Dear Cardinal George,
My name is John Hubbuch and I would like to resign from the Catholic Church. I’m not sure if you are the right person to whom I should submit my resignation. If not please forward to the person in charge of resignations. I’m not sure where my file is located. I was baptized in 1949 and attended elementary school at Our Lady of Perpetual Help from 1955 to 1963. I believe my status is that of “lapsed Catholic” since I haven’t been to communion or confession for more than 40 years. However, I almost always check the Catholic box on any survey that asks about religion.
I’m pretty certain that there is no exit interview from the Catholic Church so I thought I would give you my reasons in case you keep track of this sort of thing. I was content to remain a lapsed Catholic until all the recent news about yet another scandal involving priests abusing children in their care. The abuse crisis has now gone global with allegations spreading across a half dozen countries including the Pope’s native Germany. This has gone on for years and years, and I have concluded that either the Church is grossly incompetent, or even worse, aided and abetted pedophiles in their depraved and sinister deeds. Enough is enough. It’s embarrassing.
As I take my departure from the Church I would like to share my thoughts regarding a possible way forward to reduce and perhaps some day eliminate this terrible problem. Your eminence is well aware that priests have to be male and celibate. Call me crazy, but that might be a big contributing factor to the problem. Also, the Church should screen a little closer to weed out the perverts. Oh, yeah, and when you catch a pedophile priest refer him to the police and not to another parish. Please urge the Pope to have a vision that will rid the Church of this ridiculous notion that only celibate men can be priests. I can’t belong to such a stupid Church.
I know this may be a stretch but while the Pope is having visions, how about one in which we get a little diversity in that College of Cardinals. When I see them gathered it, looks like a country club men’s senior championship – with clothes even flashier than golf pants. Groups of old white men are notorious for making bad decisions. See the U.S. Senate, AIG, Joint Chiefs of Staff, et al.
To be fair and balanced I do like the Popemobile.
I have enjoyed being a lapsed Catholic. I like telling stories about being an altar boy and the mean old nuns, but I’m just tired of defending the Church for its lame backward policies that are never going to change. See you on the other side.
Best regards, John Hubbuch
• John Hubbuch, an Indiana native who moved to Oak Park in 1976, is a retired lawyer. Hubbuch served on the District 97 school board and coached youth sports. He is the father of three and grandfather of one.
