Correct the Course of UCA!

In recent homilies Bishop Zurek has made it clear that the standard for love and unity in our diocese should be the encyclical of Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti. Today, let’s reflect on paragraph #192 in that regard.

Chapter 5

A BETTER KIND OF POLITICS

THE EXCERCISE OF POLITICAL LOVE

A love that integrates and unites

192. In this regard, Grand Imam Ahmad Al-Tayyeb and I have called upon “the architects of international policy and world economy to work strenuously to spread the culture of tolerance and of living together in peace; to intervene at the earliest opportunity to stop the shedding of innocent blood”.[189] When a specific policy sows hatred and fear towards other nations in the name of its own country’s welfare, there is need to be concerned, to react in time and immediately to correct the course.

“Abound in Hope”, Bishop Zurek looks forward… because he is afraid to look back.

Paraphrasing G.K. Chesterton

Bishop Zurek was not the one who bound us  to the “Quota”. The United Catholic Appeal was established in 1981 to replace an antiquated system of assessing so much money per person (Quota). That structure traditionally provided diocesan financial resources, but with the two splitting of the diocese, the Chancery was having to operate with a third of the population. Instead of downsizing the Chancery to fit the new reality, a new system was developed that could supplement the Cathedraticum tax  in, “Getting more from Peter (parishes) to pay Paul (Chancery).”

Over the years Paul grew larger despite Peter getting smaller, but there was no course correction. Insurance payments and the privatization (the transfer of a ministry from diocesan to private funding through the use of tuition and/or fees) of the schools and Retreat Center clothed the ever-growing Paul.

To continue this course, Bishop Zurek paid consultants for, Preparing the Way ,for more room for Paul. After construction of the new Chancery was completed, bringing on higher insurance payments for Peter, this glorified Ponzi scheme eventually bottomed out when the flood of pledges dried up and there wasn’t enough money to go around. At that point, The IGiveCatholic Campaign was established to continue the course of an antiquated system of assessing so much money per person (Quota). This structure traditionally has never been able to provide diocesan financial resources.

My prayer for today is that Bishop Zurek realizes it is past, “a time of change and conversion of mind and heart“, and unbounds us from the “Quota”, so we can “Abound in Hope” knowing that everything that the Father gives will go to Jesus, not the Chancery!