Cleveland bishop bans reform group from church property

CLEVELAND - A group of liberal-minded Roman Catholic reformers has been banned from church property by Bishop Anthony M. Pilla, who said the organization backs positions inconsistent with church teaching.

FutureChurch, which claims more than 800 members in the eight-county Diocese of Cleveland, advocates allowing priests to marry and women to be ordained in order to ease clergy shortages.

Some members have urged the group's executive director, Sister Christine Schenk, to appeal directly to the Vatican to overturn the decision.

"We're puzzled and saddened by the description of us as not being in line with Catholic teaching," Schenk said. "We have some of the best Catholics in the diocese as members."

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