Bishop Lennon Says He's Not Yet Made a Decision on Reopening Churches

By Julie Kent
Cleveland Leader
March 29, 2012

http://www.clevelandleader.com/node/18319


In a letter to be distributed this week at weekend masses, Bishop Richard Lennon of the Cleveland Catholic Dioceses says that the issue of reopening the 13 churches that were recently spared by the Vatican has yet to be resolved.

Earlier this month, the Vatican ruled that Bishop Lennon had improperly closed 13 churches in 2009. It was a decision that shocked many, including the lawyer representing the closed churches.

In the letter, Lennon says that the issue of reopening the churches "is not nearly as clear-cut as it may appear." He writes that there is no easy or perfection solution. Lennon says that hasn't made any decisions yet, but promises to respect church authority.

It was only two weeks ago that Vatican officials ordered the churches to be reopened. These 13 churches were among a larger group of 50 that were closed or merged due to declining numbers of parishioners and priests.