Catholic Faithful Outraged at US Bishops Over Weinandy Resignation

Written by USCCB president Cdl. Daniel DiNardo, the press release begins, "The departure today of Fr. Thomas Weinandy, O.F.M., Cap., as a consultant to the Committee on Doctrine and the publication of his letter to Pope Francis gives us an opportunity to reflect on the nature of dialogue within the Church."

He goes on, "Christian charity needs to be exercised by all involved. In saying this, we all must acknowledge that legitimate differences exist and that it is the work of the Church, the entire body of Christ, to work towards an ever-growing understanding of God's truth."

Di Nardo finishes:

As bishops, we recognize the need for honest and humble discussions around theological and pastoral issues. We must always keep in mind St. Ignatius of Loyola's "presupposition" to his Spiritual Exercises: "that it should be presumed that every good Christian ought to be more eager to put a good interpretation on a neighbor's statement than to condemn it." This presupposition should be afforded all the more to the teaching of Our Holy Father.

The USCCB authored three different Tweets garnering strong reactions from faithful Catholics who are asking why the USCCB is not extending the benefit of "presupposition" to Weinandy:

The vast majority of tweets express anger at the American bishops' response:

Some responded with the simple message, "Not one more penny."