THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
JUNE 28, 2020
CHAPTER 11 REORGANIZATION.
LAST SUNDAY YOU READ IN THE POST STANDARD THAT THE DIOCESE OF SYRACUSE HAS FILED FOR A TYPE OF BANKRUPTCY CALLED CHAPTER 11 REORGANIZATION. I KNOW THIS MUST HAVE SHOCKED YOU. IT CERTAINLY MOVED SOME EMOTIONS INSIDE OF ME.
HOW CAN A DIOCESE GO BANKRUPT? FIRST OF ALL LET ME EXPLAIN THAT THERE ARE AT LEAST TWO KINDS OF BANKRUPTCY. MOST PEOPLE THINK BANKRUPTCY MEANS YOU’VE RUN OUT OF MONEY, YOU CAN NO LONGER PAY YOUR BILLS, YOU DON’T HAVE ENOUGH INCOME TO MEET EXPENSES; YOU’RE FINISHED AND GOING OUT OF BUSINESS.
OBVIOUSLY, THE DIOCESE IS NOT GOING OUT OF BUSINESS. .
WE SAID THAT THERE ARE AT LEAST TWO KINDS OF BANKRUPTCIES. ONE IS LIQUIDATION WHERE THERE IS NO REASONABLE HOPE THAT THE BUSINESS CAN CONTINUE OPERATING AND A FEDERAL COURT SEIZES ALL THE ASSETS, PAYS A PORTION OF THE MONEY OWED TO THE CREDITORS AND THE BUSINESS IS DISSOLVED.
THAT IS NOT WHAT THE DIOCESE IS DOING.
DIOCESE OF SYRACUSE HAS ENTERED SECOND TYPE OF BANKRUPTCY CALL CHAPTER 11 REORGANIZATION. THAT’S WHAT THE ANNOUNCEMENT IN THE POST STANDARD WAS ABOUT.
IN A CHAPTER 11 REORGANIZATION ALL CLAIMS AND DEBTS ARE FROZEN WHILE A FEDERAL COURT REVIEWS YOUR PLANS TO MEET YOUR DEBTS AND PAYS YOUR CREDITORS AND SO FORTH. IT ALSO HAS THE EFFECT OF TEMPORARILY FREEZING OR SUSPENDING ALL CIVIL LITIGATION AGAINST YOU.
I WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT ST. DANIEL PARISH IS NOT INVOLVED IN THE CHAPTER 11 REORGANIZATION OF THE DIOCESE OF SYRACUSE. EVERY PARISH IN THE DIOCESE IS A SEPARATE CORPORATION IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK. ST. DANIEL PARISH IS A SEPARATE CORPORATION. OUR FINANCES ARE INDEPENDENT FROM THE DIOCESE OF SYRACUSE. THIS CHAPTER 11 DOES NOTAFFECT ST. DANIEL PARISH.
I WANT TO MAKE CLEAR, ALSO, THAT ONLY THE OPERATING ACCOUNT OF THE DIOCESE OF SYRACUSE IS INVOLVED IN CHAPTER 11.
ALL OF THOSE LEGAL ENTITIES SUCH AS CATHOLIC CHARITIES, HOPE APPEAL, AND RESTRICTED GIFTS ARE NOT INVOLVED. PENSION FUNDS ARE NOT INVOLVED. THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH AND FULFILLING THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY WILL CONTINUE.
I AM SENDING EVERY PARISHIONER A COPY OF THE BISHOP’S LETTER AS WELL AS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT ALL OF THIS. YOU MAY ALSO GO TO THE DIOCESAN WEBSITE AND YOU MAY ALSO CALL ME IF YOU WISH.
I’M SORRY THAT I HAVE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THIS DEPRESSING SUBJECT. YOU HAVE BEEN SWAMPED WITH SO MUCH BAD NEWS. YOU HAVE BEEN TERRIFIED WITH THE THOUGHT OF YOU OR YOUR LOVED ONES CATCHING THE CORONA VIRUS. YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES HAVE BEEN DEPRIVED OF A NORMAL LIFE OF GOING TO SCHOOL, GOING TO WORK, LOSS OF INCOME, MEETING WITH YOUR FRIENDS, CELEBRATING FAMILY EVENTS, GOING TO MASS.
