I woke up this morning to the news that the New Orleans Police Department arrested two Catholic parishioners holding a peaceful vigil protesting the closure of Our Lady of Good Counsel here in New Orleans.
It amazes me that the NOPD finds the time and effort to arrest two Catholic parishioners attempting civil disobedience against the leader of their church here in New Orleans, but can't for the life of them correctly fight the real crimes happening here in New Orleans. (Hat Tip to Oyster for the link)
Perhaps Cardinal O'Malley has a little more of that old fashioned shame that the Catholics instill in their parishioners oh so well, as the church, where the vigil has lasted more than four years, occupies prime real coastal real estate outside Boston. Might that be the reason that Our Lady of Good Counsel is slated for closure here in New Orleans? After all, it is a "Gothic-style brick building [that] is arguably the most precious jewel in the crown known as New Orleans's graceful Garden District." It's also a National Historic Landmark, which will help protect the building itself, but won't force the Archdiocese to keep it as a church.
Might this just be a money-grab by the Archdiocese? If so, how utterly shameless of the Archbishop to employ the New Orleans Police Department in his quest to make a quick buck.
If I was a good church-going Catholic, I'd organize a campaign to withhold the donations until the Archdiocese gets the point. Make do without the cell phones and whatever other luxuries y'all have before shuttering parishes. Y'all did take a vow of poverty, did you not?
