TRINITY WALL STREET COULD HAVE CHOSEN FORGIVENESS

#OWS #D17 Trial photo by Jefferson Siegel

Below is a portion of Occupied Bishop George Packard's sentencing statement at his trial yesterday on charges of trespassing and criminal mischief.

No, my great sadness today has nothing to do with the law, its fairness or even an economic system favoring the few at the expense of the many in these days. 

It has to do with how Trinity Church has chosen to hop back and forth between being the aggrieved and trespassed party on the one hand and the sympathetic ear and support for those who deserve a message of mercy and forgiveness on the other. There was nothing to be gained by going forward with these prosecutions. Rector James Cooper even appreciated "the healthy debate" about  his property. I guess that discussion has limits for him when his corporate  side and cash flow takes over.

Is this entity a corporation worried about fiduciary interest or a portion of the Body of Christ? Which are they? We have received our answer today by their insistence for this action. In a time when we hope our moral institutions will speak with clarity…this one didn’t.

Read it all at the link above to Bishop George's blog.

The New York Times gives the story short shrift with only brief coverage, but Episcopal News Service covers the story with more thoroughness.

A retired Episcopal bishop and a priest from the Episcopal Diocese of New York were among seven people convicted June 18 on charges of trespassing on property owned by Trinity Episcopal Church, Wall Street, during a Dec. 17 Occupy Wall Street demonstration and sentenced to four days of community service.

George Packard, former Episcopal bishop suffragan for armed services and federal ministries, and the Rev. Earl Kooperkamp, rector of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Harlem, had faced up to 90 days in prison on the most serious charge, Packard’s lawyer, Gideon Oliver, had previously told ENS.

An eighth defendant, Mark Adams, was convicted of trespassing and additional charges of attempted criminal mischief and attempted possession of burglar’s tools, reportedly for trying to use bolt-cutters to slice through the fence surrounding the property. He was sentenced to 45 days in prison on Rikers Island and taken from court in handcuffs, Oliver said in a telephone interview after the trial.
....

Packard said he was surprised, disappointed and saddened by the trial’s outcome. He spoke to ENS via cell phone while attending a post-trial conference about how to support Adams, who he said had “become the fall guy” for the Dec. 17 Occupy action. The prosecutor recommended a 30-day sentence, but Adams received 45 days, he said.

“The eight of us [defendants] feel sort of bonded in brotherhood,” he said. “We’re feeling like a member of the family has been torn out from among us.”

Trinity did not have to pursue the charges, but it opted to “protect fiduciary interests,” Packard told ENS. “It’s pretty sad. I mean, this is what our church has come to. You don’t have enough pledging units to sustain many places. So we depend on the cash flow of corporate investment. It’s a caricature of what the gospel is.”

Statement from Trinity Wall Street after the verdict was handed down:

Like many churches, Trinity has a long and active history in addressing social and economic inequities. While we are sympathetic to many of the OWS protestors' stated goals, we do not support the seizure of private property. Trinity urged the District Attorney's Office to offer non-criminal dispositions before trial and to request non-jail sentences for those defendants who chose to proceed to trial. All protestors received sentences of four days of community service, except for one defendant who was convicted of additional crimes and had several open cases unrelated to Duarte Square. We continue to support the basic principles underlying the Occupy movement, and will continue to welcome protestors, as we welcome all others in our community, to our facilities in the Wall Street neighborhood.

As I have said elsewhere, Trinity's choice was stark and not complicated...to be on the side of the angels or on the side of the greedy bankers and financiers who run our country. Surely the Occupiers represent a very small David taking taking on the Goliath of Wall Street, but they did it anyway.

In the beginning of the Occupy movement, I wondered what were the demands of the Occupiers, what conditions they wanted met, until I visited the group in New Orleans before they were removed from two public spaces. I talked to the people there and suddenly it clicked. The Occupy folks will not be boxed in by a set of conditions or demands. When I asked the people why they were there, each person had a different reason, but it all came down to the injustice embedded in our political system, which is controlled by the big money folks. We are the 99%.

