Cleveland bishop will reopen 12 parishes in accord with Vatican ruling

April 17, 2012

Bishop Richard Lennon of Cleveland, Ohio, has announced that he will re-open 12 parishes, after the Vatican ruled that he had acted improperly in closing them.

In February, opponents of the parish-closing decisions announced that the Vatican had upheld their canonical suit, ruling that 13 parishes should not have been closed. Bishop Lennon said that the report was inaccurate, insofar as there were 12 parishes included in the Vatican judgment.

The bishop said that he weighed an appeal of the Vatican ruling, but decided against it because “it is time for peace and unity in the Diocese of Cleveland.” The diocese had closed 50 parishes altogether under a reconfiguration plan that Bishop Lennon approved.

 

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Further information:

• Cleveland bishop will reopen 12 of 13 parishes spared by Vatican in church-closing dispute (AP)
• Bishop Richard Lennon says he will reopen 12 churches that won Vatican appeal (Plain Dealer)
• Vatican overturns parish closings in Cleveland diocese (CWN, 3/7)