CATHOLIC LAITY ASKS ARCHBISHOP WILTON GREGORY TO OPEN PUBLIC MASSES IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF WASHINGTON
On the Feast of St. Catherine of Siena, Patroness of Catholic Laity, we addressed a letter to Archbishop Wilton Gregory, Archbishop of Washington. The text follows:
Your Excellency,
As brothers and sisters in the Faith, Catholic Laity for Orthodox Bishops and Reform congratulates you
on the first anniversary of your appointment as Archbishop of Washington on April 4, 2019.
Almost one year ago, on June 22, 2019, on the Feast of Sts. John Fisher and Thomas More, we wrote to
welcome you as our new shepherd. Now in 2020, we humbly request that the Sacramental life resume in
the Archdiocese of Washington with the return of public masses in all our parishes, while observing
reasonable provisions for safety.
If we can safely go to grocery and liquor stores, then it must be possible to attend Mass safely. We ask you
to encourage outdoor Masses where that is feasible and to allow Masses in churches at some reasonably
appropriate percentage of the church’s capacity instead of the current restriction to 10 people in all
situations. We ask you to inform Governor Larry Hogan and Mayor Muriel Bowser that you will defend
the right to the free exercise of our religion without unreasonable restrictions. Our Sacramental life is as
essential as our physical life. We are Catholics and we cannot be satisfied with virtual religion. It is not in
our nature.
Medical advice is available for how this can be done safely for your flock. We hope you are already
preparing your churches with markers for every-other-pew usage and a Seniors-only section for Seniors
and other persons at higher medical risk. It is also helpful that the Faithful understand that they can
substitute a weekday mass for the Sunday obligation if they wish to attend a less crowded service.
Priests experienced with giving communion on the tongue when the Faithful are kneeling never touch the
face or tongue, so restrictions on this practice are not needed and a prie dieu can be provided to avoid the
awkward practice of communion on the tongue when the faithful are standing.
Priests and laity are far better-informed than they were almost two months ago when an Episcopalian
minister in Georgetown unknowingly spread the virus to several his unsuspecting parishioners.
Enough epidemiologic information is now available to allow us to predict that the risk of SARS-CoV-2
infections will almost certainly be with us, endemic, for several years if not longer. [Data from China are
not credible so claims that the virus will “go away” over time should not inform our decisions.] Our
current practice of depriving the Faithful and the priests of their Catholic patrimony is not sustainable;
there is no reason to think that the risk will be any lower in the near-term future. Neither should the
promise of an imminently available vaccine be assumed to be accurate or relevant. Despite years of serious
research efforts, there has never been an effective vaccine with reproducible immunological results for any
coronavirus of any kind.
We urge Your Excellency to strongly consider taking these prudent, just, and merciful steps to fulfill your
canonical obligations and our canonical rights without undue cost or risk. We are encouraged by the
Bishops who have courageously resumed the Sacramental life of the Church in their dioceses. Some
others have plans to resume next week. Prelates like Bishop Peter Baldacchino of the Diocese of Las
Cruces has resumed public Masses and informed priests of their mission "to bring hope and consolation
during this difficult time." Additionally, Archbishop George Lucas of the Archdiocese of Omaha
plans to resume public Masses on May 4, 2020. [Update: the Catholic Bishops of Minnesota have
announced that public Masses will resume on May 26.]
We pray that you will be exceedingly fruitful and faithful in your ministry. We sincerely look forward to
the resumption of the Sacramental life with a return to public Masses in the Archdiocese of Washington.
Respectfully yours in Christ,
Donna Bethell, J.D., Founding Member CL
Linda Gourash, M.D.
Mary Jane Graham, Ph.D.
