A fascinating entanglement of deeds and issues has brought together what could well be spun into a good grainy New York flick noire.
The real life characters? Bishop Nicholas A. DiMarzio of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, 53rd District, North Brooklyn,Democrat Assemblyman Vito Lopez, Kenneth Bronstein, president of New York City Atheists, and Reverend Robert Hoatson, a New Jersey-based priest abuse activist.
What happened? In disrespectful style, Vito floated a bill that helped Nick. Nick called around to help Vito. In formal language, Assembleyman Vito Lopez took up a legislative battle that mildly said "helps the Catholic church," or more intensely, "is desperately needed by the Catholic church." In return Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio taped robocalls called into voters of the city’s 34th Council District on October 28, thanking Lopez for his work advocating for the Catholic Church during the past year and urging voters to support his choices in the election.
What is the legislation in question? Assembleyman Lopez advanced a sex abuse bill that observers see as competing with Democrat Assemblymember Marge Markey’s bill to eliminate the statute of limitations for abuse victims for one year. Ms. Markey's bill would have permitted new legal actions regarding allegations of years-old sexual abuse to be filed. That bill, the Child Sex Victims Act of New York, could potentially have tied up the church in millions of dollars’ worth of legal entanglements. According to the petitioners, the robocall was a favor in return.
Protests, why? 1. Victims of sex abuse: Reverend Hoatson lambasted DiMarzio for participating in the robocalls and criticized the Diocese for not being more active in protecting the rights of clergy abuse victims. 2. Violation of Church State separation laws: “This is a major separation of church and state issue,” said Kenneth Bronstein, president of New York City Atheists. “We don’t want religions to endorse candidates.”
What have we got? The NYC Atheists and a consortium of clergy sex abuse survivors filed simultaneous lawsuits in Brooklyn Supreme Court. The lawsuit asks the court to compel the Brooklyn Diocese to surrender its tax exempt status, pay taxes and income taxes, lose its ability for contributors to claim a tax exemption and be required to retroactively pay taxes.
The response of the Catholic church? Msgr. Kieran Harrington, an archdiocese spokesman, said the calls, recorded by Bishop Nicholas A. DiMarzio, were merely meant to thank Lopez.
The response of the Assemblyman? “From what I’m hearing, it’s a reverend who’s not a reverend, it’s a lawyer who’s not a lawyer, and about six people showed up,” Lopez said. “It’s a group that doesn’t believe in Christmas ornaments or trees.” Lopez said he thinks people should be more focused on helping the needy during the holidays than on lawsuits like these.
What think ye? Should we be more focused on helping the needy during the holidays?
Thanks to Jason Fink (AM New York), Samuel Newhouse (Brooklyn Daily Eagle), Aaron Short (NY Post)
Comments
As a Catholic I am outraged enough over the Church's disgusting and self serving campaign in New York to block reform of the statute of limitations in regard to child abuse. But this direct political activity of Bishop DiMarzio is appalling. He has crosses the line and deserves whatever sanctions are thrown at him. The best he can do is resign and perhaps that will quell the lawsuit and not saddle the good people of Brooklyn with paying for DiMarzio's blatant stupidity. Msgr Kiernan has got to be kidding if he thinks we're going to buy his lame defense of the bishop's crossing the line of the separation of Church and state. No doubt he'll be rewarded for his blind loyalty; just doing his job, spinning to prop up a failed system. Instead of the Brooklyn Diocese surrendering its tax exempt status, it would be a lot easier to just surrender DiMarzio. Take a page from the Irish Church right now and throw him under the bus!
Little wonder the filth of politics and the filth that is the Catholic church are so closely tied.
GCAC Predictions for 2010
January 2010: Vatican apologizes again for the sexual abuse of children. Takes no further action. Church unable to implement global policy to repair damage. Victims issues remain unaddressed. Church unable to see the problem. Many politicians remain silent as they too fail to see the problem. Church claims poverty and begs for more money. Victims from Canada organizing a "Storm the Vatican" will fail to obtain government funding or support - deemed "inappropriate". Aboriginal nations across the planet agree that a millstone around the neck of bishops is appropriate - they will be ignored or declared as insane or in it for the money. Australian Prime Minister says the church needs more money, organizes multi-million dollar donations to support church festivals and ceremonies, Atheist organizations request for similar events ignored.
Bishops pushing political debates - that is not new - that is expected when rape is a legal part of the RC relig
Why does this Bishop support a pro-choice assemblyman and why has no one called this contradiction to the attention of Catholics? Bishop Tobin refuses Communion to Patrick Kennedy and Bishop DiMarzio praises pro-choice Assemblyman Vito Lopez. Figure that one out and follow the money trail.
We should always be focused on helping the needy, and such help should be institutionalized, without, of course, creating too much moral hazard. I have studied an interesting group of women from the 1880s in Brooklyn who created a workfare program. It seemed to work well for about a decade. If one could work, one could eat and find lodging. Educational programs were part of the package. The program was eventually taken over by the government.
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