PENNSYLVANIA
Philadelphia Inquirer
LAURA MCCRYSTAL, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
LAST UPDATED: Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Five Catholic churches slated to close at the end of the month, together totaling more than 13,000 parishioners, have filed appeals with Archbishop Charles J. Chaput.
Though their chances of winning are minimal, and the process is costly and lengthy, some parishes already are preparing for a second step: sending their cases to Rome.
Any appeals will not delay parish mergers, set to take effect July 1. So, as they prepare to shut their doors, a few parishes are also hiring lawyers familiar with church law, holding meetings, and raising money.
By Tuesday’s deadline to file appeals with the archbishop, the archdiocese had received letters from the five parishes, in Montgomery, Delaware, and Bucks Counties. Church law allows Chaput 30 days to respond. Parishioners can then appeal to the Vatican.
“We’re ready,” said Ralph DiGuiseppe, a parishioner at St. Ann Church in Bristol Township, Bucks County. “The appeal process is being formulated now. So, if this request is turned down, we’ll file the appeal to Rome.”
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