One question to ask is who is in charge of this movement and if any money is involved.
One recurring problem in community pastoral care is any missionary project
that disrupts a community by implying that ordinary church life is somehow
inferior to contemplative prayer.
If someone is so disruptive to a parish and a pastor seems unable to be of help, perhaps contact the chancellor of the diocese. If you can find others
willing to co sign your letter, that would be great.
Your pastor may have little experience in conflict resolution and be paralyzed. He may need assistance from the diocese on this. I have known a couple of pastors who were unable to to stand up to bullies. Both pastors grew up in
abusive families and literally froze in the presence of angry bossy people.
Your pastor may need to have some allies and witnesses before he is in a position to deal with this Divine Will parishioner.
Before you write to the chancellor, you and some other parishioners should
consider having a meeting with the pastor and tell him you are planning
to contact the diocese so that he can be part of this process, not discover
you've gone over his head.
Make sure you are part of a group of parishioners. If you do this by yourself, you will risk being the one who is marginalized and labelled a trouble maker.
Years ago, someone gave me some great advice on how to draft a letter to
the chancellor of a diocese:
Keep it at one page.
Clear margins.
Supply documents and website addresses for the person or group you are asking
about.
Ask if this approach is compatible with the magisterium because you
are worried that it could bring discord to a parish.
Final note: ask if this Divine Will could be similar to an approach
termed "Quietism".
Quietism
Encyclopedia Britannica
[www.britannica.com]
New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia
[www.newadvent.org]
Google search for Quietism Catholicism
[www.google.com]
One recurring problem in community pastoral care is any missionary project
that disrupts a community by implying that ordinary church life is somehow
inferior to contemplative prayer.
If someone is so disruptive to a parish and a pastor seems unable to be of help, perhaps contact the chancellor of the diocese. If you can find others
willing to co sign your letter, that would be great.
Your pastor may have little experience in conflict resolution and be paralyzed. He may need assistance from the diocese on this. I have known a couple of pastors who were unable to to stand up to bullies. Both pastors grew up in
abusive families and literally froze in the presence of angry bossy people.
Your pastor may need to have some allies and witnesses before he is in a position to deal with this Divine Will parishioner.
Before you write to the chancellor, you and some other parishioners should
consider having a meeting with the pastor and tell him you are planning
to contact the diocese so that he can be part of this process, not discover
you've gone over his head.
Make sure you are part of a group of parishioners. If you do this by yourself, you will risk being the one who is marginalized and labelled a trouble maker.
Years ago, someone gave me some great advice on how to draft a letter to
the chancellor of a diocese:
Keep it at one page.
Clear margins.
Supply documents and website addresses for the person or group you are asking
about.
Ask if this approach is compatible with the magisterium because you
are worried that it could bring discord to a parish.
Final note: ask if this Divine Will could be similar to an approach
termed "Quietism".
Quietism
Encyclopedia Britannica
[www.britannica.com]
New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia
[www.newadvent.org]
Google search for Quietism Catholicism
[www.google.com]