And I'm sure many of the Occupiers would laugh at my calling them the angels, for they are a messy, sometimes loud, and sometimes unsightly bunch. I don't know but its the kind of situation in which you either get the Occupy movement or you don't. The light bulb comes on, or it doesn't.

Trinity's choice should have been easy, and they chose wrong.  TWS is a church, part of the Body of Christ. What about hospitality? What about forgiveness?

TRINITY: CHOOSE TO ACT AS THE BODY OF CHRIST

Jack and George

Giles Fraser in the Guardian on the prosperity Gospel:

This is a big idea for many of the little shopfront Pentecostal churches that share space with the nail bars and pawnbrokers all the way along the roads that spread out from the Elephant and Castle. The Old Kent Road may be the cheapest brown on the Monopoly board, but in its theological imagination it dreams of being Mayfair and Park Lane.
....

This is a theology that hums to itself "O Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz?" and is widely – and rightly – dismissed by the more liberal mainstream as being highly exploitative. For it often turns out that the best way to express belief is by giving to the church and often specifically to the pastor. The more you give, the more you will receive.
,,,,

For while I wholeheartedly agree that prosperity theology is deeply mistaken – I feel the need to say this several times – , there are many for whom it represents the dream of a world radically transformed for themselves and their family. Is this not a legitimate aspiration? Would you too not dream of this as a loo attendant at the Elephant and Castle? I don't much care that the abundant life ministry brings out liberals in hives. When so much of our political culture has become little more than the management of an existing order, an order that does precious little for the poor, who else is giving voice to the order of change that would be necessary in order to bring prosperity to all?

And I'd add that all too often church culture "has become little more than the management of an existing order."

The Village Voice reports that Occupy protestors who were forcibly evicted by the police from Duarte Square, the barren plot of land owned by Trinity Church Wall Street, are scheduled to go on trial on Monday, June 11.  Occupy has asked Trinity to drop the charges against those who were arrested, but the church responded as follows:

Trinity does not have the legal ability to drop charges. Those cases are being prosecuted by the District Attorney's office. However, Trinity has contacted the District Attorney's office and has been advised that the District Attorney has offered non-criminal dispositions without fines or incarceration to all those defendants who were arrested and charged with trespassing for simply being present at Duarte Square.

On the other hand:

Gideon Oliver of the National Lawyers Guild says this statement is misleading on several counts. For one thing, while many of those arrested were offered and have declined Adjournments in Contemplation of Dismissal, not all of them have. For another, its disingenuous for Trinity to claim it has no control over the outcome in these cases. Sure, the District Attorney is in charge of the prosecution, but without the testimony of the church's lawyer, Amy Jedlicka, prosecutors would have no case.  (My emphasis)

See?  It's not that hard.

Press accounts make [rector of Trinity, James] Cooper, sound like the modern Episcopal version of a Borgia pope. He received compensation of $1.3 million in 2010, awarded himself the supplementary title of CEO, and picked out a $5.5 million SoHo townhouse for himself, paid for by the church. And his Scroogely actions extend well beyond stiff-arming Occupy Wall Street: he shuttered Trinity's homeless drop-in center in 2009, then announced plans to borrow church money to build luxury condos on top of a palatial renovation of the church's offices.

What's wrong with this picture?  And yes, I know that churches across the country and the world showed hospitality to the Occupiers, but the church of Wall Street, the street which symbolizes so much of what's wrong about the inequities in our country, surely failed in the Gospel imperative to welcome the stranger.

Another piece of the picture from Occupied Bishop George Packard:

Recently there has been commotion about the wisdom of Jack Boyle’s decision “to choose” a hunger strike and refuse to take his AIDS medication as a witness against Trinity Church’s prosecution of the December 17th protesters. Jack says, “Drop the charges and I will eat and take my meds.” At first I thought my friend was a little batty, worse, showing signs of PTSD from that violent early morning roust on November 15th at Zuccotti. He wouldn’t be the first to exhibit signs of that trauma’s aftermath. But after spending two hours with him at his home last Sunday I’m not so sure.
....