IF THAT IS NOT ENOUGH YOUR WORLD HAS BEEN TURNED UPSIDE DOWN AS YOU SEE PROTESTERS, ANARCHISTS AND UNRULY MOBS DESTROYING PROPERTY, PULLING DOWN MONUMENTS, THREATENING TO BURN EVERYTHING TO THE GROUND. THERE IS FEAR IN THE AIR THAT NO ONE IS IN CONTROL AS POLICE ARE PREVENTED FROM PROTECTING THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY. SOME OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS NO LONGER WANT TO FULFILL THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES.
OUR INSTITUTIONS ARE FAILING US. OUR INSTITUTIONS ARE THE FORMS OF WHAT WE DO TOGETHER. INSTITUTIONS ARE NOT JUST CLUMPS OF PEOPLE, THEY'RE CLUMPS OF PEOPLE ORGANIZED AROUND A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THEY ARE PEOPLE ORGANIZED AROUND A WORLDVIEW. INSTITIUTIONS ARE PEOPLE ORGANIZED AROUND AN IDEAL AND A WAY OF ACHIEVING AN IMPORTANT GOAL.
THE FAMILY IS AN INSTITUTIION, MARRIAGE IS AN INSTITUTION, THE CHURCH IS AN INSTITUTION AND THE RULE OF LAW IS AN INSTITUTION. SOME OF OUR INSTITUTIONS ARE IN CHARGE OF TEACHING OUR KIDS, SOME OF THEM ENFORCE THE LAW. SOME OF THEM LEAD US TO THE TRANSCENDENT AND THE SPIRITUAL, SOME PROVIDE US WITH A GOOD OR A SERVICE. BUT EACH INSTITUTION FORMS US INTO A SHAPE THAT MAKES US CAPABLE OF ACHIEVING OUR GOAL.
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS AN INSTITUTION BECAUSE SHEIS MADE UP OF HUMAN BEINGS WHO LIVE IN THE WORLD. AS AN INSTITUTION THE CHURCH BECOMES SOILED BY THE SAME CULTURE THAT HAS SOILED THE REST OF THE WORLD. THE CHURCH IS ALWAYS IN NEED OF REFORMATION BECAUSE HER LEADERS AND HER MEMBERS ARE ALWAYS IN NEED OF REFORM.
REMEMBER THAT THE CHURCH IS MORE THAN AN INSTITUTION. THE CHURCH IS MORE THAN AN ESTABLISHMENT. THE CHURCH IS MORE THAN AN ORGANIZATION. THE CHURCH IS A LIVING ORGANISM.THE CHURCH IS THE LIVING BODY OF THE RISEN CHRIST.
THE CORRUPTION AND CHAOS THAT YOU ARE WITNESSING IN THE CITIES OF OUR COUNTRY IS A SIGN THAT ALL OF OUR INSTITUTIONS ARE IN TROUBLE.
THE INSTITUTIONS THAT WE COUNTED ON TO SERVE US SEEM TO BE OPERATING WITHOUT CLEAR DIRECTION. THE ABSOLUTE VALUES, THE STANDARDS AND THE IDEALS THAT WE GREW UP WITH ARE SUDDENLY ALL UP FOR GRABS.
THERE ARE PEOPLE ON THE STREETS WHO WOULD LIKE TO BURN EVERYTHING DOWN. THEY WOULD LIKE TO DESTROY ALL THE INSTITUTIONS AND START OVER AGAIN. THAT’S WHAT THE PULLING DOWN OF THE MONUMENTS IS ABOUT. THAT’S WHAT THE FRENCH REVOLUTION WAS ABOUT. THAT’S WHAT THE COMMUNIST AND SOCIALIST REVOLUTIONS WERE ABOUT. THOSE REVOLUTIONS PRODUCED MORE CHAOS, MORE DEATH, AND MORE DESTRUCTION. HISTORY IS A WITNESS THAT THOSE REVOLUTIONS DID NOT PRODUCE A MORE JUST AND PEACEFUL SOCIETY.
THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY BEARS MANY SIMILARITIES TO THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY. CHANGES AND UPHEAVALS IN SOCIETY OFTEN LEAD TO ANARCHY, LAX CONSCIENCE, DISREGARD FOR LAW, AND A DISINTEGRATION OF THE CULTURE IN GENERAL. IN THIS ENVIRONMENT SCANDALS ABOUND IN GOVERNMENT, IN THE PROFESSIONS, IN EDUCATION, IN BUSINESS AND SADLY IN THE CHURCH.
CORRUPTION AND SEXUAL IMMORALITY ARE RUNNING RAMPANT THROUGHOUT OUR SOCIETY. THERE IS AN EPIDEMIC OF PORNOGRAPHY AND THERE IS AN EPIDEMIC OF CHILD ABUSE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
IN THE UNITED STATES THERE ARE 39 MILLION SURVIVORS OF ABUSE.CHILDEN HAVE BEEN SEXUALLY ABUSED BY PEOPLE FROM EVERY WALK OF LIFE. FORTY TO SIXTY PERCENT OF THESE V ICTIMS WERE ABUSED BY FAMILY MEMBERS, INCLUDING STEPFATHERS AND LIVE- IN BOYFRIENDS. SIX TO TEN PERCENT WERE ABUSED BY EMPLOYEES OF THE PUBLIC EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM, SIX TO TEN PER CENT BY CLERGYMAN OF ALL DENOMINATIONS.
WE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO DESCRIBE OR APPRECIATE THE DESTRUCTION OF VICTIMS OF ABUSE. NEVER-NEVER—NEVER. EVEN IF WE SHED ALL OF OUR BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS WE WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO HEAL THE VICTIMS. OUR OWN HELPLESSNESS IS PART OF THE TRAGEDY.
THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH IS THE LIVING MYSTERY OF A PEOPLE THAT HAVE ARISEN TO GREAT HEIGHTS OF BEAUTY, SERVICE AND HOLINESS. THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH IS ALSO THE STORY OF A PEOPLE THAT HAVE FALLEN INTO THE DEPTHS OF SIN AND DISOBEDIENCE LIKE THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.
AS WE FACE THE INFIDELITY, IMMORALITY AND CORRUPTION IN SOME OF OUR LEADERS WE CAN EITHER ABANDON HOLY MOTHER CHURCH OR WE CAN JOIN THE COURAGEOUS HEROES AND HEROINES OF THE PAST TO BRING HER OUT OF THE DARKNESS OF HUMAN EVIL BACK INTO THE LIGHT OF DIVINE TRUTH, GOODNESS AND BEAUTY.
WHILE MANY DISILLUSIONED CATHOLICS LEAVE THE CHURCH BECAUSE OF SCANDAL, THOUSANDS ENTER EVERY YEAR, BECAUSE THEY ARE CONVINCED THAT THE TEACHING AUTHORITY OF THE CHURCH IS THE TEACHING AUTHORITY OF JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF.
RECENTLY, AN EVANGELICAL MINISTER BY THE NAME OF FRANCIS BECKWITH, CAME INTO THE CATHOLIC FAITH. HE WAS PRESIDENT OF THE EVANGELICAL THEOLOGICAL SOCIETY, AN ASSOCIATION OF 4300 PROTESTANT THEOLOGIANS. FRANCIS BECKWITH WAS ASKED WHY HE DECIDED TO COME INTO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. HE SAID THAT WHILE HE WAS STUDYING THE TEACHING AUTHORITY OF THE CHURCH HE HAD REACHED A POINT WHERE HE COULD NO LONGER EXPLAIN WHY HE WAS NOT A CATHOLIC.
IN THE MOVIE: THE PASSION, THERE IS A SCENE THAT WAS FOR MANY THE GREAT MOVING MOMENT OF THE FILM. THE BROKEN AND BRUTALIZED CHRIST FALLS UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THE CROSS. HE IS ON HIS WAY TO GOLGOTHA. HE’S HALF DEAD. WHEN HE FALLS HIS MOTHER RUNS TO HELP HIM. HE LOOKS UP AT HER, BLOOD COMING DOWN HIS FACE, AND HE SAYS, “SEE MOTHER, I MAKE ALL THINGS NEW AGAIN.”
THIS IS THE HOPE OF EVERY CATHOLIC THAT THE RISEN CHRIST HAS THE POWER TO MAKE ALL THINGS NEW AGAIN.