Rev. Martin Zimmann, in a letter to the editor of The Blade, questioned a statement that Toledo Bishop Leonard Blair wrote in a letter two weeks ago that the bishop mandated be read to all Catholics. Zimmann said:
"The following quote from Bishop Blair is both intriguing and alarming: "Not only religious faith, but also human reason, tell us that the way to move our community forward is to strengthen the institution of marriage, not weaken it by giving legal standing to lifestyles that are not in keeping with the God-given meaning and purpose of marriage."
Rev. Zimmann's perspective on this: " I will say this - faith and human reason show me that we strengthen a community if we are willing to welcome people into it. If we choose to define our community by whom we exclude from it, we run the risk of shunning talents and resources that we cannot afford to lose."
Many Catholics in the diocese were equally offended by the bishop's letter as well. Several have said that they have finally been driven from the church by the attitude of this bishop; it was their last straw. Here is the original post on the letter.
Further on Rev. Zimmann states, "The church would be better off if it encouraged people to ask pertinent questions." Indeed it would, but then, wouldn't this open the proverbial Pandora's Box? Wouldn't that open the debate, for example, of why the Catholic Church continues to ban women from ministry in the church? And why there is a need for a hierarchal structure to maintain a tight-fisted control over the laity?
No, Reverend Zimmann, the Catholic Church does not want questions from the congregation. They want blind loyalty to their authority and, of course, the money.
A Major Discussion of the Virgin Birth of Jesus!
17 hours ago