Winnie Heartstrong, Ph.D., Founding Member CL
OPERATION CLEANSE MARY'S CHURCH - NOVEMBER 9 AT 2:00 PM
The home base for Catholic Laity for Orthodox Bishops and Reform is the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. Since August the Rector of the Shrine, Msgr. Walter Rossi, has been under investigation by the Archdiocese of Washington and his home Diocese of Scranton for allegations of sexual and financial misconduct. Msgr. Rossi should have been put on leave during the investigation but he is still at the Shrine, even though Archbishop Viganò has said he received documentation when he was nuncio that Msgr. Rossi was part of the gay mafia. On Saturday, Nov. 9, at 2 pm, come pray with us in front of the Shrine for the cleansing of Mary's church. The Austrian heroes in Rome cleansed the idols from Mary's church. Come help cleanse all impurity form America's church dedicated to Mary, the Immaculate Conception, our Patroness. https://www.facebook.com/pg/Catholic-Laity-for-Orthodox-Bishops-and-Reform-497416804114795/events/.
Catholic Laity for Orthodox Bishops and Reform
Begins 54-Day Novena of Rosaries for Spiritual Support of Catholic Bishops
Begins 54-Day Novena of Rosaries for Spiritual Support of Catholic Bishops
Our Bishops need our prayers and so we are initiating a 54-day Novena of Rosaries with petitions (27 days) and thanksgiving (27 days). You can find below prayers for the Mysteries of the Rosary that you can use (please decide for yourself which Mysteries you want to say on which days). We have a sign-up page and encourage you to take a day on which you will join in the Novena, so that at least three people will be praying every day: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050c48aca928a7ff2-spiritual.
We began on the Feast of St. Catherine of Siena (April 30, old calendar), a courageous laywoman who listened to what God wanted her to do. She spoke with wisdom and determination to the Popes who were in Avignon, telling them to return to Rome. In this time of crisis in the Church, we must pray that our Bishops will follow her example of unwavering devotion to the good of the Church and the salvation of souls. We will end on the Feast of St. John Fisher (June 22). He was a Bishop and Martyr under King Henry VIII, alongside the layman St. Thomas More. They both stood for the defense of the Faith and particularly for the doctrine of the sanctity of Matrimony.
"We've had enough of exhortations to be silent! Cry out with a hundred thousand tongues. I see that the world is rotten because of silence" (St. Catherine of Siena).
Thank you for your perseverance and devotion.
We began on the Feast of St. Catherine of Siena (April 30, old calendar), a courageous laywoman who listened to what God wanted her to do. She spoke with wisdom and determination to the Popes who were in Avignon, telling them to return to Rome. In this time of crisis in the Church, we must pray that our Bishops will follow her example of unwavering devotion to the good of the Church and the salvation of souls. We will end on the Feast of St. John Fisher (June 22). He was a Bishop and Martyr under King Henry VIII, alongside the layman St. Thomas More. They both stood for the defense of the Faith and particularly for the doctrine of the sanctity of Matrimony.
"We've had enough of exhortations to be silent! Cry out with a hundred thousand tongues. I see that the world is rotten because of silence" (St. Catherine of Siena).
Thank you for your perseverance and devotion.
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For Immediate Release
April 4, 2019 Catholic Laity for Orthodox Bishops and Reform Contact: [email protected]. Catholic Laity for Orthodox Bishops and Reform (Catholic Laity) has released the following statement: With this morning's announcement, Archbishop Wilton Gregory is now the Archbishop of Washington. Catholic Laity continues to ask for a worthy shepherd who will be a robust teacher of the Catholic Faith and defender of Catholic morals. We also continue to seek for the laity better communication with the hierarchy and the Holy See. We are ready to work with Archbishop Gregory to achieve these goals. About Catholic Laity for Orthodox Bishops and Reform Catholic Laity has two purposes: that Washington have a worthy shepherd and establishing a means of communicating effectively with the U.S. hierarchy and the Holy See about Catholic life in the United States. As Catholic Laity’s purposes have national impact, we invite interested laity from across the country to email us at [email protected] to participate and contribute to these efforts. Our website is www.catholiclaity.us and our Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/pg/Catholic-Laity-for-Orthodox-Bishops-and-Reform-497416804114795/. The restoration of the Catholic clergy to holiness will require the prayers, persistence, and example of the laity. St. Catherine of Siena, pray for us. |
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Catch up on the audio and video for previous rallies here.
