The history of the Irish is intertwined with the history of labor

Generally this blog does not print the occasional screeds that eminate from our friend the Bishop. However, the following is the exception to that rule. SDACT's response immediately follows:

Bishop Joseph F. Martino announced that the Mass preceding the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Scranton on March 14 will be celebrated at St. Peter’s Cathedral at 10 a.m. as scheduled.

The decision to allow the annual liturgy was clouded this year when it was learned about the possibility of disruptive behavior in the parade by members of the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers (SDACT), a group that has been publicly protesting the Bishop for the past year because of his decision that this association will not be recognized as a bargaining agent for teachers in Diocesan Catholic schools.

It was learned last week that SDACT planned to march in the parade and use the occasion to advocate for HB 26, proposed state legislation that would put a government agency in charge of settling labor disputes involving private, religious entities. Such a bill, in effect, would also force private and church-related institutions to recognize unions.

The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference, the public affairs arm of the Catholic bishops and Catholic dioceses in the state, is opposing this bill because it would negate the long-standing principles of religious freedom enjoyed by all citizens of the Commonwealth. The Diocese of Scranton has said the bill would eventually result in the demise of its Catholic schools.

SDACT announced that the union would use the sound system on the AFL-CIO campaign bus “to drum up support for HB 26 along the parade route.” On learning of this tactic, Bishop Martino said, “I cannot understand how such behavior has any place in a parade that is organized to honor St. Patrick and to celebrate Irish heritage. I do not believe that the parade should be used as a forum to promote divisive narrow interests.”

Parade organizers have said they have received verbal assurances from the AFL-CIO, the labor organization coordinating the contingent that will include SDACT, that SDACT will not in fact advocate for HB 26 or protest Bishop Martino in the parade.

However, SDACT’s statements and actions for the past year cast doubt over whether this group will adhere to the parade committee’s desire for a respectful, non-political event. Last year, SDACT marched in the Wilkes-Barre St. Patrick’s Day Parade to further the union’s agenda.

Accordingly, Bishop Martino said the Mass, a sacrifice designed to foster unity, will this year unfortunately be accompanied by anxiety over what may occur a short time later if SDACT refuses to respect the directives of the parade committee and the integrity of the event.
It is unfortunate, he noted, that parade representatives would have to monitor the SDACT group along the parade route to ensure that proper decorum is observed.

The Bishop cited an occasion a number of years ago when a group of marchers representing Planned Parenthood had to be removed from the parade because they were handing out condoms, despite being advised in advance that this would not be allowed.

SDACT RESPONSE

The apparent paranoia in the Bishop’s statement is more than a little disconcerting and certainly unfounded. Although we are going to march in the parade, our members will be among a much larger contingent of union brothers and sisters marching to show labor solidarity on a number of issues that affect working men and women in northeastern Pennsylvania.

The Bishop must be reminded that the history of the Irish in our area is intertwined with the region’s labor history and the history of Ireland itself. The great martyr to Irish freedom, James Connolly, said: “The cause of labour is the cause of Ireland and the cause of Ireland is the cause of labour.’’ There is not a St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the entire US where one will not find a banner emblazoned with Connelly’s words and Scranton won’t be the exception.

The Bishop has been very vocal of late that the participants in the Parade should espouse Catholic teaching and ideals. SDACT’s participation in this Parade, and indeed its very existence, is to espouse the Catholic principles of respect for labor championed by our current Pope and those who came before him.

House Bill 26 will not interfere with practices of any religion, and will provide benefits of universal application. The word “catholic,” after all, does mean universal.

Finally, our participation in last year’s Wilkes-Barre parade speaks for itself. SDACT had the largest contingent in the parade consisting of parents, teachers, alumni and students, whose participation was orderly and enthusiastic, and drew cheers up and down the parade route.