Vatican says no to Boston church reopening appeals

5/26/2012

BOSTON -- The Vatican has rejected the appeals of all six groups in the Boston archdiocese that argued the church buildings at their closed parishes should be reopened years after the archdiocese shut them down.

The decisions, handed down over the last two months, came after the Vatican granted similar appeals to parishioners from several other closed parishes, including in New York and Pennsylvania.

In the appeals, parishioners weren't asking the Vatican to reopen the parishes, which include rectories, churches, and other buildings. They instead argued that their local diocese hadn't justified its decision to convert the church building from sacred to secular use, a necessary move before sale. The parishioners can appeal to the Vatican high court.