Catholic Chaplain Quits Early, Still Questions Fall Dismissal

The Rev. Richard B. Griffin, assistant Catholic chaplain to the University, announced his resignation from that post last Wednesday, to become effective February 16

Griffin was to be relieved of his position at the end of the academic year.

Along with the two other staff members of the Catholic Student Center, Griffin learned last October that their contracts would be terminated June 30, 1975, when Humberto Cardinal Madeiros of the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston appointed the Rev. John P. Boles as pastor of St. Paul's church and University chaplain, and instructed him to re-staff the Center.

The dismissals prompted a storm of protest by members of the Harvard Catholic community and the Center's Board of Directors over what they termed an arbitrary decision made without consultation of the lay community.

Griffin said yesterday the reason for his early departure was to prepare for full-time writing work with a Cambridge-based consulting firm for adult education.

Griffin said that he nevertheless hopes to "maintain connections with Harvard on a more informal basis."

In a letter to the co presidents of the Center's Board of Directors Griffin said he is leaving with no personal regrets, but that he "still can find no valid excuse for firing us [Griffin and the other two employees] without reason and appointing another without consultation."

Griffin said the action was another example of "a pattern of bureaucratic callousness" in "the local church structure."

William Connet 72 Board co-president, said in reference to the October dismissals, "an injustice was done." He promised a "continued kind of loyal opposition" to the action by board members and others.

Connet said that objectors to the dismissals have published ads stating their position in the National Catholic Reporter and circulated a petition supporting their protest at a recent meeting of the National Conference of Catholic College Ministers.

Cardinal Madeiros could not be reached for comment yesterday, but said last fall in a speech at Lehman Hall that the Catholic student group is not acquainted with the facts of the case.

"The laity does not have a say in the appointment of priests and it will be a sad day when they do," he said in October.

Christopher H. Lovelock, assistant professor of Business Administration and one of the Center's board members, said yesterday there was also tension between Boles, the new chaplain, and the Board over its role in the Center's affairs. Lovelock said Boles wants to use the Board as a "rubber stamp" for his decisions.

Board Role

"The role of the Board has never been carefully defined," Connet said, adding that board members would like veto power over hiring decisions for the Center's staff and authority to participate in the interviewing process.

However, Connet said, he doesn't think Boles has "any intention of sharing authority with us."

Boles is presently on vacation and could not be reached for comment yesterday