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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. (AP) - A state lawmaker is urging the Roman Catholic diocese of Springfield to put recently-announced church closings on hold until there is more discussion in the community.
But a spokesman for the diocese, Mark DuPont, told the Berkshire Eagle that Rep. Daniel Bosley's call for a moratorium was "inappropriate and unrealistic."
Bishop Timothy McDonnell announced Monday that 11 churches would be closed or merged by Jan. 1, including several in the Berkshires.
Bosley, a North Adams Democrat, complained that the diocese did not give advance notice to public officials about the consolidation. He called the decision "heavy-handed" and called for more community input. He was also critical of the Jan. 1 deadline.
Dupont said Bosley's request runs afoul of the Constitutional separation of church and state.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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