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Cracker_Mom
Guest
It’s not a question of judgement but common sense.
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CWBetts
Guest
I guess we are blessed to be in the presence of someone who has never had a lapse in judgement or made a mistake.
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Cracker_Mom
Guest
Oh, I’ve had my share.
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pmoo
Guest
To me, the more disturbing question is why did the priest need to flaunt his relationship on a public beach? That he had struggled with his feelings for this woman is fine. We all struggle with something. He is only human. However, there is a serious lack of common sense to stick his hand inside his girlfriend’s bathing suit when they are on a public beach. Hopefully, most adults realize this is seriously inappropriate behavior and he’s not some teenager. That goes beyond love and is really crude public behavior. They were NOT alone.
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Cracker_Mom
Guest
Exactly.Pretty flagrant.
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CWBetts
Guest
You have made mistakes. Did you expect them to be forgiven? Or held against you for the reswt of your life? This priest, from waht I understand a good man, made some mistakes. I am not saying that he does not have some issues that need to be dealt with, but we have no right to say what hos true vocation may or amy not be. Perhaps he had not properly discerned his calling, which led to this. At any rate, he may very well make a good husband. We cannot say.Oh, I’ve had my share.
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CatholicBoy1957
Guest
Wouldn’t that be the sin of presumption? I hope that God will forgive me of my sins, and I am eternally grateful that He has.
I think this is what has happened in the clerical abuse of children. Certainly we should forgive, but isn’t there some sort of prudence needed also? Some priests were given many more than second chances. In some cases, dozens. Isn’t there a better way? Don’t we have an obligation to protect others, and a right to protect ourselves, at least at some point?
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Cracker_Mom
Guest
Forgiveness by God is one thing, common sense & prudence in hiring or marriage, another.
We all fall short & need God’s mercy.
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NewEnglandPriest
Guest
They apparently had been in a “relationship” for about 2 years. They probably just got a little too comfortable in thinking they wouldn’t be recognized/caught. I don’t think it was a matter of flaunting but rather a matter of overconfidence.
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CWBetts
Guest
This has nothing to do with that scandal. We are talking about consenting adults here. And i am not even saying he should remain a priest. I am saying that he could still be a good husband. That is all
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JReducation
Guest
Let’s look at it this way. If the Church believes that a man would make a better husband than a priest, she will grant him a dispensation from the promise of celibacy and allow him to marry in the Church.
He remains a priest forever and in good standing with the Church. He will be a dispensed priest, but always a priest. On the other hand, he will also be a validly married Catholic man. There are thousands of such cases.
It’s not really for us to determine whether this man can make a faithful husband. It’s up to the Holy See.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
He remains a priest forever and in good standing with the Church. He will be a dispensed priest, but always a priest. On the other hand, he will also be a validly married Catholic man. There are thousands of such cases.
It’s not really for us to determine whether this man can make a faithful husband. It’s up to the Holy See.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
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pmoo
Guest
You might be right. To me it seems that after two years in a relationship, he can’t exercise enough control to grope her at home? He’s a priest!!! Why not just stick his hand in the collection plate during mass?
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cathgal
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2 years!
How long did this padre plan to keep this shameful secret. Did he plan to have an affair and be a priest at the same time until he got caught?
Forget I asked. That’s exactly what happened huh
I would respect him if he just come out and say he can’t keep his priestly vows and ask for a dispensation. Nice and clean.
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Serap
Guest
A priest dipping his hands in the collection plate is a thief. A priest having an affair with a grown woman is not a criminal.You might be right. To me it seems that after two years in a relationship, he can’t exercise enough control to grope her at home? He’s a priest!!! Why not just stick his hand in the collection plate during mass?
Let’s not get carried away judging this priest.
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JReducation
Guest
In fairness to Fr. Albert, he has said over and over again, that he has been struggling with celibacy for a long time. He also said that he has been working with a spiritual director, his bishop and the monks at some abbey and they encouraged him to keep trying and not give up the battle.
Whether he told any of these folks that he was involved with someone, we do not know, nor do we have the right to know. That’s internal forum between the individual and his confessor, his spiritual director and his bishop.