But during that long talk at his apartment I realized I didn’t really know him at all and the dignity of the man who had the right to make such an existential choice. I didn’t know his fears of being HIV positive since 2003, his sense of his own finitude and what “it was good for” or of his dual Irish citizenship, or, most tellingly the minute-by-minute recall he had of that violent sweep of Zuccotti on November 15th and how a cop had disfigured his hand.

God knows, I want Jack to eat and take his medications, but God also knows, I want Trinity to drop the charges.  My wish is to see Trinity turn its part of the world upside down in this small way, heeding the words of Mary in her song of praise to God, the Magnificat:

His mercy is for those who fear him
   from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
   he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
   and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
   and sent the rich away empty.

 George ends his post with these words:

And herein is the ultimate blasphemy for God’s church to defer to the law at hand rather than the justice on which it stands. But that would meant Trinity Church would have “chosen” to act as the Body of Christ instead of the soulless corporation it has  become.

SEE THE PRETTY TRUCKS

That's Duarte Square, where Occupy Wall Street tried to settle after the group was forcibly removed from Zucotti Park by the not-so-gentle police.  Alas, OWS was forcibly removed from the barren Duarte Square, too.  Trinity Church Wall Street owns both places.

I must admit that the square is much more aesthetically pleasing to the eye with trucks parked there than with riff-raff in tents parked in the area.  Plus, the church gets paid for allowing the trucks to park in the square, whereas the protestors wanted the space for free.  Ya gotta do what ya gotta do.


From 'New York Magazine'.

Thanks to Ann for the link.

OCCUPY AND BLOGGER'S BLOCK

The two iconic churches, Trinity Church Wall Street in New York, pictured to the left, and St Paul's Cathedral in The City of London, pictured below, have been much on my mind for the past several days.  The famous churches are coincidentally(?) located in the financial districts of the two great cities.  What I've thought of is the face-off between the churches and the Occupy groups in both cities. After a period of time, the authorities in the churches decided that the Occupiers had to go, and the groups were forcibly removed.  The right choice for the churches, to come down on the side of the 99%, seemed stark and obvious to me, but both chose to move against the Occupiers.  These are churches, for heaven's sake, the Body of Christ.

Occupied Bishop George Packard, a retired bishop in the Episcopal Church, gets it.  He joined the Occupiers and has been arrested twice in connection with Occupy protests.

Giles Fraser, former Canon Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral, gets it, too.  He resigned his position when the authorities in the church decided to remove Occupy London protestors by force from the grounds around the cathedral.  He now serves as priest-in-charge at St Mary's Newington, a parish in one of the poorer neighborhoods in South London.

The Occupy movement is by no means finished.  Just because the groups are not occupying parks and squares in their tents or marching in protests every day does not mean that they have disappeared.  Disdain for the elite and their absorption in prospering themselves and their near total disregard for the common good will not go away.

Now that this post is written, perhaps I'll be able to move on to other subjects besides the 'Story of the Day'...not that there's anything wrong with the stories, because if I didn't like them, I would not post them.   


Photo of Trinity from Wikipedia.
Photo of St Paul's from Cathedral & History.

UPDATE: An Occupy.com Profile: Bishop Packard

NOT QUITE DONE

This morning I thought I'd leave behind posts about OWS and its relations with TWS, following the example of Bishop George Packard.

This ends my comments about Trinity on this blog; OWS has more important things to confront now. As my fellow arrestees said in the holding cell, "This should be over with them; they had their chance." It was that chance I will miss because I'd seen it grabbed for meaning in the past.

And then I read the post by Jim Naughton at The Lead which quotes and links to a fine article in America, the Jesuit magazine, by Tom Beaudoin, a professor at Fordham University.

Some in Occupy use religious language of “sanctuary” for Occupy in their appeal to Trinity, because we were forcibly evicted from Zuccotti and have been hounded out of other public places since then. A religious organization like Trinity, many argue, ought to appreciate a basic point from the theological tradition: ongoing material space that is artistically curated, ritually inhabited, and safely overseen is essential for an ongoing witness to a more deeply flourishing reality.
....

