Catholic Moms Place for Fellowship, Family Management, Fun Ideas - Help fight the no-fault divorce system for the sanctity of marriage?

*Can you spare 10 minutes to help fight the no-fault divorce system for the sanctity of marriage?*

Bai Macfarlane needs help to let the Bishop in Cleveland and the Vatican know that there are faithful Catholics who are very concerned about the indissolubility of marriage and that we want the Church authorities to speak the truth on this matter.

If you are unfamiliar with this divorce proceeding, please refer to Bai's website: www.marysadvocates.org for further details.

Please consider doing a 10-minute favour for Bai:
1) spend a few minutes writing your own quick message to her husband Bud (who several times over the years has himself written to members of the website CatholiCity to encourage people to remember the indissolubility of marriage and the Church's position on divorce).
2) send a copy to the bishop using the cover letter sample below or write your own
3) send a copy of both letters to the Ambassador to the United States from the Vatican, using the enclosed cover letter or write your own.

Bai says she is hoping these letters have more impact if there are many of them received the same week by the Ambassador from the Vatican. Please e-mail this message to any others who may want to help this way, too.

_______________________________________________________________ BISHOP

In your cover letter to Bishop Pilla, Bai suggests saying:

Your name
address
city, state zip
date

Most Rev. Anthony Pilla
Cleveland Diocese
1027 Superior Ave.
Cleveland, OH 44114

[ if you use e-mail: info@dioceseofcleveland.org and state "Message to Bishop Pilla regarding Macfarlane Scandal" in the Subject line]

Your Excellency:
I have enclosed for your consideration a copy of a letter I just wrote to Mr. William "Bud" Macfarlane, a professed loyal Catholic, who is causing great scandal among thousands of Catholics who know he has separated from his wife and used the civil courts to forcibly remove their four children from their mother. Further, he has not obtained the ecclesiastical authorization required by canon law for separation, nor obtained the required authorization of his bishop before approaching the civil forum (canon 1151-1155, and 1692 copied below). I understand that people have been sending you letters since September asking for you to help this family.

Will you please assure me that you are taking appropriate action to ensure that Mr. Macfarlane has been authoritatively notified that he may not seek civil divorce without first obtaining a separation decree as described in canon laws that specify the just reasons to be separated from his wife; and second, that he must obtain from you, his bishop, a decree authorizing him to get a civil divorce that considers which civil court orders will not contradict divine law. I trust you will advise him of the consequences a Catholic faces who deliberately ignores the laws of Christ and His Church as specified in the Code of Canon Law.

Can. 1153 §1 A spouse who occasions grave danger of soul or body to the other or to the children, or otherwise makes the common life unduly difficult, provides the other spouse with a reason to leave, either by a decree of the local Ordinary or, if there is danger in delay, even on his or her own authority. §2 In all cases, when the reason for separation ceases, the common conjugal life is to be restored, unless otherwise provided by ecclesiastical authority.

Can. 1692 -- § 1. Unless lawfully provided otherwise in particular places, the personal separation of baptized spouses can be decided by a decree of the diocesan Bishop or by the judgment of a judge in accordance with the following canons.

§ 2. Where the ecclesiastical decision does not provide civil effects, or if it is foreseen that there will be a civil judgment not contrary to the divine law, the Bishop of the diocese in which the spouses are living can, in the light of their particular circumstances, give them permission to approach the civil courts.

§ 3. If the case is also concerned with the merely civil effects of marriage, the judge is to endeavor, without prejudice to the provision of § 2, to have the case brought before the civil court from the very beginning.

I'm looking forward to your reply, and I do pray that God bless you as you undertake your pastoral responsibilities in the Cleveland Diocese.

Sincerely,
N.

Enclosure: Letter to William "Bud" Macfarlane C: His Excellency Gabriele Montalvo, Ambassador of The Holy See to the United States
____________________
AMBASSADOR FROM THE VATICAN
In the letter to the Ambassador of The Holy See to the United States, [ http://www.washdiplomat.com/ambprof/holysee.html ]

Bai suggests saying:
Your name
Address
City, State Zip

Date
Most Rev. Gabriele Montalvo
Embassy of The Holy See
3339 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20008

Your Excellency:

I have enclosed for your consideration a copy of a letter to the Most Rev. Anthony Pilla, Bishop of the Cleveland Diocese. For six months, Bishop Pilla has been advised of the concerns of many faithful Catholics about the scandal being caused by William "Bud" Macfarlane, a famous Catholic in his diocese who is known to hundreds of thousands of Catholics worldwide. Mr. Macfarlane, author, and executive director of the Mary Foundation, has separated from his wife and used the divorce courts to forcibly remove his children from their devoted mother, but he has not obtained the ecclesiastical authorization required by canon law for separation or civil divorce. The letter I just wrote to Mr. Macfarlane is also enclosed.

Mr. Macfarlane recently wrote about his respect for the bishop: "Your bishop is the direct representative of Christ's kingship in your life, more so than even the pope. As an act of love, respect, and gratitude for the gift from Jesus that this man is to you, attend Mass at the heart of your diocese to offer your Communion just for him. Most cathedrals have daily Confession, too. Receive the priceless gift of absolution through the priests your bishop has appointed to the cathedral." (Mar. 9, 2005 newsletter, http://www.catholicity.com/catholicitymessage/archives/wm2005-03 -09.html)

It seems Mr. Macfarlane would follow church teaching regarding separation and divorce if his bishop would authoritatively advise him of his obligations. As the Pope teaches, "One cannot give in to the divorce mentality: [...] Pastoral activity must support and promote indissolubility. The doctrinal aspects should be transmitted, clarified and defended, but even more important are consistent actions" (Jan. 28 2002 to Roman Rota).

In order to minimize scandal, I ask that the faithful be advised that the ecclesiastic authorities have intervened appropriately. We would like to know if Mr. Macfarlane has not properly followed Church teaching by abandoning his wife and seeking divorce, or that he has properly followed Church teaching and an ecclesiastic decree has been issued authorizing him to permanently separate from his wife and to approach the civil forum for divorce.

Sincerely,
N.
Enclosures: Letter to Most Rev. Anthony Pilla, Bishop of Cleveland, OH

Letter to William N. Macfarlane, director of the Mary Foundation

________________ FOR BUD
Bai suggests you say whatever you feel inspired to say, knowing that others have written and it has had no effect:
You can contact Bud using his fill-in-the blank form on his website, found at:
http://www.catholicity.com/aboutus/contactbud.html
If you use US mail, please note on the address that this a personal note to Bud and NOT regarding Mary Foundation business. The mail is opened by other staffers and it would an inappropriate use of their time to have to open this kind of mail. The postal address for Bud is:

The Mary Foundation
PO Box 26101
Fairview Park, OH 44126-0101

submitted by: Karen Murphy Corr

Posted on the www.CatholicMoms.com website.