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The Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Christophe Pierre, needs to hear from you!
Go to Letters page for information. Write now!
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Catholic Laity Appeal for a Worthy Shepherd in Washington
Seek Better Communications with U.S. Hierarchy and Rome We are drawing on the results of two recent online petitions, one to remove Cardinal Donald Wuerl as Archbishop of Washington, and the other not to appoint Cardinal Joseph Tobin, the reported front-runner, as Archbishop of Washington until the completion of an investigation into former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, The first petition has more than 141,200 signatures and is still gaining, as Cardinal Wuerl has resigned but is still running the Archdiocese as Apostolic Administrator, which could continue indefinitely. The second petition has more than 5,400 signatures and is also growing. There are reports that Cardinal Tobin’s appointment is being reconsidered, so this is a very active issue. The initiators of these two petitions, Mrs. Winnie Obike and Mrs. Donna Bethell, along with friends and supporters, will hold a press conference on Thursday, November 15, 2018, at 2:00 pm, in front of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, at Michigan Avenue and Harewood Road, N.E. Together, we will announce the formation of Catholic Laity for Orthodox Bishops and Reform (Catholic Laity). The purpose of the group is, first, to assist in the appointment of a worthy Archbishop in Washington. The Archbishop of Washington, traditionally a Cardinal, has a position of national and global importance in the Church. Therefore, the press conference will be held in front of the National Shrine, which is the national church for U.S. Catholics, built with their contributions over many decades and administered on their behalf by the U.S. Bishops. The second purpose of Catholic Laity is to establish a means of communicating effectively with the U.S. hierarchy and the Holy See about Catholic life in the United States. The restoration of the Catholic clergy to holiness will require the prayers, persistence, and example of the laity.
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We Need to Hear from You!
As both of these purposes have national impact, we will be inviting interested laity from across the country to email us at [email protected]
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Sign Petition to the
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To His Excellency the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Christophe Pierre
Update: Cardinal Tobin is staying in Newark, so we and others succeeded. But the most recent reports, as of March 28, are that Archbishop Wilton Gregory is being considered. See our statement above on Archbishop Gregory and sign this petition as a continuing effort to secure a worthy Catholic shepherd for Washington. Thank you!
Please do not support the appointment of Cardinal Joseph Tobin as Archbishop of Washington until the U.S. Bishops' investigation of ex-Cardinal McCarrick is complete. Cardinal Tobin has been closely connected to former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, whom Pope Francis removed from the College of Cardinals because of his sexual assaults against minors, seminarians, and priests. Cardinal Tobin is Archbishop of Newark, which was McCarrick's archdiocese and which made a cash settlement to a lawsuit arising from then-Archbishop McCarrick's assault on a seminarian. Cardinal Tobin claims he knew nothing about ex-Cardinal McCarrick's crimes, although he heard rumors and didn't believe them. He should have asked a few questions and he would have learned that his own archdiocese had settled a lawsuit. In fact, on becoming Archbishop, he should have reviewed the history of sexual assault cases and lawsuits for the archdiocese. In effect, it appears that he joined the conspiracy of silence that enabled ex-Cardinal McCarrick's activities to remain hidden even as he enjoyed McCarrick's support in becoming Archbishop of Newark and a Cardinal.
The U.S. Bishops have asked Pope Francis for a full investigation of ex-Cardinal McCarrick's activities and how he rose in the Church. The Pope has not ordered such an investigation, so the Bishops are starting their own investigation. Now reports from Rome say Cardinal Tobin is being seriously considered for Archbishop of Washington. No one who might be implicated in that investigation as either covering up or enabling ex-Cardinal McCarrick should be appointed to Washington until the investigation is complete. This appointment is important not only for the residents of the Archdiocese of Washington. The Cardinal Archbishop of Washington is necessarily a leading prelate in the nation and in the whole Church. His voice will be heard and it can make a difference in the issues of faith and morals that are facing our Church today. We need a strong advocate of the Faith in this crucial position. |
