From the coverups in the sex-abuse scandal to the strange removals and reinstatements of priests, from the imposition of a dubious anti-abuse program to the silencing of a priest critical of it, from the somewhat arbitrary closing of parishes to the establishment's unwillingness to admit obvious mistakes, Boston Catholics aren't impressed with the quality -- let alone the content -- of the archdiocese's communications over the past couple of years, and some folks are talking back by stiffing the second collection today for the "Catholic Communication Campaign" -- and for the archdiocesan communications office.
Update: the Globe surveys the ongoing fuss.
Word has it that my fellow parishioners are joining in the financial protest. At Sunday's first Mass, the Communications collection took in 19 "funny-money" protest notes and fourteen $1 bills. The priest-administrator of the parish reportedly kicked press and TV reporters off the property and tried vainly to bar them from the sidewalk in front of the church. (That should make some good television.)
At the noon Mass, collection baskets were brimming with the pastel green faux-notes.
Creative ways to not donate to the Church (although I have to say, if I lived in Boston I'm not sure that I would have donated to that cause.)
After that disrespectful behavior at Mass I would hope the confessionals would be brimming over.