FLORIDA
Herald-Tribune
By Michael Scott Davidson
Published: Thursday, September 25, 2014
VENCIE – The local chapter of a national Catholic organization is asking Pope Francis to issue an investigation of Bishop Frank Dewane, the leader of the Diocese of Venice.
The Southwest Florida chapter of Call to Action has authored a letter and online petition that accuse Dewane of violating Canon Law, terminating at least two dozen employees without good reason and creating an environment of intimidation among subordinates.
The Venice Diocese, which represents 240,000 Catholics in 10 Florida counties, including Sarasota and Manatee, issued a stern response.
A statement from the diocese denied the accusations and discredited Call to Action as an excommunicated organization seeking to advance its own agenda.
The petition “simply reiterates the sweeping, unfounded, general accusations from several months ago by a few anonymous priests,” the Diocese’s statement reads.
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