Correspondence
CORRESPONDENCE The Dora expulsion Kimball, Minn. To the Editors: The article by Robert L. Spaeth. "Cloud Over St. Cloud" [December 5 ] requires further amplification. Some facts were...
...That is what happened in the case of Fr...
...Index of American Periodical Verse, Book Review Digest and Book Review Index...
...In doing so Spaeth exhibits a complete lack of understanding of the mission of a diocesan paper...
...Arturo Kemchs, Mexico...
...Cloud Visitor is a semisubsidized paper for the information and education of the faithful of the St Cloud diocese...
...Since that event Spaeth has not missed an opportunity to be critical of Bishop Speltz...
...martin l McCowan The author replies: Martin McGowan has misrepresented what I wrote about their Cloud Visitor's unilateral cut-off of debate on the firing of Fr...
...I took the affirmative position and the following week I was raked over the coals in letters to the editor for daring to suggest such a heresy...
...Dorn's column appeared in the September IS, 1986 Visitor: letters-to-the-editor commenting on his opinions, as well as Bishop George Speltz's statement of objections, appeared in two subsequent issues...
...In his column in the Visitor...
...ROBERT I. SPAr/TH Commonwtal is indexed in Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature...
...I did not contend — McGowan's claim to the contrary — that "views of gays and lesbians were not aired in the Visitor after the controversial column...
...Dorn also bears some responsibility for challenging the authority of the church and the bishop in his own paper...
...Ross...
...The staff of the Visitor also must be having second thoughts about choosing the topictor us pages and asking Fr...
...In a public discussion I had with Fr...
...The paper is sent to all the parish members in the diocese . . Bishop Speltz is the publisher of the paper...
...p. 139...
...This is the debate that has been frozen out of the St...
...Bishop Spelt/ might have second thoughts about accepting a homosexual priest into his diocese, but being compassionate, he took in Fr...
...The church maintains that homosexuality is unnatural and sinful...
...Dorn The topic then was whether or not girls should be allowed to assist at Mass with boys...
...It is not true, as Spaeth contends, that views of gays and lesbians were not aired in the Visitor after the controversial column In the following three issues, the Visitor published a heavy volume of letters from Kith sides...
...Cloud Visitor...
...Dom he would not separate the sin from the sinner, that is, to accept those with homosexual tendencies who do not engage in homosexual practices...
...Ann Arbor...
...Dorn said homosexuality is a blessing and a gift from God...
...Cloud Visitor...
...Cloud Newman Center's parish council said in their statement of protest over the firing of Fr...
...As the St...
...N Y ('optnght y. 19X7 Commonweal I ounilaliori Illustrations: Cover...
...At the time of his cancellation...
...At an earlier time I wrote a column in the Visitor at the request of the staff in the same series as Fr...
...Spaeth is dreaming if he thinks the bishop is going to allow publication of views from those in positions of responsibility which challenge official church positions...
...Rather, as I reported and McGowan distorted, it was soon after Speltz fired Dorn that the editor received "the largest stack of letters, newspaper clippings, and statements that I have ever gathered...
...p. 133...
...The St...
...Bishop George Spelt/, found his writings to be unsettling and too challenging to church positions...
...Despite what McGowan wrote, it was not a matter of "enough is enough," but rather "nothing is enough...
...Finally Bishop Speltz canceled Spaeth's column in the paper...
...Zimmerman has had many uncomfortable moments...
...It should be understood from the outset that the author was not writing from an unbiased position...
...130: Commonwrul...
...Fr Zimmerman, the editor, decided not to publish any more letters on the subject...
...His editorials have been moderate to modestly liberal in an area that is extremely conservative...
...Rothco Cartoons...
...Rita Corbin...
...Spaeth complained that Bishop Spelt/ lacked the courage to tolerate dissenting opinions in the Visitor...
...Microfilm from Vol I. 1924...
...Wooster...
...Dorn and assigned him to the state university parish...
...p. 147...
...Dom (a statement the Visitor refused to print), "it is imperative the church allow freedom of expression without intimidation or repercussion...
...Spaeth voices that same complaint in his Commonweal piece...
...For allowing anyfresh air into the pages of the Visitor Fr...
...How long did Spaeth want this to go on...
...Recently Bishop Speltz admitted his responsibility when he told a Minneapolis Star and Tribune reporter, "I would admit — recognize — that on this subject debate has been closed, so far as I'm concerned...
...The St...
...At one time he was a regular columnist for the St...
...Blame - if blame be needed — lor the Dom incident, can be affixed at many places...
...Dorn, says on must accept both those who practice and those who don"t...
...Ohio 44691 Serials Data program No : ISSN 0010-3330 Second-class postage [will ;ii New York...
...Dorn for an opinion...
...Some facts were omitted...
...Paul Valcrry;pp 135 & 140...
...William Dorn...
...Zimmereman publishes news items in the paper which are not favorable to the Catholic church...
...Finally...
...CO Punch...
...MI 48106 and on Microfiche from Bell & Mowed...
...Dorn...
...Catholic Periodical Index...
...The debate by then had moved beyond the issue of how to minister to homosexuals, to questions such as whether a priest who docs minister to homosexuals and writes an invited article in his diocesan newspaper should be fired for doing so...
...to current issues available through University Microfilm, 300 N. Zteb Road...
...Cloud Visitor is an excellent paper in my opinion...
...others were not stated correctly...
...Under such conditions...
Vol. 114 • March 1987 • No. 5
