Connecticutt frontal attack on the Church

[Magdalene]

News - Calling all Catholics, Especially in Connecticut

Monday, March 9th, 2009

The Problem Senate Bill 1098 introduced to the Judiciary Committee VS The bill dictates: Lay Boards will have complete control of Administration and Finances of Parishes Bishops and pastors will not have any vote in decisions that the board makes Bishops and Pastors will have no say in who is elected to the lay boards. All dictated by the state. This goes way beyond mere layman oversight which the CT dioceses have already voluntarily established. This changes the very character of the Catholic Church and its hierarchical system established by Christ. What ever happened to separation of Church and State? What is our Connecticut Legislature thinking??!!! The Event Hearing starting at 12 noon on Wednesday, March 11, Room 2c Legislative Office Building in Hartford, CT. Everyone should consider attending, especially those in Connecticut. Let’s make a statement. Coverage AirMaria.com - Will do a live broadcast from the Legislative Office Building in Hartford CT on Wednesday, March 11 starting at 11:00 am Eastern Daylight Time. Tell your friends The Buzz Diocese of Bridgeport Best resources!  Maps, Schedules, Video - Bishop Lori asks for 1500 or even 2200 participants, lets do better than that. Help Bishop Lori “fight the irrational, unlawful, and bigoted Proposed Bill #1098/2009” Deal Hudson Inside Catholic, cant believe his ears. Laura Ingram Talked about this on her radio show today with Raymond Arroyo of EWTN Knights of Columbus - Working with the Connecticut Bishops from their World Headquarters in New Haven, CT Catholic League - Bill Donahue is calling for the expulsion of Lawlor and McDonald who introduced the bill. He’s serious!! And gives info on how we can help. Family Institute of Connecticut - “Big Turnout Needed Wednesday, March 11th to Stop Major New Attack on Religious Liberty!” Senator McLachlan of CT - “Unfortunately, I think some well-intentioned, unhappy Catholics from Darien are being used as pawns by Senator McDonald and Representative Lawlor in a thinly-veiled attack on the Church.” National Catholic Register - Anti-Church ‘Miter-Box’ Bill: “A bill removing control of parishes from bishops has been introduced in the Connecticut General Assembly. Think of the bill as a miter box — for bishops’ miters.” Archbishop Mansell Statement - “This bill violates the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. It forces a radical reorganization of the legal, financial and administrative structure of our parishes.” Connecticut Catholic Conference Action Alert - “OPPOSE LEGISLATION ATTACKING CATHOLIC CHURCH” “The Judiciary Committee of the Connecticut General Assembly is considering legislation that would restructure Catholic parishes.” Norwich Diocese - “This bill violates the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. It forces a radical reorganization of the legal, financial, and administrative structure of our parishes.” Fr. Zuhlsdorf - “This sounds like something directly from a Michael O’Brian novel” American Papist - “Connecticut lawmakers moved this week to directly attack the self-governing rights of the Catholic Church.” and more Free Republic From the Liberal Dinosaurs: Hartford Currant - Connecticut’s Catholic bishops are speaking out against a controversial bill that they claim would strip the church over control of its finances, thus jeopardizing religious liberty. The bill, introduced by the judiciary committee, would allow local parishioners to control their individual church’s financial affairs.

[Magdalene]

Looks like they backed down for the moment.  I am suspicious that they will sneak this through and avoid public comment and confrontation.
from American Papist:http://www.americanpapist.com/blog.html

Flash: Anti-Catholic CT pulled!

*breaking story*

Looks like they didn't want this one blowing up in their face:

controversial bill that would change the way the Catholic church governs itself has been pulled and a public hearing planned Wednesday on the issue postponed until its constitutionality can be determined.

The hearing had been expected to draw hundreds of people, many of whom where angry about what they view as the state's inappropriate and perhaps unconstitutional incursion into church affairs.

At a press conference this morning at the legislative office building, Tom Gallagher of Greenwich, who has long advocated that lay people be given greater responsibilities within the church, said he has asked Rep. Michael Lawlor and Sen. Andrew McDonald, co-chairmen of the legislature's judiciary committee, to put off the hearing until Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has reviewed the matter.

Lawlor and McDonald agreed. "At the request of the proponents who are advocating this legislation, we have decided to cancel the public hearing for tomorrow [and] table any further consideration of this bill for the duration of this session,'' the lawmakers said in a joint statement. (Hartford Courant)

Caught 'em red-handed. Well done, everyone. Remain vigilant. And you can cancel that roadtrip to Hartford.

The two proponents of the bill are now trying to claim that they were simply following Connecticut legal precendent which employs specific legislation for particular religious institutions.

 

In other words, what began as a precedent for their actions has now also become their justification. In fact, they are trying to claim that they believe this precedent of preference "doesn't seam right."

 

Well no kidding - then why in the first place did they introduce a bill that took advantage of the precedent?Because it was useful to their ulterior purpose of coercing the Catholic Church in Connecticut.