THE VATICAN, A BISHOP, AND THE "DELETE" BUTTON

Bishop Felipe Arizmendi Esquivel and his staff developed a pastoral plan for his diocese of San Christobal de la Casas in Mexico's Chiapas state. The plan, developed with input from lay men and women, noted that many of the Catholic people of the diocese had expressed a desire that married permanent deacons be ordained priests. Access to the Mass and the sacraments in an area where priests were scarce was their underlying reason.

The Vatican's Cardinal Francis Arinze last September ordered that this item be deleted from the plan. Bishop Arizmendi responded that "the faithful have a right to be heard from their pastors", a right enumerated in Canon 212. Cardinal Arinze has not as yet made known the rationale underlying his order.

Arizmendi's' diocese has an interesting history. An early bishop was Bartolome de las Casas, the famous defender of the indigenous Indian people. Arizmendi's predecessor was Don Samuel Ruiz, known for the priority he accorded to the interests and just treatment of the poor. A powerful presence, he frequently acted as a mediator between the government and the popular people's party in Chiapas. He had developed the personal diaconate program into enormouis numbers. In 2002 the Vatican suspended the permanent diaconate program in the diocese. The story, as it eked out, was that, over the years, permanent deacons died. Many of their widows, having been caught up in the spirit of bringing the gospel and Holy Communion to the people, continued their husbands' ministry. But with no further ordination of permanent deacons, eventually the ministry of the widows will come to an end.

What rationale underlies the Vatican's orders to click the "delete" button on reporting what the people think and on the permanent diaconate progam and the widows' followup, so successful in evangelization? Is there some reluctance to speak the truth?