Is Boston Willing to Prepare the Way of the Lord?

Boston Catholic Insider
December 10, 2012

http://bostoncatholicinsider.wordpress.com/2012/12/09/is-boston-willing-to-prepare-the-way-of-the-lord/

The Gospel today is a favorite of BCI and also has particular applicability to the Boston Archdiocese.  This passage from Luke 3: 1-6 is the one that has always been powerful for BCI.

A voice of one crying out in the desert:

“Prepare the way of the Lord,

make straight his paths.

Every valley shall be filled

and every mountain and hill shall be made low.

The winding roads shall be made straight,

and the rough ways made smooth,

and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

During this season of Advent, in what ways in our own lives do we prepare the way of the Lord and make straight His paths?  What things in our lives need to be straightened out?  What mountains and hills should be lowered?  What “winding roads” should be made straight?  What rough ways made smooth?

Then there is the Boston Archdiocese.  As discussed in “Is Boston Archdiocese Violating ‘Motu Proprio’ on Charity?” as of Monday, December 10, Cardinal Sean O’Malley, archbishop of Boston, will be in violation of the new Motu Proprio issued by Pope Benedict XVI for paying salaries to 17 lay executives which are nowhere near “in due proportion to analogous expenses of his diocesan Curia.”  As we know from “Bloated Payroll” and numerous other posts, seventeen people at the Pastoral Center are paid salaries ranging from $150K to $325K today–about 4X-8X more per person than clergy are paid. In aggregate, they are paid somewhere close to $3.5M a year in salaries alone. This is about 6 times more than was paid in 2006 in $150K+ salaries.

Is Cardinal O’Malley willing to “make low” the mountain of excessive compensation paid to his lay executives and key employees, including the Superintendent of Schools, Assistant Schools Superintendent, Secretary for Catholic Media, General Counsel, Secretary for Institutional Advancement, two Development VPs, Chancellor, Director of Office of Professional Standards, Executive Director of HR and others?

Are Cardinal O’Malley and Vicar General bishop-elect Deeley willing to “make straight” the winding roads by removing senior people from roles where they are poorly suited to the task at hand, do not know or promote the full truths of the Catholic faith, or have mountains of controversy surrounding them?  For example, this be a great time to make “straight the winding road” and let go any or all of the following:

• Jack Connors, for his public fund-raising for Obama (whose HHS mandate threatens the religious liberties of the Catholic Church) and his close ties to the abortion industry.
• The Rasky Baerlein PR firm, filled with Obama and Biden supporters, fundraisers and former aides who work against the Catholic Church by supporting Obama and Biden, and who collect a lot of money for very little in output.
• The overpaid Secretary for Communications who is closely tied to Rasky and who Rasky hired.
• The controversial Cabinet Secretary for Social Services and Healthcare, who has no healthcare network anymore to deal with, has a full-time paid President running Catholic Charities and believes Catholic teachings on morality should be suppressed in the public square.
• The Assistant Vicar for Administration and Special Assistant to the Vicar General, who, observers say does not seem to multi-task well or get along well with others.
• The Executive Director – Human Resources, Benefits and Administration, who is a proud ex-Catholic, had no background in benefits, was a labor attorney prior to working for the Archdiocese, is massively over-paid in her role vs what other dioceses pay for similar functions, and who was the sponsor of the controversial Pastoral Center yoga class earlier this year offered by her own personal yoga instructor.