Bishop’s changing role should change again

The following letter to the editor of the Wilkes-Barre Citizens' Voice appeared on February 21, 2009:

Bishop’s changing role should change again

Editor:

We see a lot of Bishop “no-no” Martino in the paper reminding Catholics of their duties.

Seems anytime a Catholic does something that might go against the rules of the church, the bishop sticks his head out and says “no-no!” From churchgoers who might be thinking about backing a teachers union to a college opening its doors to someone who doesn’t share their collective beliefs.

I wonder how many of these people now rubbing their bishop-slapped wrists know that long ago the role of the bishop was that of a spokesman for various congregations across the land. The people would air their concerns on various matters of the church to the bishop who would then relay them to Rome.

Then, with the coming of the dark ages, Barbaric hordes swept across Europe. Towns were destroyed, people slaughtered and places of learning laid waste.After a while, most people were uneducated so Rome changed the role of the bishops. They would now tell the masses what to do because these masses didn’t have the brains to have input on matters concerning themselves.

Today, most people are again educated, but it seems the church doesn’t realize that the dark ages are gone, for they never changed the role of the bishop back to the “spokesman” for the masses he once was.

Joseph Hapeman
Wilkes-Barre