NEW YORK
National Catholic Reporter
Ben Feuerherd | Aug. 8, 2013
NEW YORK
Fr. Helmut Schüller’s “Catholic Tipping Point” tour of the United States ended where it began: in New York. He gave an address Wednesday evening in Manhasset and on Thursday, he visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan, where he delivered thousands of red ribbons and signatures he collected in 15 cities across the nation.
The original plan was to give the ribbons, which symbolize Pentecost, to New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, but no one from the archdiocese was there to accept them. Instead, it was agreed the ribbons would be delivered to the front desk of the chancery, wrote St. Joseph Sr. Chris Schenk, executive director of FutureChurch, in an email.
“I discovered many faithful Catholics working hard to change the church they love very much,” Schüller said at St. Patrick’s, according to a statement from FutureChurch, one of the tour’s organizing groups. “I also spoke with many priests who see the need for change but are afraid to raise their voices. There is no place for fear or intimidation in the Catholic church. We all must speak out for our rights as Catholics.”
In the last three weeks, Schüller traveled from the East Coast to the West, spreading a message of “disobedience” and church reform. In each city, Schüller preached the values of the “Call to Disobedience,” a 2011 document published by the Austrian Priests’ Initiative. His message includes opening the priesthood to women and married people. He also advocates for a stronger relationship between the church and Catholic gay couples.
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