More Letters Support SDACT Campaign for Justice and Dignity
The following are letters to the editors of local newspapers.
From the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, March 30, 2008
Bishop made mistakes with school consolidations, should give everyone a break
Many things have changed since Joseph Martino was named bishop of The Diocese of Scranton, most of them not for the good of the people, however. There are two huge mistakes committed by this bishop.
The first one: combining four Catholic high schools in Luzerne County, two in Lackawanna, and many elementary schools across the diocese. While it was apparent we were in financial trouble and that some schools had to be closed, he went about it all wrong. He would not even listen to our ideas and opinions to make the transitions smoother and not ruin all of the seniors’ last year in high school.
What would have been so difficult about planning this out with a nice, five-year plan instead of spontaneously closing these schools? He left many students and teachers uncertain about their futures. All this was done behind closed doors without our input. He didn’t even let us pick our school’s name, and I sure know that students of the four former high schools didn’t vote to have the Royals as a mascot.
But, his decision was final and he didn’t want to give us the courtesy of listening to our thoughts. It’s ironic too, since God gave us two ears and one mouth.
The second big mistake he made is not letting the teachers have a union. By denying the teachers the right of having a union, many teachers could leave to a teaching job that has a union.
He already messed up our senior year enough, but now due to him being stubborn about the right to form a union, he’s now driving teachers to have “sick-outs.” I don’t blame the teachers for being angry and wanting union representation, but I don’t want this to affect end-of-the-year activities for seniors.
Every single teacher I have ever had over my years in high school went above and beyond in helping students.
I hope that these teachers do not leave because the bishop won’t let them form a union.
Bishop Martino, you do not realize our school is made up of three types of people: the students, the teachers and the parents – all of equal importance. When one of us suffers, we all suffer, because everyone has to contribute their share for the school to function properly. We all may not agree at times, but we all have respect and care for one another. We all want what’s best for everyone.
You, Bishop Martino, try to hide behind a mask of “absolute authority” and do not value our opinions. Honestly, can you blame us for being angry? Your actions, so far, have indicated that you are no leader.
All in all, I want to thank you for almost ruining my senior year of high school, but I have managed to salvage good out of it, as many of my friends have been able to. I have been keeping up good grades and remained on the National Honor Society. I had a lot of fun playing football with new and old friends. I met new people and some good friends from the other schools.
But most of all everyone in our school is united now for a good cause. There is less than half of the school year left, and all I ask of you is to give us a break. Give the seniors and teachers across all the schools in the diocese a much-deserved break.
Daniel J. Volovic III
Wilkes-Barre
From the Wilkes-Barre Citizens' Voice , March 31, 2008
Bishop’s role is to welcome people into the church, not the opposite
A bishop is supposed to bring people into the church, not drive them away. Along with an attitude problem, our bishop suffers from an altitude complex. However, there is a distinction between God and Bishop Martino: God doesn’t think he is a bishop.
Joseph Welgo
Pittston
From the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, March 30, 2008
Advice in battle with bishop rooted in church history
Friends of mine, very concerned about the controversy between Bishop Joseph Martino and the “unionists,” asked me if I might state an opinion, even perhaps a solution, to this ongoing confrontation. Like the present Democratic primary, things, they said, were beginning to get nasty.
I told them that while I sympathized with the objectives of the parochial school faculties, given the history and hierarchical structure of the Catholic Church, the matter really was one of doctrine and therefore not argumentative.
My friends trotted-out Pope Leo XIII’s “Rerum Novarum,” the encyclical supporting labor and by inference permitting Catholics to form and join labor unions. This sets a precedent supporting our rights to organize, I was told.
Once again, I told them that they were wrong. The Catholic Church is a mitered oligarchy and given to arbitrariness. To oligarchs, I continued, precedents are honored only if it serves their current needs.
Bishops, not unlike their namesakes on the chess board, move diagonally – never in a straight line. This permits them to cut corners, actually to do as they please. Your right to form unions might be based upon convincing (straight) arguments. However, since you have empowered your bishops, they will play by the rules of the game you yourselves obediently observe. Therefore, they can slice your rationales in any way and at any time it suits their pleasure. In other words – you lose!
My friends now were totally dejected. I tried to exit the conversation gracefully by reminding them that I was not Catholic and therefore not qualified to inject my opinions. They, however, reminded me that I was a graduate of the University of Scranton and had often praised the scholarship and incisive thinking of my old Jesuit professors. This in itself, they told me, entitles me to offer an opinion as an “outsider.”
I relented and told them I would consider the matter and meet with them shortly, hopefully to suggest a solution to this troubling situation. So in time we did meet again and this is what I proposed:
The first thing you must do, I told them, was to collate all of their arguments, complaints, reasonings, etc., into the form of 95 Theses. The number must be exact. If you are unsure how to structure a Thesis, consult any erudite Protestant for assistance. They know. The 95 Theses should be written in Latin and preferably on parchment-like paper.
Next, seek out the residence of Bishop Martino. Walk to the door, and while that aperture may not resemble the one at Wittenberg Castle Church, it will serve the purpose. Nail the 95 Theses to the Bishop’s door and leave. The Bishop, when he discovers your Theses, should get the message. If he doesn’t, when the word gets out, I’m sure the pope will.
