More CT drama: legislators try to stifle Catholic free speech

From the Diocese of Bridgeport website:

In United States District Court today, attorneys representing the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport filed a lawsuit against officials of the State of Connecticut Office of State Ethics (OSE), seeking a court order to stop them from an unconstitutional application of state lobbying laws.

These officials are requiring the Diocese – and presumably all other organizations – to register as a lobbyist in order to engage in activities such as a rally at the State Capitol or using its website to encourage its members to contact their elected representatives. Application of the law in this manner would subject the First Amendment rights of Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion, and Freedom of Assembly to government oversight and penalties.

In laymen's terms, the Connecticut legislators are trying to create bureaucracy in order to thwart future grassroots efforts by Catholics to speak out when the rights of the Church are being threatened by ... the Connecticut legislators.

I did a huge amount of coverage on the Connecticut backstory which is gathered under this tag.

The diocese of Bridgeport has video, background and contact information. (Good use of technology!)

Anti-Catholic CT legislators still at it

They should stop while they're behind:

During a meeting to officially kill legislation, including the bill that brought thousands of Catholics to protest last week, the chairmen -- Sen. Andrew J. McDonald, D-Stamford, and Rep. Michael P. Lawlor, D-East Haven -- warned that the General Assembly is in danger of stifling research and debate.

"We hear all sorts of issues that are sometimes great but just too controversial to vote on, some aren't ready for prime time, some that don't have money for them," McDonald said. "I suspect that people on this committee would be very angry if the co-chairs only allowed issues that we support or in our opinion have no constitutional concerns." (Connecticut Post)

Oh sure, let's debate issues that are clearly anti-constitutional....

Wait - WHAT?! Are they on crazy pills?!

Roundup: MSM coverage of the Connecticut Rally

Closing down shop for the day, but before I head out the door:

• Reuters: "Thousands of Roman Catholics demonstrated in Connecticut on Wednesday against a state government proposal to shift control of parish finances to lay officials from priests and bishops."
• AP: "Thousands of Roman Catholics descended on the Connecticut statehouse Wednesday, as simmering resentment over bills they consider anti-Catholic reached a boiling point with a recent legislative attempt to give parishioners more say over parish financing."
• John Talleos brings up some good points in the Hartford Conservative Examiner
• Glen Beck had a roundtable on Freedom of Religion, with transcript and video

Early word: 5,000 turn out for Connecticut Rally

Elizabeth Ela of Headline Bistro:

As many of you know, the bishops of Connecticut's three dioceses led a rally today of over 5,000 Catholics on the steps of Hartford's state capitol. The rally was in protest of Bill 1098, legislation that threatened to strip priests and bishops of their administrative authority.

Headline Bistro has an exclusive story on the rally and the bishops' speeches, including quotes from the chairman of the finance committee at St. John's Parish in Darien, Conn. -- the flashpoint of the controversy, as it was supposedly parishioners from St. John's who pushed for this legislation in the first place. Here's the link to our coverage.

Ha! Two days ago I said:

"If you can make it to Hartford, CT at 9AM on March 11th for the public demonstration - please do. Bishop Lori is hoping for 1,500-2,000 people ... well, let's smash that and turn out 5,000 for him!"

I feel like a rainmaker .... of course, I kid - this is all your work. Bravo, papists!

Rumor: Obama took personal interest in CT Bill?

This tweet from Fr. Z says so.

If you followed him and AmP on Twitter you'd get this stuff fresh! =)

First Take: Video of Bp. Lori at CT Catholic Rally

You're getting this content practically as it is uploaded:
Broadcasting Live with Ustream.TV

CT Dem. accuses Catholic leaders of "smear campaign"!

Outrageous:

Democratic state Rep. Robert Godfrey, a Judiciary Committee member, accused Catholic leaders of a smear campaign.

“The Bishop [Lori] doesn’t want anyone to see the diocese’s books and how the money is spent,” Godfrey told CNSNews.com. “He is trying to smear the co-chairs. It’s very sad. The public is outraged over a fiction. The scheduled hearing tomorrow was cancelled because the Capitol Police were sweating crowd control.”

Crowd control issues?! Because us Catholics are so rowdy when we get together....

[/sarcasm]

First take: Photos from today's Hartford, CT Catholic Rally

From the front lines (courtesy of the Knights of Columbus):

I've uploaded a few more photos to a dedicated AmP Flickr photo set.

Elizabeth Ela of (KofC-run) Headline Bistro was twittering live updates from the rally all morning.

Early crowd estimate: 2-3 thousand!

update - more photos added to the AmP Flickr photo set.

Action Item: Resources for Catholics rallying in Hartford tomorrow

Even though the offensive anti-Catholic bill has been pulled, the planned rally is still happening.

You can find the official rally schedule of events I've uploaded here. It includes everything you could possibly need including sponsored bus schedules, text of the bill, planned rally songs, you name it.

Elizabeth Ela of (KofC-run) Headline Bistro will be twittering live updates from the rally:

http://twitter.com/Headlinebistro

Please, if you are able, attend the rally and support the free exercise of our religion! Thanks, papists.

