Monday, November 21, 2011

Some new reportage on Our Lady of Vilnius in Lithuanian press

Lithuanian website "BNS Spaudos centras" has published and article by plaintiff Mindaugas Blaudziunas titled "Lapkričio mėn 15 d. Niujorko lietuvių Aušros Vartų bažnyčios bylą nagrinėjo Aukščiausias Niujorko valstijos teismas" .

For those that do not read Lithuanian, here is the Englis text produced by Google Translate. It will give you the gist. In the meantime, I have a Lithuanian friend amending the translation below for correctness and spin.

November 15, New York Lithuanian Church of Our Lady of the case dealt with the Supreme Court of New YorkCategories: Culture, Law Enforcement2011-11-18 15:17Judgement of the Court to answer the question whether the Roman Catholic Church congregation has a legal right to decide the fate of the church.New York, in November. 17 In 2011.Mindaugas BlaudžiūnasParishioner AV AV Conservation CommitteeOur Lady of New York (called Our Lady of Vilnius) legal battle against the parishioners of the Archdiocese of New York for its preservation of the church reached a point kuliminacinį. On November 15, the case was discussed at the highest New York Court of Appeals in Albany. Having listened to the arguments put forward by the judges will decide whether the Archdiocese of New York City has the right to demolish the church building, the AV without the consent of the parishioners.New York's Cardinal Egan E. Decision Our Lady's Church (the UA) was closed in 2007 Within a few weeks, the church building was evacuated and riuošiamas demolition. Cardinal parishioners filed in court, preparing for demolition was halted.About 40 minutes. the court session that lasted 7 panel of judges made their arguments and their questions answered AV parishioners and the Archdiocese of New York, lawyers representing.AV by H. Kresky said, according to the New York State Religious Corporations Law 5th paragraph of the parish is a religious corporation. Parishioners to read the corporate members and to decide church property (ie, corporations) and the fate of the management issues. Or demolition of a building or a church, congregation decides, not the Archdiocese.Based on the U.S. constitution's first supplement (Congress may not impose religion nor the law of one) and said that the Roman Catholic Church is herarchinė structure and are governed by canon (church) law the law, the archdiocese attorney, P. Johnson said that the religious corporations, paragraph 5 of the Civil įstaymo Catholic churches are not. Asked whether he pripažysta that the church is the AV rel. Corporation, Mr. Johnson agreed with the facts, but argued that the parishioners are not members of the corporation and the right to pull the court has no diocese. When asked what his understanding is that members of the corporation, Mr. Johnson replied that they did not exist. P. Johnson suggested the court case."Court proceedings are the same issues that have been made to the court in 2008 defending the destruction of the Irish community in New York City-owned historic St. Brigid church," remarked Mr. Kresky. "Before the St.. Brigid Church of the proceedings had a ready stipius arguments. However, the trial court did not take place before the court because the archdiocese announced that in connection with the anonymous donor's proposal for the repair and restoration of the church donated the sum of $ 20 mil, St.. Brigid repairs and will be transferred to the faithful. This case poses a very important legal issues were not examined in court. Prepared arguments St. Brigid case, I applied the Church of Our Lady of the defense in court. They are now important as regards legal issues will be fully dealt with at the highest state court. "AV by H. Kresky sessions of the court was satisfied. "... The judges questions clearly shows the importance of topics of interest for judges to consider this issue fully. Judges decision will be historic. This decision could legitimize the parish church legal position in asset management and determine the fate of many other churches ..." he said.Date for a judicial decision is not set. It may take longer than a few months.Seeking religious independence, AV Lithuanian Catholic parish in New York was founded in 1905 After 5 years of the church building was completed. The Church was not only in Lithuanian, but also around the living nelietuviakalbių house of worship. Lithuania grabbed the independence and the arrival in New York for an increasing number of new Lithuanian, AV experienced a great revival, and the value of the new Lithuanian parish pastoral care has increased significantly.In 2007 in February. AV E. Savickis pastor was summoned to a cardinal. At the time of the Archdiocese of ministers changed the locks of the church, and Cardinal E. Savickis said that from the day the church is closed. There are also deleted the parish. Sudden closure of the church and decided to demolish it, the Lithuanians lost within the last person the New York Archdiocese of the Lithuanian church.Lithuanian efforts to restore the parish church to recover and preserve the building from destruction going on since 2007, In addition to the civil court, parishioners filed an appeal with the Vatican supreme located kanonininės rights crimes of analyzing organizations. New York Lithuanian community pirmininikė R.Žukaitė New York Cardinal Egan presented the E. about 4000 thousand. people signed a petition in 2008 During his visit to Rome for the preservation of the church in the AV Pope Benedict XVI called Lithuanian resp. President Vladimir The President. For more than four years old, every Sunday a group of parishioners gather AV stairs to the church for prayer and exchange.Stamp of the church is closed, the parish financially self-maintained and fully offered Archdiocese of New York. Parish with Lithuania stunned and encouraged to think of the fact 400 people and have over 100 years-old of the parish community, the grounds for revocation.2002 Lithuania and the U.S. government signed an agreement on the National Heritage Conservation areas in these countries. AS the church is included in the list of protected objects. Gates of Dawn, as the NAC. Lithuanian heritage, part of the U.S., the preservation of this year, official letters of support distributed to the Lithuanian Minister of Culture A. Gelūnas and Lithuanian Foreign Affairs Minister A. Azubalis.Parishioners, Our Lady of the New York Rescue Committee and the Lithuanian American community appeals to all believers and the virtuous people of Lithuania and asks for his intercession in the fight against the illegal closure of Our Lady of the Church and the Archdiocese of New York's desire to destroy one of the oldest and noblest spiritual, historical and architectural monuments created by Lithuanian foreign.Contact (s) of person (s):Mindaugas BlaudžiūnasParishioner AV AV Conservation Committee917 647 1603 (New York) Tel.Mindaugasb@msn.comLithuania - Vilnius Kaminskas 8687 17622Published Vilius Kaminskas, Our Lady's Parish in New York

No comments: