Sen. Andrew McDonald of Stamford and Rep. Michael Lawlor of East Haven introduced the bill Thursday, which would force an extreme reorganization of the legal, financial and administrative structure of Catholic churches.
The senators said misinformation has been spread about this proposal and lawmakers are still learning exactly what impact the bill would have.
“We are keeping an open mind to what these parishioners have to say about their church, and we respectfully ask that others give them the courtesy of listening to their proposed changes in the existing state law governing Roman Catholic corporations,” they wrote. “We ourselves are questioning certain aspects of their proposal and even the constitutionality of the current law. Despite what has been portrayed, we have not endorsed nor are advocating for this proposal.”
McDonald told the Connecticut Post that the immediate push behind the bill was what he called the worst case of financial mismanagement in a Connecticut Catholic parish. A priest in Darien was convicted of stealing up to $1.4 million from lay donations, he said. There is also another investigation in Greenwich.
He said constituents, who felt victimized by the events at St. John Church in Darien, as well as other Catholic faithful throughout the diocese asked him to help.
Thomas Gallagher, a Greenwich Catholic, is credited for the idea behind the proposed bill, which amends the corporation statute, the New Haven Register reports.
Gallagher, who graduated from Catholic University Law School, he said the critics have it all wrong.
“This is incredibly respectful of the Catholic faith. This is a pro-priest proposal that spreads the legal responsibility for a parish with lay members, rather than putting it on the shoulders of one person (the pastor,)” Gallagher told the newspaper.
Opponents said it would undercut the Catholic Church's financial hierarchy. The state's bishops on Sunday urged parishioners to fight this proposed state law.
Mansell said the bill violates the First Amendment. He and Bridgeport Bishop William Lori are calling for each parish to send people to the hearing Wednesday.
“Bishop Lori is correct to say that the bill ‘is a thinly-veiled attempt to silence the Catholic Church on the important issues of the day, such as same-sex marriage.’ Indeed, it is payback: this brutal act of revenge by Lawlor and McDonald, two champions of gay marriage, is designed to muzzle the voice of the Catholic Church," Catholic League president Bill Donohue said Monday.
McDonald and Lawlor issued a statement Monday defending the bill.
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“It has been incorrectly characterized that this legislation originated from the two of us as an attack on the church and freedom of religion. That is not the truth, and the facts do not support such a claim,” they wrote.
A group of Catholic parishioners from Fairfield County proposed and wrote the bill and asked the Judiciary Committee to consider giving the subject a public hearing, they said.
“Especially considering the fact that one of the large-scale embezzlements which gave rise to this proposal originated from a parish corporation in Darien, a town that Senator McDonald represents, we decided to give these parishioners a chance to present to the Judiciary Committee a case for their proposed revisions to existing corporate law,” they wrote.
House Republican Leader Lawrence F. Cafero Jr. condemned the proposal.
“To say that people are outraged over this proposal to bar the Catholic Church from overseeing its own finances is being charitable. This bill has provoked a lot of people,’’ Cafero said. “The state of Connecticut is billions of dollars in debt and some Democratic lawmakers want to dictate to the Catholic Church how it manages its finances. That does not make sense to a lot of people.’’
Cafero said church officials have insisted that the proposal would not pass constitutional muster regarding separation of church and state. He said legal challenges will undoubtedly be brought.
Cafero said the Catholic Church is being singled out by this legislation and that the proposal would not affect other religions.
