Ed. Note: In recognition of the busy holiday weekend, Pistrina offers a short but persuasive penultimate argument for lay governance of Sede chapels. (Before we give the # 1 reason for lay governance, we'll interrupt this series of posts for a hilarious critique of the "rector's" March newsletter.)Even in the times before the Council, clergy were merely stewards of the gifts of the faithful, not the owners. The assets that resulted from the laity's generosity were never the personal (and fungible!) property of individual clergy to be used as only they saw fit without oversight or accountability.
In these times, there is no valid ecclesiastical organization to hold money and property in trust for the Church. True, there may be a few upright clergy who could fulfill that heavy duty of care (we know of two or three), but even in those cases there is a risk that, should they die or become incapacitated, chapel assets could fall under the control of clergy with more "elastic" consciences.
If you remember that you gave to your chapel and not the man, and that you gave to have a place to worship God in the manner He commanded, then you must act prudently to preserve what you have built with your money and sacrifice.
The only means of safeguarding your chapel under the Sede Vacante is a civil corporation governed by a lay board. It is the only way to guarantee that your bank account cannot be raided and that your buildings cannot be sold off. Most grasping clergy decry lay boards (as do some misguided Traddies), but we invite you to check the record. It's on the Web. Compare the history of greedy clergy vs. lay boards, and then you'll opt for lay governance. Don't succumb to fear! Don't let rogue clergy hold you up!
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