On Saturday I was part of a protest that sought to draw further attention to the appeal to Trinity – as part of the larger drawing of attention to injustice in economic policies in the United States and beyond that has been central to Occupy from the beginning. Several dozen among the protesters went over the fence into Trinity’s property, in a nonviolent symbolic occupation, and were promptly arrested. Among those arrested were clergy and at least one religious, including an Episcopal bishop, a Catholic priest, a Catholic sister, and other clergy and religious leaders, as well as other lay protesters with or without any particular connection to religion.
....

At the risk of sacrificing nuance, and for the sake of brevity, let me be succinct: I think we have a very important theological matter before us when Occupy, through its religious-leader allies, is saying to Trinity Wall Street: We in Occupy -- as a multifaith, interreligious, spiritually pluralistic movement that is also and equally a nonreligious, secular movement -- can better meet your mission as a Christian church in this particular time, and this particular place, with negligible negative financial impact (Trinity is a very wealthy community), and with a rare and time-sensitive influence, by using this particular private property to host the next stage of Occupy Wall Street, and let’s meet to talk about the liability issues and any other concerns you have, let’s have that dialogue starting immediately, but in principle we have a substantial theological point worthy of your consideration.

The presumption in this theological claim, which I think is correct, is that no Christian church is – on the very terms of its theological existence – permitted to fall back on the mere invocation of “private property” without also a theological conversation about the spiritual significance of what that concept means and how it is being used.

The church as sanctuary, the church as a place of refuge resonates strongly with me. As I said at The Lead, the question is not whether TWS had the right to refuse the use of their property. Of course, they had the right, but was the refusal by TWS the right thing to do in this situation?

I urge you to read the entire article in America.

ANOTHER STATEMENT FROM THE RECTOR OF TRINITY WALL STREET

From Trinity Wall Street:

We are saddened that OWS protestors chose to ignore yesterday’s messages from Archbishop Tutu, from the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Katharine Jefferts Schori, and from Bishop of New York Mark S. Sisk. Bishop Tutu said: “In a country where all people can vote and Trinity’s door to dialogue is open, it is not necessary to forcibly break into property.” The Presiding Bishop said: “Other facilities of Trinity continue to be open to support the Occupy movement, for which I give great thanks. It is regrettable that Occupy members feel it is necessary to provoke potential legal and police action by attempting to trespass on other parish property…I would urge all concerned to stand down and seek justice in ways that do not further alienate potential allies.” Bishop Sisk said: “The movement should not be used to justify breaking the law nor is it necessary to break into property for the movement to continue.”
....

The Rev. Dr. James H. Cooper, Rector of Trinity Church

Today I was wondering what was in the minds and hearts of the people at Trinity after they read the stories and saw the pictures and videos of the events at Duarte Square yesterday. Now I know. They are saddened.

I assume the folks at Trinity were saddened when they saw the pictures of Bishop Packard going over the fence, getting arrested, riding in the police van. They were saddened by Brook Packard's account of getting kneed three times by a policeman until she fell and then being lifted by another policeman and thrown on a pile of people. They were saddened when the police used excessive and unnecessary force against bystanders outside the fence looking on, not trespassing.

Bishop Packard is my hero. I will never forget the video of him stumbling over his magenta robe as he climbed the ladder to make it first over the fence. Several people nearby said they cried. How proud I am that he is a bishop in my Episcopal Church.

I am saddened, too, but for different reasons than the folks at Trinity. I am saddened that Trinity did not offer a place, a home, a refuge, to the Occupiers. I am saddened that Trinity did not ask the police to stand down.

Bishop Packard has written a must-read post on the events of yesterday at Occupied Bishop which I urge you to read.

TWS TO OWS - BUGGER OFF!

From the Rev Dr James H Cooper, rector of Trinity Wall Street:

We are saddened that OWS protestors chose to ignore yesterday’s messages from Archbishop Tutu, from the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Katharine Jefferts Schori, and from Bishop of New York Mark S. Sisk. Bishop Tutu said: “In a country where all people can vote and Trinity’s door to dialogue is open, it is not necessary to forcibly break into property.” The Presiding Bishop said: “Other facilities of Trinity continue to be open to support the Occupy movement, for which I give great thanks. It is regrettable that Occupy members feel it is necessary to provoke potential legal and police action by attempting to trespass on other parish property…I would urge all concerned to stand down and seek justice in ways that do not further alienate potential allies.” Bishop Sisk said: “The movement should not be used to justify breaking the law nor is it necessary to break into property for the movement to continue.”

