I always thought that it would have been better for them to stay because the Church needs members of strong character in the laity. The answer is not to abandon Her but to stay and help Her return as the moral authority.
REGINA: Interesting that you thought that the people with strong characters would leave the Church. In the last 16 years, did you have the sense that the 'mess has been cleaned up'?
STEVE: Yes – until the past couple of years.
REGINA: What happened?
STEVE: Through different media and groups, we now make a practice of learning about the true faith. What we have learned has heightened our awareness.
We now know that the mess was not cleaned up. It has been exposed as being far-reaching and the ‘mess’ IS still going on.
REGINA: Do you have a sense that the dioceses are starting to hurt for money?
STEVE: I have no real evidence of this. On the surface, they seem to be operating in the same manner they have for years.
REGINA: How have you have started changing the way you contribute?
STEVE: We made the decision earlier in 2018 to divert a significant portion of our regular Church (and as an extension the diocese) support to other worthwhile and safe apostolates.
REGINA: Why divert funds?
STEVE: We did not take this decision lightly. We are disheartened with the USCCB’s stand on various issues but more importantly their collective silence and typical response when they do comment on matters relating to all the confusion within the Church and how her moral authority has been compromised.
REGINA: And what’s been the result?
STEVE: The feedback we have received from these entities has reinforced that we made the right decision.
The current Cardinal McCarrick disaster and the non-response of the USCCB show that we made the right decision earlier this year.
STEVE: We still contribute our obligation to our parish, but the excess is supporting Catholic causes outside of our diocese.
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