Dispute between bishop, service agency results
in split
By NCR STAFF
A dispute over the bishops control of a Catholic service
agency in the Youngstown, Ohio, diocese led to the agencys break from the
diocese, when its board voted against conceding control of local
operations.
After the board decided against affiliating with Bishop Thomas
Tobins recently formed Diocese of Youngstown Catholic Charities Corp.,
the diocese prohibited Catholic Community Services of Stark County from using
the word Catholic in its name and from acting as an official agency of
the diocese, according to reports in the Canton newspaper, The
Repository.
Founded in 1919, Catholic Community Services had an independently
incorporated board that hired the staff of the agency. Under Tobins
proposal, however, all social service agencies would come under the Catholic
Charities Corp., overseen by the bishop and four members of the bishops
staff. The local board of Catholic Community Services would have essentially
gone from a decision-making board to an advisory board.
A major issue was who would control the agencys assets. The
agency received less than 20 percent of its funding from the diocese. The rest
comes from grants, billable services and donations.
In a news release following the boards vote against
affiliating with the diocesan Catholic Charities Sept. 15, board president
Stelio Flamos said, It was a painful and difficult decision to arrive at.
While we recognize Bishop Tobins authority, who, by canon law, has the
power to make these determinations, we also feel a loyalty and recognition to
his good intentions. Our members could not agree that this particular model was
the best way to achieve [Tobins] goals.
Flamos added, No one wins. Our goal here is to serve the
needy. We have to continue with our mission here, but there is some separation
in terms of feelings with the board.
Flamos resigned as president Sept. 17. He did not link his
resignation with the dispute. I felt my job was complete and for personal
reasons resigned, he told The Repository.
Msgr. Robert Siffrin, vicar general of the diocese, called the
boards vote a surprise. Its certainly been a disappointment
to see whatever the fears and apprehensions of a few people have been, he
said.
A news release from the Community Services board after the vote
indicated that board members were open to further dialogue with Tobin. However,
the day after the vote, Tobin sent a letter to James Aylward, president of the
agency, detailing the consequences of not affiliating with Catholic
Charities Corp., including loss of affiliated tax exemption status;
discontinuation of diocesan insurance programs; the end of lease agreements to
use diocesan property; and loss of diocesan funding. As of this date, you
are no longer permitted to utilize the name Catholic in any form or
manner, the letter said. Further, you are no longer recognized as a
Catholic institution.
Siffrin told The Repository, My impression from the
representatives of the board is theyre not really open to the ultimate
authority of the bishop. That being the case, theres nothing to
compromise, theres nothing to negotiate.
National Catholic Reporter, October 1,
1999
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