OWS protestors call out for social and economic justice; Trinity has been supporting these goals for more than 300 years. The protestors say they want to improve housing and economic development; Trinity is actively engaged in such efforts in the poorest neighborhoods in New York City and indeed around the world. We do not, however, believe that erecting a tent city at Duarte Square enhances their mission or ours. The vacant lot has no facilities to sustain a winter encampment. In good conscience and faith, we strongly believe to do so would be wrong, unsafe, unhealthy, and potentially injurious. We will continue to provide places of refuge and the responsible use of our facilities in the Wall Street area. We are gratified by the support we have received from so many in the community.

-The Rev. Dr. James H. Cooper, Rector of Trinity Church

Now I probably should post the Rev Cooper's statement without editorial comment, but I can't resist adding my 2 cents. In my humble opinion, the statement is pretty lame. It appears to me that the rector asked for statements from the big guns ahead of time so he could quote them to back up his own words, as though his statement wouldn't stand on its own.

Are we truly 'a country where all people can vote'? I don't think so. Even now, evidence shows that Republican governors work overtime to make it difficult for certain certain citizens to vote.

Folks keep saying the protestors should be barred from this place or that place because of 'health and safety' concerns, or because 'it's complicated', but it's really not. OWS seeks a place of refuge, and why not let them have the barren plot of land until the spring? They may even decide to move along before spring. Isn't the church to be about offering refuge? I know the folks at Trinity are not bad guys, and I know Trinity does much good in the community and around the world, but they chose to take the safe side against OWS, which means that they lost the opportunity to stand in witness with them against power and corruption.

I think of the Magnificat:

And Mary said,
‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’

Don't blame me for the headline. Blame my friend who must not be named.

UPDATE: Since her husband is in jail, Brook Packard posted at Occupied Bishop, Bp. Packard's blog, giving an account of her day. Please follow the link in her post to Elizabeth Drescher's report at Religious Dispatches, which provides further information.

BISHOPS WRITE LETTERS

H/T to Ann Fontaine at The Lead:

Letters from The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori and The Rev. Mark Sisk:

Statements from the Rt. Rev Mark S. Sisk and the Presiding Bishop Concerning
Occupy Wall Street, Trinity Church and Duarte Square

From Bishop Sisk

December 16, 2011

As many of you know, Trinity Wall Street is being challenged to provide a small parcel of parish-owned land, Duarte Square, to the Occupy Wall Street movement for encampment or other undefined use.

Trinity has clearly shown its support for the wider goals of the Occupy Wall Street movement, and has aided protesters directly through pastoral care and extensive use of parish facilities. They have said "yes" to requests for meeting space, bathroom facilities, private conference rooms, housing referrals, and pastoral care, and continue to look for ways to provide direct support to those who identify with the movement in Lower Manhattan. Providing private land without facilities for indeterminate usage, however, poses significant health and safety concerns, and is beyond the scope of Trinity's mission. To this, the parish has reasonably said, "no."

In and of itself, a request for use of a parish space by an outside group would not necessitate a bishop's involvement. But alarmingly, some clergy and protesters have attempted to "take" or "liberate" the space without Trinity's consent, and have clearly indicated their intent to engage in other attempts to do so in the coming days.

While many tactics of the Occupy movement have proven effective and creative, I feel it necessary now to reiterate our Church-wide commitment to non-violence. The movement should not be used to justify breaking the law, nor is it necessary to break into property for the movement to continue.

Together, let us pray for peaceful articulation, in word and deed, of the issues of justice and fairness that have brought the Occupy movement into the national conversation.