Flash: Anti-Catholic CT pulled! Update: Rally still a GO!

UPDATE - THE RALLY IS STILL A GO!

Looks like they didn't want this one blowing up in their face:

controversial bill that would change the way the Catholic church governs itself has been pulled and a public hearing planned Wednesday on the issue postponed until its constitutionality can be determined.

The hearing had been expected to draw hundreds of people, many of whom where angry about what they view as the state's inappropriate and perhaps unconstitutional incursion into church affairs.

At a press conference this morning at the legislative office building, Tom Gallagher of Greenwich, who has long advocated that lay people be given greater responsibilities within the church, said he has asked Rep. Michael Lawlor and Sen. Andrew McDonald, co-chairmen of the legislature's judiciary committee, to put off the hearing until Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has reviewed the matter.

Lawlor and McDonald agreed. "At the request of the proponents who are advocating this legislation, we have decided to cancel the public hearing for tomorrow [and] table any further consideration of this bill for the duration of this session,'' the lawmakers said in a joint statement. (Hartford Courant)

Caught 'em red-handed. Well done, everyone. Remain vigilant. {update - rally still a go!}

The two proponents of the bill are now trying to claim that they were simply following Connecticut legal precendent which employs specific legislation for particular religious institutions.

In other words, what began as a precedent for their actions has now also become their justification. In fact, they are trying to claim that they believe this precedent of preference "doesn't seem right."

Well no kidding - then why in the first place did they introduce a bill that took advantage of the precedent?

Because it was useful to their ulterior purpose of coercing the Catholic Church in Connecticut.

Connecticut's Anti-Catholic Bill - Update

An update of what has happened recently:

• Knights of Columbus President Carl Anderson on Shredding the First Amendment in the Constitution State. More from the Knights at their Headline Bistro web presence.
• Archbishop Chaput weighs-in: "The legislative coercion directed against the Catholic community in one state has implications for Catholics in every other state. If bigots in one state succeed in coercive laws like SB 1098, bigots in other states will try the same." [More.] [CNA summary.] (What a Bishop!)
• Context: Catholic bishops angry over proposed law
• Here's something: "Senate Republican Caucus Unanimously Opposes SB 1098" [PDF file.]:
  "This bill is an unconstitutional assault on religious freedoms. Specifically, it represents a clear violation of the Establishment Clause and Free Exercise of Religion Clause contained in the First Amendment."
• Also, I'm being told that "many in the state are calling for Lawlor and McDonald to be expelled from office due to their EXTREME bias which we have seen repeatedly."
• It's also worth noting that a non-Catholic individual emailed me about their outrage over this bill. As they put it: "if they can come after the Catholic Church and get away with it, nobody is safe." I appreciated the person's pledge of solidarity a great deal. A second individual emailed me and said that, even though they do not always agree with me, they appreciated the thought-provoking nature of my coverage of this issue. Again, this means a great deal to me. In these times such encouragement will serve us in great stead.

My complete coverage is here. Remember: for those in the area, I urge you to make a showing tomorrow at 9AM in Hartford, CT. Support your bishop, support your priests, support the Church we love!

update: LifeSiteNews coverage.

update 2: CNA: Connecticut bill on Catholic Church nearly identical to Voice of the Faithful strategy ... New Tactics: Influencing the Church through Civil Legislation

Becket Fund President calls CT Bill "Doubly unconstitutional"

In response to the story I covered over the weekend about a breathtakingly anti-Catholic CT bill:

"This bill is doubly unconstitutional. It would be unconstitutional underthe First Amendment even if it applied to all churches. but the fact thatit applies to only one church - the Catholic Church - makes itunconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment besides. This is truly amonstrosity."

-- Kevin “Seamus” Hasson, President, The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty

Video: Bp. Lori explains the response to Anti-Catholic CT Bill

The backstory is here.

Video of Bishop Lori answering questions, explaining the situation (and updated information) here.

If you can make it to Hartford, CT at 9AM on March 11th for the public demonstration - please do. Bishop Lori is hoping for 1,500-2,000 people ... well, let's smash that and turn out 5,000 for him!

Update: internal memo by Bishop Cote re: Anti-Catholic CT Bill

Forwarded to me by an AmP reader in response to this story I covered yesterday:

Following are excerpts from an internal communication by Bishop Michael R. Cote

This bill (#1098) is a legislative attack on the governance of the Catholic Church in Connecticut. No other religious organization in the State is mentioned in this bill. It will do irreparable harm to the Church.

Your (pastors and parishioners) assistance is urgently needed. Please help defeat this very harmful repeal of current Connecticut General Statutes.

Attend the hearing on this bill on Wednesday, March 11, 2009, at the Legislative Office Building at the State Capitol. We must show strong opposition to this attempt to interfere in the governance of the Church.

Together on this Second Sunday of Lent, we pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit to rebuff attacks on the Church and its leadership so that we may continue to do the Lord’s work by which we give praise to God our Father.

Alert: New Connecticut Bill Attacks Church Independence

Update: Anti-Catholic CT pulled! Rally still a GO!

