Ownership
As the saying goes, possession is 9/10's the law but that does not really translate when you are talking about land or buildings. Even when you talk about churches, they are still owned by the Archdiocese not the parishioners.According to their website, The Council of Parishes is a group of committed concerned Catholics formed to support parishes subject to closure; who seek options other than the closure of vibrant parishes as solutions to the shortage of priests and the financial distress in the Boston archdiocese and who provide a forum for parishes and laity to communicate with the archdiocese about issues of concern.
Don't get me wrong, I am all for a layman group comprised of concerned and motivated Catholics dedicated to working with the archdiocese but sit-in's to keep churches open and lawsuits to try and claim the land and church for the people is not the methods used when you want to be celebrative.
The latest suit was brought on behalf of the parishioners of the closed St. Jeremiah Parish in Framingham yesterday urged a Middlesex Superior Court judge to rule that the parishioners, not the Archdiocese of Boston, are the rightful owners of St. Jeremiah's land and buildings. Judge Isaac Borenstein deferred ruling in the case until January to give attorneys for both sides time to make further filings, but he questioned the parishioners' attorneys closely on why he should rule for them when judges in two other superior courts already have ruled in favor of archdiocesan motions to dismiss such claims in similar cases.
In two other suits, brought by members of St. James the Great Parish in Wellesley and Our Lady of Mount Carmel in East Boston, superior court judges have ruled in favor of archdiocesan motions to throw out the cases. Both of these rulings are being appealed.
I guess I should stop inviting people to my house for dinner parties in case I ever want to stop inviting them, they might just sue for my house and land. Or maybe that's just ridiculous. Maybe that depends on your point [or your lawyer’s point of view].
posted by TheWino @ 10:19 AM
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