“Bishop Brown is disturbed by this”

[1holycatholic]

“Bishop Brown is disturbed by this”
Priest may be in hot water after allowing Protestant minister to concelebrate Mass, receive Communion at Orange County parish

http://www.calcatholic.com/newsimages/FrEscobar021511.jpg

Some parishioners at St. Norbert’s Church in Orange describe themselves as “shocked and appalled” after a priest there allowed a Presbyterian minister to concelebrate a Mass and receive Holy Communion on Sunday, Feb. 13.

Sources from the parish told California Catholic Daily that Fr. Agustin Escobar introduced Pastor Steve Whitney of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Sacramento at St. Norbert’s 9 a.m. Sunday Mass. The sources said Rev. Whitney concelebrated the Mass with Fr. Escobar, took Communion, and was allowed to distribute Communion to parishioners.
…

 

[JRKH]

Interesting…I’d be interested in any follow-ups on this…

Peace
James

 

[1holycatholic]

Interesting…I’d be interested in any follow-ups on this…

Peace
James

The penalty for this offense was in the news last year due to the release of Graviora Delicta, but it was because some people wanted to bash the Church and the document was twisted into a handy club.

 

[Redratfish]

“Bishop Brown is disturbed by this”
Priest may be in hot water after allowing Protestant minister to concelebrate Mass, receive Communion at Orange County parish

http://www.calcatholic.com/newsimages/FrEscobar021511.jpg

Some parishioners at St. Norbert’s Church in Orange describe themselves as “shocked and appalled” after a priest there allowed a Presbyterian minister to concelebrate a Mass and receive Holy Communion on Sunday, Feb. 13.

Sources from the parish told California Catholic Daily that Fr. Agustin Escobar introduced Pastor Steve Whitney of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Sacramento at St. Norbert’s 9 a.m. Sunday Mass. The sources said Rev. Whitney concelebrated the Mass with Fr. Escobar, took Communion, and was allowed to distribute Communion to parishioners.
…

Is there an official punishment for this?

 

[Dale_M]

"OC Weekly:

The St. Norbert priest who allowed the Presbyterian to concelebrate Mass, Agustin Escobar, has been placed on leave.

The article is from the alternative newspaper OC Weekly. Because it is a hostile source, I will not post the link. If you Google what I quoted, you will find the article, but there is no additional relevant information.

Is there an official punishment for this?

Yes, as 1HolyCatholic mentioned, the offense is covered in the Vatican statement released last year, NORMAE DE GRAVIORIBUS DELICTIS

Art. 3

§ 1. The more grave delicts against the sanctity of the most Holy Sacrifice and Sacrament of the Eucharist reserved to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for judgment are:
…
4° the concelebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice prohibited in can. 908 of the Code of Canon Law16, and in can. 702 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches17, spoken of in can. 1365 of the Code of Canon Law18, and in can. 1440 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches19, with ministers of ecclesial communities which do not have apostolic succession and do not acknowledge the sacramental dignity of priestly ordination.

Art. 21

§ 1. The more grave delicts reserved to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith are to be tried in a judicial process.

§ 2. However, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith may:

1° decide, in individual cases, ex officio or when requested by the Ordinary or Hierarch, to proceed by extrajudicial decree, as provided in can. 1720 of the Code of Canon Law38 and can. 1486 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches39. However, perpetual expiatory penalties may only be imposed by mandate of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

2° present the most grave cases to the decision of the Roman Pontiff with regard to dismissal from the clerical state or deposition, together with dispensation from the law of celibacy, when it is manifestly evident that the delict was committed and after having given the guilty party the possibility of defending himself.

 

[Theophorus]

“Bishop Brown is disturbed by this”
Priest may be in hot water after allowing Protestant minister to concelebrate Mass, receive Communion at Orange County parish

http://www.calcatholic.com/newsimages/FrEscobar021511.jpg

Some parishioners at St. Norbert’s Church in Orange describe themselves as “shocked and appalled” after a priest there allowed a Presbyterian minister to concelebrate a Mass and receive Holy Communion on Sunday, Feb. 13.

Sources from the parish told California Catholic Daily that Fr. Agustin Escobar introduced Pastor Steve Whitney of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Sacramento at St. Norbert’s 9 a.m. Sunday Mass. The sources said Rev. Whitney concelebrated the Mass with Fr. Escobar, took Communion, and was allowed to distribute Communion to parishioners.
…

What was this priest thinking?

Was he thinking?

 

[Dale_M]

What was this priest thinking?

I am not sure it would be wise for him to make any public statements at this point.

BTW, here is a non-hostile source which gives an idea of what the diocese is doing in reaction:

A priest at St. Norbert Catholic Church has been placed on leave pending an investigation into allegations of allowing a minister from another faith to have an active part in Mass services.

Ryan Lilyengren, a spokesman for the Diocese of Orange, said Father Augustin Escobar is alleged to have allowed a Presbyterian minister to receive and distribute communion during Mass on Sunday, Feb. 13.

Lilyengren said he does not know how long the review process into the allegation will take.

“I don’t think it will take that long,” he said. “There may be some sort of censure that could take place at the end of the investigation.”

ocregister.com/news/mass-288577-lilyengren-priest.html

 

[Shiranui117]

If this were in the early church, he would be deposed.

 

[Dale_M]

Fr. Agustin Escobar has had his priestly faculties suspended. He has also written a public letter of apology.

“Church law (canon 908) prohibits ‘Catholic priests from concelebrating the Eucharist with priests or ministers of Churches or ecclesial communities which are not in full communion with the Catholic Church,” wrote Fr. Agustin Escobar in a letter dated Feb. 15. “That is why last Monday, when he learned of my actions, Bishop Brown immediately suspended my faculties to carry out any priestly sacramental activities. That is why you will not see me celebrating Masses here at St. Norbert. The Bishop was right to do so. What I did was a grace error on my part.”

“What I told the bishop, I wish to publicly say to you, the priests and parishioners of St. Norbert: I am very sorry for what I did,” wrote Fr. Escobar. “Although the great hope for all Christians is that we shall be one body as Jesus has asked us to be, we are not there at this time and it was not my place to take actions which only the leadership of the Catholic and Presbyterian Churches can sanction at such time as they agree to do so. I promise to do all I can to make amends for my actions and I am willing to be obedient to Bishop Brown in whatever recourse he or those at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith judge to be appropriate for me.”

“I hope one day to be allowed to serve as a priest again, which I will certainly do with a great deal more humility since I see the confusion and anger my actions have caused,” Fr. Escobar’s letter concluded. “I beg all of you to forgive me.”

calcatholic.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?id=021e0178-295a-4954-9132-336941012909

 

[JRKH]

Thanks to all who have provided follow-up on this.

I hope that the rapidity with which this abuse was handled will give hope and encouragement to others who see blatant abuses to report them, if necessary to their bishops and I further hope that other bishops will be just as quick and as firm in dealing with the abuses.

Peace
James

 

[1holycatholic]

Follow up: “I beg all of you to forgive me”