Eli Fleisher
Harveys Lake
From the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, March 30, 2008
Bishop made mistakes with school consolidations, should give everyone a break
Many things have changed since Joseph Martino was named bishop of The Diocese of Scranton, most of them not for the good of the people, however. There are two huge mistakes committed by this bishop.
The first one: combining four Catholic high schools in Luzerne County, two in Lackawanna, and many elementary schools across the diocese. While it was apparent we were in financial trouble and that some schools had to be closed, he went about it all wrong. He would not even listen to our ideas and opinions to make the transitions smoother and not ruin all of the seniors’ last year in high school.
What would have been so difficult about planning this out with a nice, five-year plan instead of spontaneously closing these schools? He left many students and teachers uncertain about their futures. All this was done behind closed doors without our input. He didn’t even let us pick our school’s name, and I sure know that students of the four former high schools didn’t vote to have the Royals as a mascot.
But, his decision was final and he didn’t want to give us the courtesy of listening to our thoughts. It’s ironic too, since God gave us two ears and one mouth.
The second big mistake he made is not letting the teachers have a union. By denying the teachers the right of having a union, many teachers could leave to a teaching job that has a union.
He already messed up our senior year enough, but now due to him being stubborn about the right to form a union, he’s now driving teachers to have “sick-outs.” I don’t blame the teachers for being angry and wanting union representation, but I don’t want this to affect end-of-the-year activities for seniors.
Every single teacher I have ever had over my years in high school went above and beyond in helping students.
I hope that these teachers do not leave because the bishop won’t let them form a union.
Bishop Martino, you do not realize our school is made up of three types of people: the students, the teachers and the parents – all of equal importance. When one of us suffers, we all suffer, because everyone has to contribute their share for the school to function properly. We all may not agree at times, but we all have respect and care for one another. We all want what’s best for everyone.
You, Bishop Martino, try to hide behind a mask of “absolute authority” and do not value our opinions. Honestly, can you blame us for being angry? Your actions, so far, have indicated that you are no leader.
All in all, I want to thank you for almost ruining my senior year of high school, but I have managed to salvage good out of it, as many of my friends have been able to. I have been keeping up good grades and remained on the National Honor Society. I had a lot of fun playing football with new and old friends. I met new people and some good friends from the other schools.
But most of all everyone in our school is united now for a good cause. There is less than half of the school year left, and all I ask of you is to give us a break. Give the seniors and teachers across all the schools in the diocese a much-deserved break.
Daniel J. Volovic III
Wilkes-Barre
From the Wilkes-Barre Citizens' Voice , March 31, 2008
Bishop’s role is to welcome people into the church, not the opposite
A bishop is supposed to bring people into the church, not drive them away. Along with an attitude problem, our bishop suffers from an altitude complex. However, there is a distinction between God and Bishop Martino: God doesn’t think he is a bishop.
Joseph Welgo
Pittston
From the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, March 30, 2008
Advice in battle with bishop rooted in church history
Friends of mine, very concerned about the controversy between Bishop Joseph Martino and the “unionists,” asked me if I might state an opinion, even perhaps a solution, to this ongoing confrontation. Like the present Democratic primary, things, they said, were beginning to get nasty.
I told them that while I sympathized with the objectives of the parochial school faculties, given the history and hierarchical structure of the Catholic Church, the matter really was one of doctrine and therefore not argumentative.
My friends trotted-out Pope Leo XIII’s “Rerum Novarum,” the encyclical supporting labor and by inference permitting Catholics to form and join labor unions. This sets a precedent supporting our rights to organize, I was told.
Once again, I told them that they were wrong. The Catholic Church is a mitered oligarchy and given to arbitrariness. To oligarchs, I continued, precedents are honored only if it serves their current needs.
Bishops, not unlike their namesakes on the chess board, move diagonally – never in a straight line. This permits them to cut corners, actually to do as they please. Your right to form unions might be based upon convincing (straight) arguments. However, since you have empowered your bishops, they will play by the rules of the game you yourselves obediently observe. Therefore, they can slice your rationales in any way and at any time it suits their pleasure. In other words – you lose!
My friends now were totally dejected. I tried to exit the conversation gracefully by reminding them that I was not Catholic and therefore not qualified to inject my opinions. They, however, reminded me that I was a graduate of the University of Scranton and had often praised the scholarship and incisive thinking of my old Jesuit professors. This in itself, they told me, entitles me to offer an opinion as an “outsider.”
I relented and told them I would consider the matter and meet with them shortly, hopefully to suggest a solution to this troubling situation. So in time we did meet again and this is what I proposed:
The first thing you must do, I told them, was to collate all of their arguments, complaints, reasonings, etc., into the form of 95 Theses. The number must be exact. If you are unsure how to structure a Thesis, consult any erudite Protestant for assistance. They know. The 95 Theses should be written in Latin and preferably on parchment-like paper.
Next, seek out the residence of Bishop Martino. Walk to the door, and while that aperture may not resemble the one at Wittenberg Castle Church, it will serve the purpose. Nail the 95 Theses to the Bishop’s door and leave. The Bishop, when he discovers your Theses, should get the message. If he doesn’t, when the word gets out, I’m sure the pope will.
Eli Fleisher
Harveys Lake
posted by SDACT at
10:52 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home