It's time to heal divisions in the church

Tom Roberts, in this National Catholic Reporter editorial , refers in this to several of its articles, including

"A Radical Shift" about the wholesale dismantling of ministries and distinctive education programs and the firing of long-time professionals in the chancery office ordered by Bishop Robert Finn during his first year as bishop of the Kansas City-St. Joseph diocese.

Compared to some other developments he cites

... The case in Kansas City, of course, is less dramatic and there is certainly nothing criminal about a new administrator making changes.

Not in itself; it would depend on the circumstances. But note how he refers to the Archbishop's role as if it were just administration.

The central question to that story, however, was how should a functioning, thriving Christian community expect to be treated?

Mr. Roberts assumes several things here. First, he assumes that this archdiocese was thriving. Archbishop Finn might have reasons to see things differently. It certainly would be exceptional. The Archdiocese of Milwaukee, for example, is far from thriving. Second, he talks of the paid staff as if it were the community. I've noticed paid staff sometimes thinks this way as well.

Further, why does an affinity, say, for Latin or for a certain manner of pedagogy necessitate ripping out everything that went before?

More likely the problem was staffers' affinity for schlock liturgy and vacuous catechesis.

The problem is that, once again, there is no mechanism for holding leaders accountable.

Actually, Roberts is arguing for staff unaccountable even to the bishop.

The work of a community can be undone without consultation and with no requirement for explaining why it is being disassembled or what will replace it.

Here, again, this is more a description of how paid staff often treats the actual community, rather than how the bishop treats the staff.