Archbishop Naumann, why are you using Catholic Church money to fight Kansans’ rights?

This is a copy of a letter I sent to Archbishop Joseph Naumann of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas and to Chuck Weber, executive director of the Kansas Catholic Conference and former state representative:

Greetings to you. I think it quite important that I follow up after the Aug. 2 election, in which the people of Kansas clearly and overwhelmingly turned out specifically to make their voices heard about the right for women to make their own decisions about their health care relating to abortion.

I am delighted, at this point, that women will not have to leave the state to travel long distances at expense to their health and pocketbook — especially for those on a lower income status. If this amendment were to have passed, women with money would, of course, have continued with their plans about their personal reproductive health without the same problems.

I did read recently that the Catholic Church will continue to turn to its political side to fund more legislation to overturn the people’s vote. As has been well documented, Kansas dioceses spent millions of dollars trying to amend the state constitution to allow the Legislature to enact laws severely restricting abortion rights.

As noted in news read around the nation, someone with money also sponsored text messages sent just before the election with lies about what a yes vote on this ballot issue would have meant, as I am sure you are quite aware. Although the Value Them Both Coalition, which is backed by the church, claims it did not send the texts, it did sponsor misleading information about the intentionally confusing ballot language.

Why would the archdiocese misguide people and oppose health care for women? Why does the Catholic Church not promote women in higher roles in the denomination? Why does the Catholic Church shun nuns who are progressive in fighting for the rights of women and disenfranchised people in general?

Is this what Dorothy Day would have wanted? I know she was a Catholic woman who lived and worked with people of low income in the ghettos of New York City. She stood for the rights of the people. She wrote books and got stuff done.

Furthermore, and finally: Do you ever — as in ever — sit down and have a one-to-one conversation with a low-income woman of color at least fully to listen — as in listen — to her interests, her problems, her lack of social justice rights, equality and equity? I would like to hear if you do, and listen without judgment.

Jesus would not have, and does not now want a hierarchy of power in the church telling people what to do. Does Jesus even believe in the formal church? He listens and walks with Catholic leaders through their decision-making and the actions they decide to take. Is this what the church hierarchy does, and has always done?

I think not. Is the Catholic Church losing members and therefore congregations ? If so, why is that?

My opinion is that the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is doing this for the money. Jesus would and will come in and turn over those money-collecting tables as he did in the temple in Jerusalem.

I wish you the ability to listen, as Jesus did and does, and turn your actions to and for the people — especially the women you currently ignore.

Blessings and peace for the people.