas Merton:
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you
and I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this,
you will lead me by the right road although I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always
though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear,
for you are ever with me
and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
Peace!
Bob
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