Connecticut lawmakers moved this week to directly attack the self-governing rights of the Catholic Church.

The Diocese of Bridgeport is calling on Catholics across the state to mobilize and "fight the irrational, unlawful, and bigoted Proposed Bill #1098/2009":

This past Thursday, March 5, the Judiciary Committee of the Connecticut State Legislature, which is chaired by Sen. Andrew McDonald of Stamford and Rep. Michael Lawlor of East Haven, introduced a bill that directly attacks the Roman Catholic Church and our Faith.

This bill violates the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. It forces a radical reorganization of the legal, financial, and administrative structure of our parishes. This is contrary to the Apostolic nature of the Catholic Church because it disconnects parishes from their Pastors and their Bishop. Parishes would be run by boards from which Pastors and the Bishop would be effectively excluded.

This bill, moreover, is a thinly-veiled attempt to silence the Catholic Church on the important issues of the day, such as same-sex marriage.

The State has no right to interfere in the internal affairs and structure of the Catholic Church. This bill is directed only at the Catholic Church but could someday be forced on other denominations. The State has no business controlling religion. (source: Bridgeport Diocese)

Here's what you can do:

We urge you to call and e-mail Sen. McDonald and Rep. Lawlor:

Senator Andrew McDonald:
Capitol phone: (800) 842-1420; Home phone: (203) 348-7439
E-mail: McDonald@senatedems.ct.gov

Representative Michael Lawlor:
Capitol phone: (800) 842-8267; Home phone: (203) 469-9725
E-mail: MLawlor99@juno.com

We also ask you to come to Hartford this Wednesday, March 11, to be present at the public hearing. Details on bus transportation will be available on Monday. If you would like to attend, contact your Pastor.

Even though it is named "An Act Modifying Corporate Laws Relating to Certain Religious Corporations" the bill in fact names the "Roman Catholic Church or congregations" in the state as the only party in question.

On top of it being an outrageous violation of the First Amendment it is also particularly anti-Catholic, and the politicians who have introduced and supported this bill should be strongly rebuked not just by Catholics, but by all Americans who hate religious discrimination and "hate legislation."

One particularly-offensive line in the bill (underlining mine):

"The corporation shall have a board of directors consisting of not less than seven nor more than thirteen lay members. The archbishop or bishop of the diocese or his designee shall serve as an ex-officio member of the board of directors without the right to vote."

That's right - archbishops and bishops under this bill would be stripped of their power to govern.
The General Counsel of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops says "I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a bill that’s so blatantly unconstitutional. It targets the Catholic Church explicitly and exclusively, and attempts to use the civil law to alter Church governance, particularly to divest the bishop of authority." Tom Hoopes calls it the "Miter-box Bill", because bishops should just box their miters if it passes.

The blog Catechism on Call says:

Right now we don’t know who sponsored this bill. The Catholic Key Blog notes that the dissident Catholic Group “Voice of the Faithful” has often promoted the idea of “trusteeism” or lay members hiring and firing pastors. But, to be fair, we don’t have evidence they are behind this legislation.

Regardless of where this idea came from - we do know who was willing to put it into practice. One wonders if the Church could take some sort of legal action in response to this unlawful intrusion. You can keep up to date on the bill's progress here. Paul's comment on Fr. Z's blog here is very helpful if you want to get a handle on the the legal in's and out's of the situation.

I'm happy to see the Diocese of Bridgeport rallying Catholics. I have not yet seen any activity on the Connecticut Catholic Conference website or the Archdiocese of Hartford or the Diocese of Norwich. The Knights of Columbus are headquartered in New Haven and will be very active I'd wager. I'll be chasing down these threads next.

update: Here (forwarded to me) is the justification for the bill given by one of the legislators who introduced it, Mike Lawlor:

... the current state statutes governing Roman Catholic corporations ... were enacted in 1955. SB 1098 is a proposal to make changes in that law, which was suggested by parishioners who were the victims of theft of their funds in several parishes, and these parishioners feel that the state's existing Roman Catholic Corporate laws prevented them from dealing with the misuse and theft of funds.

I agree with you that the whole notion of having a statute governing the church seems like an intrusion on the separation of church and state, but the current law does that already. Perhaps we should repeal the whole thing, but if we are going to have a corporate law of this type, it probably should make sure there cannot be deception of parishioners.

The Diocese of Bridgeport's statement responds to this claim of financial improprieties:

The Pastors of our Diocese are doing an exemplary job of sound stewardship and financial accountability, in full cooperation with their parishioners.

For the State Legislature — which has not reversed a $1 billion deficit in this fiscal year — to try to manage the Catholic Church makes no sense. The Catholic Church not only lives within her means but stretches her resources to provide more social, charitable, and educational services than any other private institution in the State. This bill threatens those services at a time when the State is cutting services. The Catholic Church is needed now more than ever.

We reject this irrational, unlawful, and bigoted bill that jeopardizes the religious liberty of our Church.

Connecticut: "keep your state out of our church!"

update 2: for the newest updates on this story, click on this tag.