+Mark

The Rt. Rev Mark S. Sisk, Bishop of New York

------------------------

From the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop and Primate

December 16, 2011

Trinity Church, Wall Street, has provided extensive practical and pastoral support to the Occupy Wall Street movement. The Trinity congregation has decided that the property known as Duarte Park is not appropriate for use by the Occupy movement, and that property remains closed. Other facilities of Trinity continue to be open to support the Occupy movement, for which I give great thanks. It is regrettable that Occupy members feel it necessary to provoke potential legal and police action by attempting to trespass on other parish property. Seekers after justice have more often achieved success through non-violent action, rather than acts of force or arms. I would urge all concerned to stand down and seek justice in ways that do not further alienate potential allies.

+Katharine
The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church

Well, now we hear from the bishops on the matter of the use of Duarte Square. Why? What is the purpose of the Presiding Bishop and the Bishop of the Diocese of New York in writing the letters? Why is the national office of the Episcopal Church involved? Why is the Diocese of New York involved? Did Trinity Church ask them to write letters on their behalf, or did the two bishops take it upon themselves to write the letters?

I can't say they make me proud. That Bishop Sisk and Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori encourage non-violence is absolutely right and proper, but what does the Presiding Bishop mean by her caution against 'acts of force or arms'? The only persons armed are the police. The bishops ask non-violence of the Occupiers, and now that they've involved themselves, perhaps they might use the moral force of their words to ask the police to use restraint. The great majority of incidents of violence that I've heard about and seen on video were from unnecessary use of force by the police.

But alarmingly, some clergy and protesters have attempted to "take" or "liberate" the space without Trinity's consent, and have clearly indicated their intent to engage in other attempts to do so in the coming days.

Are the bishops, in their alarm, advising 'some clergy' or all clergy that they are not to side with the Occupiers? What about the rest of us?

Solutions are available for the health and safety concerns. Why not allow the Occupiers to use the small plot of land? Or, if the Occupiers settle, look the other way and ask the police to stand down.

Or, in the spirit of radical justice, Trinity might consider returning Duarte Square to Native Americans, and then the property would no longer be Trinity's nor the Episcopal Church's problem.

The more I read the bishops' letters, the angrier I get. In the end, I think they are shameful.

UPDATE: The New York Times has a story on Trinity Church and the Occupiers.

A MESSAGE FROM ARCHBISHOP DESMOND TUTU TO OCCUPYWALLSTREET

From OccupyWallStreet:

Sisters and Brothers, I greet you in the Name of Our Lord and in the bonds of common friendship and struggle from my homeland of South Africa. I know of your own challenges and of this appeal to Trinity Church for the shelter of a new home and I am with you! May God bless this appeal of yours and may the good people of that noble parish heed your plea, if not for ease of access, then at least for a stay on any violence or arrests.

Yours is a voice for the world not just the neighborhood of Duarte Park. Injustice, unfairness, and the strangle hold of greed which has beset humanity in our times must be answered with a resounding, "No!" You are that answer. I write this to you not many miles away from the houses of the poor in my country. It pains me despite all the progress we have made. You see, the heartbeat of what you are asking for--that those who have too much must wake up to the cries of their brothers and sisters who have so little--beats in me and all South Africans who believe in justice.

Trinity Church is an esteemed and valued old friend of mine; from the earliest days when I was a young Deacon. Theirs was the consistent and supportive voice I heard when no one else supported me or our beloved brother Nelson Mandela. That is why it is especially painful for me to hear of the impasse you are experiencing with the parish. I appeal to them to find a way to help you. I appeal to them to embrace the higher calling of Our Lord Jesus Christ--which they live so well in all other ways--but now to do so in this instance...can we not rearrange our affairs for justice sake? Just as history watched as South Africa was reborn in promise and fairness so it is watching you now.

In closing, be assured of my thoughts and prayers, they are with you at this very hour.

God bless you,

+Desmond Tutu

Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town”

H/T to Occupied Bishop.

UPDATE: A clarification from Archbishop Tutu.

I’ve challenged my friends at Trinity on this issue just as I’ve challenged Trinity for the past 35 years in our ongoing friendship. I do this in love, not to harm.

I also now challenge those who disagree with Trinity. My statement is not to be used to justify breaking the law. In a country where all people can vote and Trinity's door to dialogue is open, it is not necessary to forcibly break into property. Nor is it to reinforce or build higher the barriers between people of faith who seek peace and justice. My deep prayer is that people can work together and I look forward to that conversation.

