Boston, Mass., Nov 14, 2004 / 22:00 pm
Archbishop Sean P. O’Malley of Boston issued a letter Nov. 13 to all Catholics in the archdiocese, explaining once again the reasons for parish closures. In it, he said that closing parishes is the hardest thing he has ever had to do in 40 years in religious life.
The archbishop noted that several parishioners have protested church closings by camping out at their churches and refusing to leave.
In his letter, the archbishop spoke about the solidairity of the members of the Early Church, who made sacrifices for the good of the whole community. He said the current situation in the archdiocese also requires sacrifice for the good of the the entire local Church.
“The financial situation of the archdiocese is much worse than most people realize,” he said. And it is not because of the settlements for the sexual abuse cases, said the bishop, which have been paid in great part by the sale of the archbishop's residence, the adjacent property, and by insurance.