July 25, 2019

Thomas Merton Center of Palo Alto

Summary Statement
www.thomasmerton.org

Background:
We are members of the Thomas Merton Center of Palo Alto. We were incorporated in 1996 as a group of
Roman Catholic laypersons, inspired by the teachings of Vatican II, to offer Catholic liturgy, to augment,
support and lead the development of ecumenical spirituality, and to foster new ways for Catholics and
other Christians to develop a deeper spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ and, through him, with God.
Through our weekly Sunday Mass, celebrated at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Palo Alto by Catholic
priests in good standing with the local ordinary, and our spiritual education programs and retreats, we
seek to educate our members and other interested persons in the teachings of Vatican II, especially in
matters of social justice, Church governance, and community service. Our Sunday liturgy is our response
to the call of Vatican II to "full, active and conscious participation" in Catholic liturgical life.
Statement of purpose:
Our presence here at the Napa Institute Conference testifies to our belief that the views expressed by the
major speakers here are in direct conflict with the teachings of the Catholic Church and, more explicitly,
with the initiatives of Pope Francis. The Napa Institute is allied with prominent, conservative political
and religious leaders — some of Pope Francis' most vociferous critics. We see the alliance as antithetical
to the Christian teachings of the Beatitudes.
The Catholic Church is a church for all, not just those responding to the Napa Institute's self- promotion
as the "preeminent Catholic conference in the United States, bringing together Catholic leaders for faith,
fellowship and community, as we explore the theme of This Catholic Moment." The $2600 per/person
registration fee limits that attendance to the 1% who already wield undue influence in the U.S. This
limitation of attendance reflects which "moral" concerns the group chooses to elevate and prioritize.
There are no sessions asking if the "creative" tax planner "to the wealthy," who hosts this meeting (Tim
Busch), may have made his fortune by going beyond the bounds of helping the wealthy. There is no
session asking why the servers at this group's dinners, wine tasting and cigar sessions are taxed at a
greater percentage of their wealth than those elites who drink the fine wines. There is no session asking if
perhaps the bishop keynoter who shuns labor unions, but embraces corporations, might be morally
conflicted, or bought off, by his membership in this group. Anything that threatens the elites' money or
ability to do as they please is not a subject for discussion at this gathering of Catholic leaders.
No better example exists of the Napa Institute's lack of moral standing than their sheltering, by making
him Chaplain of the group, the credibly-accused, disgraced ex-bishop of the St. Paul-Minneapolis diocese,
John Nienstedt — all because of his reliable conservative ideology. (Last August, the Napa Institute
bowed to public pressure and removed Nienstedt from his post.)
Beyond Nienstedt, the Napa Institute Conference features other bishops of the same ideological bent. Ask
Cardinal Raymond Burke why his people are not shunning a gay friend this Christmas, as he directed.
Inform Bishop Chaput that his people will not confess it as a sin if they vote against his politics next
election. Tell Bishop Paprocki that his people think his statement that he would not officiate at a gay
wedding, much less bury a gay, is unchristian.
The Napa Institute Summer Conference seems to be a good time for a passed-over celebration: Burke,
passed over at the Vatican; Chaput, passed over for Cardinal; Scott Walker, passed over for Governor of
Wisconsin. They appear to be gathering to vent their anger at Pope Francis and the wider world that has
turned their backs on their unchristian behavior. We do not want the Church associated with power-
hungry politicians allying with power-hungry priests.
Pope Francis is our Church's shepherd, not the divisive extremists gathering in Napa today.