Boston’s Archbishop Sean O’Malley has appointed a member of Voice of the Faithful to head a key panel on church closings. David Castaldi, a former archdiocesan chancellor and a ranking member of VOTF, was asked in August to head a committee overseeing the sale of closed parish properties and how the proceeds will be spent. It’s only being announced now.
Apparently Castaldi’s VOTF membership is not incidental to this appointment as the current chancellor, David Smith, says that thisis part of the financial transparency and accountability that VOTF has been clamoring for. I find the increasing deference being given to a group whose foundational philosophy is at odds with the Church’s teaching somewhat disturbing. What’s next? Will they lift the ban on new VOTF groups?
(I still find the half-ban now in place odd, in any case. VOTF is bad enough that no new chapters can be formed and meet on church property, but not bad enough that the current groups should be disbanded or at least told they can’t meet on church property. So which is it?)
