Did Rome Force out Martino, Mark Guydish, Times Leader, September 3, 2009

Did Rome Force out Martino?

By Mark Guydish
Times-Leader
September 3, 2009

http://www.timesleader.com/news/Did_Rome_force_out_Martino__09-03-2009.html

Martino

Remarks about national politicians may not have sat well with church, Time Magazine says online.

Bishop Joseph Martino may want to “fade” so those taking over the Diocese of Scranton can “shine a little bit,” as he said after announcing his resignation Monday, but speculation that he was forced out has gone national.

On Wednesday, Time Magazine posted a story online that suggested Martino’s public comments about national politicians had run counter to positions taken by Archdiocese of Philadelphia Cardinal Justin Rigali and Pope Benedict XVI.

Doubts were also voiced by Peter Borre, who helps spearhead fights to keep churches open in Boston and here. Borre said that during his trips to Rome he learned that two high-ranking cardinals had visited the Diocese of Scranton last spring, and that such visits suggest the Vatican took a particular interest in events here.

Citing Martino’s statement that he was resigning due to “crippling fatigue,” Time likened the explanation to politicians and business executives who abruptly leave office to “spend time with my family.”

“Now the Catholic Church may have its own version of this unconvincing stock answer,” Amy Sullivan wrote in the article, adding that Martino, 63, had resigned “more than a decade away from reaching the Church’s automatic retirement age of 75.” Church rules require bishops to submit their resignations at age 75, but don’t require “automatic retirement.” It is up to the pope to accept the resignation.

“Martino’s abrupt resignation, along with the fact that he was not reassigned to another position within the Church, has some church insiders suggesting that the highly unusual move was far from voluntary — and quite possibly the work of a Vatican that has been decidedly less openly critical of the Obama Administration,” Sullivan wrote.

The Time articles cites Martino’s strong anti-abortion comments aimed at then-vice presidential candidate Joe Biden and U.S. Senator Robert Casey Jr. It also recounts Martino’s visit to a presidential election forum at St. John’s Church in Honesdale, where he criticized the group for handing out copies of a statement from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops called “Faithful Citizenship.” Some argue part of the statement gives Catholics leeway in voting for candidates who support abortion rights. The Church teaches abortion is an “intrinsic evil.”

Martino reportedly told the crowd “No USCCB document is relevant in this diocese,” and that “the USCCB doesn’t speak for me.” Martino then referred to a pastoral letter he had issued on the subject and said it was “the only relevant document ... There is one teacher in this diocese, and these points are not debatable.”

The problem, Time magazine said, is that Cardinal Rigali is head of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-life Activities. Without citing sources, the Time article says Martino’s comments “didn’t endear him” to Rigali. Time also recounts Martino’s public criticism of Casey’s votes on abortion issues and the decision by King’s College to have Casey speak at last May’s commencement.

While Rigali has always been firmly anti-abortion, the Time article says that “two days before Casey’s address at King’s, Rigali issued a statement ‘applauding’ the senator for introducing legislation to promote policies that encourage women facing unplanned pregnancies to carry their babies to term. In the highly ritualized world of Church communication, the Cardinal’s announcement was akin to a public smackdown of Martino. One month later, Martino was summoned to Rome, and submitted his resignation.”

The Time article doesn’t give specifics, but under the auspices of USCCB, Rigali sent letters dated May 15 to all U.S. senators encouraging them to support Casey’s reintroduction of the “Pregnant Women Support Act.” While the letter does not use the word “applaud,” a press release issued by the USCCB did.

Time also cited Martino’s decision to join other bishops in criticizing the University of Notre Dame for inviting President Barack Obama to speak at that commencement. “Although Pope Benedict expressed his disappointment with Obama’s support for abortion rights when the two met in July,” the article says, “a Vatican spokesman went out of his way to state that the Holy Father was "very impressed" by the Democratic president.”

Like other speculation that Martino was forced to resign, the Time article ultimately gives no concrete evidence. Neither does Borre, who told The Times Leader this week that he, too, finds the resignation suspect. He cites his own “benefit of a lot of Rome experience, and bimonthly trips since 2008 … including meetings with monsignors, bishops and one actual cardinal, plus the services of the best canon (law) attorney around.”

Borre said the abrupt resignation, even for health reasons, is rare. Usually the Vatican would have appointed a coadjutor to share power and responsibility with the ailing bishop. The appointment of Rigali as apostolic administrator, on the other hand, takes control of the diocese completely out of Martino’s hands.

Borre also said “I find it remarkable that two very high-ranking cardinals (retired) both visited the area last spring,” then names Cardinal Josef Tomko and Cardinal Angelo Sodano, both of whom served the Vatican in several high-level capacities for decades.

Among other titles, Tomko served as prefect of the congregation for the evangelization of the peoples, while Sodano had served as Dean of the College of Cardinals, most widely known as the group that elects the pope.

Borre wrote that “the usual protocol is for high-level visitors of this caliber to prepare a quiet trip report when they get back to Rome, typically with comments about the local bishops, and circulated at very high levels within the Curia.” The Curia is the central administrative and governing network of departments in the Vatican.

Diocese of Scranton Spokesman Bill Genello did not respond to an e-mail and phone call seeking comment on the Time article and Borre’s claims. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia communications director was not available Wednesday afternoon.

Mark Guydish, a Times Leader Staff writer, can be reached at 829-7161 mguydish@timesleader.com