WHAT IS A CHURCH TO DO?

From the comments at Occupied Bishop, the blog of Bishop George E. Packard.

Tim Schreier has left a new comment on the post "Trinity's Compassion":

As one of the reporters/photographers arrested at Duarte Square last month, I have some very mixed thoughts about the role of Trinity Church in Occupy Wall Street. These thoughts led me to penning a letter to Father Cooper urging him to reconsider prosecuting (not necessarily me) but the people who were caught up in the middle of Duarte Square Interfaith service.

It was a cold Tuesday morning. Zuccotti Park had been cleared only hours before. The OWS people had walked up to Duarte Square seeking a place to count heads, regroup and shelter from the chaos of the early morning raid. Many people had scattered, many arrested, some left wandering the streets of Lower Manhattan. They need sanctuary. They chose Duarte Square. An Interfaith service had been arranged with Catholic, Episcopal, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist and other representatives.

After the service some had chosen to go over a wall. For some reason, someone had cut the chain link fence, why? I do not know, as there was an open gate too. The police chose to pen the people in this area and offered no warning of arrests. They moved in on force.

This caused me a crisis in faith. A crisis I took to my neighborhood church. They had conversations with Father Cooper. The bottom line is that Father Cooper and Trinity are listening to the wishes of the Vestry. A wealthy Vestry. People from the finance community, one person who works every day with Mayor Bloomberg. People who are seemingly in direct opposition of the general nature of Occupy Wall Street.

My personal conflict is in the teaching of Christ and Trinity's reaction. What would Matthew say to this? Trinity Real Estate is one of, if not the, largest single land owner in Manhattan. Duarte Square is a gravel lot and quite frankly an eye sore in my neighborhood. It's stated intention is to bring art and thought to the community. Trinity has fortified this area since that Tuesday with additional chain linked fencing and a police van 24/7.

I feel sorry for Father Cooper. Truly I do. He is caught between the teaching of Christ and the wishes of his Vestry. Trinity could choose to offer a sanctuary for peaceful gathering. A place for discussion. But it seems that they are insisting on further isolating themselves as if to pretend to pay empathy while appeasing it's mighty Vestry.

Occupy Wall Street has given the United States a gift. It is a living and breathing civics lesson, not only for the adult citizens of our nation but for the Children who are the future of our world. It is a clear example that the world is getting smaller and smaller in thought, word and deed. We, as a nation, hail the protests in Egypt, Tunisia, Moscow, Greece but when it happens on our soil, we turn the other cheek. Occupy Wall Street has opened our dialogue. No longer are we bickering over birth certificates, death panels and other non-sense, we are talking about civil justice, economic justice, immigration justice, taxation justice, health justice... "99%" and "1%" are a part of our collective vernacular. Voices are being heard.

I find it odd that Trinity would want to sit this moment out. If ever there was a case to be made for the importance of the teachings of Christ, this is certainly one of them. Trinity Wall Street can hide behind it's press releases but the rubber hits the road when actions speak and words are silent. Just consult Matthew.
Tim Schreier
Soho, NYC

Tim Schreier's comment speaks for itself.

UPDATE: Schreier is a contributor to the The Local East Village.

'I PLAN TO BE WITH THE MARCHERS ON SATURDAY...'

From Bishop George Packard at Occupied Bishop:

I plan to be with the marchers on Saturday (December 17th) not because I don't like and respect the Rector, the staff, and all the work of this historic parish. I believe they are making a profoundly wrong decision in this matter. Certainly they could record what they think is a trespass on the property with a note to the Occupiers but then have the grace to look the other way.

Read the rest at the link.

I don't see the standoff as between the good guys and the bad guys, but I agree that the staff at Trinity come down on the wrong side. I respect and admire Bishop George for his statement that he will be with the marchers.

TRINITY CHURCH AND THE OCCUPIERS - THE STORY IS NOT OVER

From Bishop George Packard at Occupied Bishop:

The story of Occupy Wall Street wanting to occupy the Duarte property and Trinity Church--seemingly with arms folded--saying "no way" has all the juiciness of the film, "It's a Wonderful Life." The Rector as the mean Mr. Potter and the Occupiers as George Bailey and the good people of Bedford Falls would be the too-easy castings. Well, discard that rendition because it doesn't work and herein is the real pain of the situation we're in.