Judging the actions, I would say that at some unconscious level he was tired of the struggle and dropped the towel. I can understand this, being a religious myself. There are times when one is tempted to drop the towel.
For some it may be chastity. For others it’s obedience. In the case of religious, which Fr. Albert is not, it can be community life. None of these are simple. One may say that they are a life against nature. Therefore, the strength required to keep going forward is incredible.
To any priest or religious who may read this, I would also share with them my motto. You can cheat your brothers or sisters, but you can’t cheat yourself and God. To go on would be trying to cheat oneself and God. At some point one has to put the cards on the table and obey.
By that I mean, you put your cards before your bishop or your religious superior, then you wait for their response. If they release you from your commitment, go and be happy. If they don’t, obey. Following God’s will, whatever that may be, will eventually make you truly happy.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
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redrosetea
Guest
The thing that upsets me the most about all of this is he didn’t have the decency to stop saying mass
It is the worst of all of it to me…I can deal with the fact he is a sinner, so am I…but we are to amend our lives, and to avoid the near occasion of sin…He should have had enough grace to say I can’t/won’t live up to my commitment so I am not going to compound my sins by consuming Our Lord …It shows such a lack of caring for the example he was giving to his flock…Two years is a long time to carry on like he did ,living a lie
I must say when I say him on TV he looked like he was basking in the limelight, instead of repenting…He was happy ,and laughing ,and looked like he was having a great time…It made him seem so shallow…It is a magnificent privilege to be able to be a priest, and it is also a tremendous burden…He just seemed so blaze about the entire matter, it made me sick.
It is the worst of all of it to me…I can deal with the fact he is a sinner, so am I…but we are to amend our lives, and to avoid the near occasion of sin…He should have had enough grace to say I can’t/won’t live up to my commitment so I am not going to compound my sins by consuming Our Lord …It shows such a lack of caring for the example he was giving to his flock…Two years is a long time to carry on like he did ,living a lie
I must say when I say him on TV he looked like he was basking in the limelight, instead of repenting…He was happy ,and laughing ,and looked like he was having a great time…It made him seem so shallow…It is a magnificent privilege to be able to be a priest, and it is also a tremendous burden…He just seemed so blaze about the entire matter, it made me sick.
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ChristIsLord
Guest
it’s pretty amazing how they keep mum and move the pederests around to start anew no questions asked over and over for decades. but the guy who god forbid finnally caves in and gets intimate with a grown woman after torturing himself for two decades is thrown to the lions…
during the pederest scandal you had nothing but excuses and apologizing for these perverts “ohh it was the time people kept these things secret”, “it’s a gay thing”… but here people are just killing the guy as if you could accept celibacy for even a year… something is fundementally wrong with this church…
during the pederest scandal you had nothing but excuses and apologizing for these perverts “ohh it was the time people kept these things secret”, “it’s a gay thing”… but here people are just killing the guy as if you could accept celibacy for even a year… something is fundementally wrong with this church…
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redrosetea
Guest
One sin never excuses another
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JReducation
Guest
First, Fr. Albert has not been thrown to the lions. He remains a priest in good standing with the Archdiocese of Miami. He is currently on leave of absence to sort things out.
Second, he said himself that he was treated very kindly by the Archbishop, his confessor, spiritual director and the monks who tried ot help him.
Third, I think that you’re missing the point. The point is that the bishops are now stronger and are facing the critical issues among the clergy, be it child abuse or infidelity to the promise of celibacy. This is a good sign.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
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bookgirl32
Guest
That doesn’t really make much sense. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not defending the actions. But take a marriage for example: you don’t give up, say you’ve tried for a long time but you just can’t be monogomous, and get a dispensation from marriage. You could live apart and legally divorce but you would have to remain celibate.
A priest isn’t a single man taking a vow of celibacy. A priest is married to the Church, taking a vow of celibacy in order to remain faithful to her. Correct me if I’m wrong.
I’m also tired and jumped in here without reading some of the earlier threads so ignore me if I don’t know what I’m talking about.
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