1,500 call for investigation of Bishop

Over 1500 voices calling for an investigation of Bishop Dewane of the Venice diocese in Southwest Florida are on their way to Pope Francis today. Ellen and Jack, leaders of the SWFL chapter, mailed the two letters today, one from the local group and the other an online petition with signatures from around the country. In total, the effort gathered 1,501 signatures and Ellen says they know that many in the diocese couldn't sign out of fear; others couldn't be reached because CTA wasn't allowed to collect signatures near the parishes. "If we were allowed to take our letter to all the parishes in the Venice Diocese we would have gotten many, many more,” she wrote to supporters, "Thanks to you local people for signing and to those outside our diocese who support our efforts. We know that some of you, including our priests, couldn’t sign it for fear of your names leaking out. The church needs you to stay on the job!"

Many of the signers of the online petition expressed their solidarity with the Catholics of Florida and shared stories of their own encounters with Bishop Dewane or other leaders who have abused their power. "Autocratic attitudes and actions of Church leaders, at any level, scandalize the faithful and drive people away. This is not the kind of Church God wants or Pope Francis desires," remarked Sydney, who signed the online petition.

Before this latest petition, the members of the SW FL chapter of CTA had already had over 50 letters to the editor published criticizing the methods of the Bishop; this latest effort gained a lot of media coverage! Local NBC, ABC and CBS stations and the local papers across the diocese interviewed the organizers and detailed the need for an investigation. Mike, a local leader, told one paper: "Any time you have that many people out of the next level of leadership expressing those specific concerns, I think it's important for any organization to take a look at what's going on,I think that would be true in any company, political organization or government. You have to take the word of the people who are on the ground taking care of the people in the organization." The effort also drew the notice of conservatives like Bill Donohue, which only gave us more chances to speak to the media about the reasonable and necessary case being made for an investigation!

Earlier this year, the chapter wrote personal letters to every priest in the diocese thanking the 10 pastors who anonymously called for an investigation. This petition is in support of all the workers, parishioners and pastors who've felt scared to speak up. Now that the letters are on their way, organizer and chapter leader Ellen can take a break (for an hour or so at least!). "Please pray that the letters accomplish what we intended from the beginning of this campaign," she said, asking supporters "to make our diocese a happier, more loving and spiritually rich place to worship and serve."