Late Saturday night by Fr. Jim Cooper's initiative an impromptu meeting was arranged with the hunger strikers--Brian, Diego, Mallory, and Shae in a quiet place, under a full moon. It was very cold and they talked for over an hour. The Rector and his wife had walked to this location on their own initiative. This is the same couple, Jim and Tay Cooper, I might add, who worked at St. Paul's Chapel--having come up from Florida to do so--in those early, raw days after 9/11.

I'm not saying anymore about this meeting out of respect and privacy for the time they had. But it was a classy thing that the Coopers did to come out a cold night, alone, to meet with these young people in their hunger strike for justice. Keep in mind the point of strikers' action was to convince Trinity to let Occupy Wall Street use land encumbered by Trinity.
....

It's what happened the next day that I can narrate because with my wife Brook I accompanied the strikers to the 9 AM service at Trinity the next morning. It was Advent III and the rose candle in the Advent wreath was lighted as we all arrived to hear Fr. Cooper preach and Fr. Matt Heyd celebrate. Brook was on one end of the pew and I was on the other--bookending the strikers, orienting them to the liturgy and hoping they might consider ending their fast with the Holy Eucharist. Mind you, all this wouldn't have happened if Fr. Jim and the strikers hadn't connected on such a human level the night before. Nobody was around then just the five of them talking.

Please read Bishop Packard's entire eloquent and moving post titled 'Trinity's Compassion'. The story of Trinity Church and the Occupiers is not over. Waiting, expecting...in the spirit of Advent.

The word "advent," from the Latin adventus (Greek parousia), means "coming" or "arrival."

H/T to Ann Fontaine at The Lead.

Image of Trinity Church from Wikipedia.

WRONG SIDE OF HISTORY?

From Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori's sermon at Christ Church Cathedral in St. Louis:

I am profoundly struck, however, by the parallels between the Occupy movement and Jesus’ band of homeless wanderers.

“Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’” It seems to me that most of these bands of campers have done just that. “Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house.” The Occupiers have shared food, cared for each other, and challenged the rest of us about justice in the size of paychecks. Now those who have been evicted are struggling with how to continue their global demonstration.

From Bishop George Packard at his blog Occupied Bishop:

I've been doing reluctant shuttle diplomacy between the Occupiers and Trinity Church and in a moment of pique I posted this on Trinity's Facebook page:

I have this great worry that this venerable parish will be on the wrong side of history in a few weeks. Surely there's some consummate wisdom in the leadership that can offer Occupiers a chance to express their prophetic destiny in these days. It's a matter of record that the church is good with the provision of service and succor for the neighborhood; they are unable, it seems, to understand their dynamic needs. Plainly said, this means looking afresh at lease arrangements for a season regarding the Duarte property. Think of it as offering hospitality to travelers from our future who bring the message of "no injustice, no more." If we really saw OWS for who they are rather than putting up roadblocks in their path we'd truly delight in their coming!

I thought it was fairly innocuous but apparently they didn't think so and deleted it an hour later. I'm actually sympathetic because who wants a rabble rouser in the system? But actually, I thought, wouldn't this kind of conversation be active in the parish?

As I said in the comments at The Lead, I agree with the bishop. What I'd suggest is that Trinity negotiate with the Manhattan Cultural Council, which owns the lease for Duarte Square, for the Occupiers to use the square until spring when the council installs their exhibit, a suggestion which I'm certain is not original.

That Bishop Packard's comment was deleted at Trinity's Facebook page is surprising and disturbing to me. Whatever side you take in the debate, squelching dissent does not seem wise.

George E. Packard retired as Episcopal Bishop to the Armed Forces and Chaplaincies in May 2010.

Image from the Occupy Wall Street Facebook page.

H/T to Torey Lightcap at The Lead for the link to Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori's sermon.

H/T to Nicholas Knisely at The Lead for the link to Bishop Packard's blog.