Observers: Cardinal Law's crackdown on proposed coalition of laity could backfire

BOSTON - Cardinal Bernard Law risks alienating his most devoted followers by cracking down on a proposed coalition of lay groups representing parishes in the Boston archdiocese, some church experts said Saturday. <br> <br> Law&#39;s directive to priests, sent Thursday by a senior bishop, came just days after American cardinals meeting at the Vatican urged the laity to take a greater role in the wake of the clergy sex abuse scandal. <br> <br> &#34;You have the potential for some combustible material here,&#34; Boston College church historian Thomas O&#39;Connor said Saturday. <br> <br> David Zizik, vice chairman of the parish council at St. Theresa in Sherborn, has proposed that a group comprising one person from each of the more than 300 parish councils meets with archdiocese officials. <br> <br> Parish councils are made up of volunteers who aid their parish in organizing, fund-raising and advising the pastor. <br> <br> Law learned of the proposal while in Rome. Bishop Walter Edyvean, on Law&#39;s behalf, sent a letter invoking Canon Law to point out that any parish council remains &#34;exclusively within the parish where it has been established and it is presided over by the pastor of that parish.&#34; <br> <br> Another lay group would be &#34;superfluous and potentially divisive,&#34; the letter said. <br> <br> The archdiocese&#39;s reaction to the proposal caused disbelief among some Catholics. <br> <br> &#34;I&#39;m shocked,&#34; said Jim Muller, president of Voice of the Faithful, a lay group. &#34;The divisiveness is going to be in response to the order.&#34; <br> <br> If Catholics cannot meet with the blessing of the archdiocese, they might seek out other venues, Muller said. <br> <br> O&#39;Connor said the move could backfire, especially after Law pledged to foster an atmosphere of openness. <br> <br> &#34;It seems surprising from a political point of view,&#34; he said. &#34;From a historical point of view, it seems like a sudden attempt to turn the clock back. Given the current emotional outrage, it seems unlikely that it would work. It&#39;s more likely it would produce a greater level of outrage.&#34; <br> <br> Some prominent Catholics, however, said it might be a good idea to go slow on the proposal. <br> <br> &#34;The church is not involved in public relations,&#34; said Ray Flynn, former Boston mayor and U.S. ambassador to the Vatican. &#34;They can&#39;t be guided by a populist movement that on the surface sounds good. The devil is in the details.&#34; <br> <br>

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/4/202357