Maryknoll Priest Threatened with Excommunication

[Santino_50]

From the National Catholic Reporter:
“The news that peace activist Fr. Roy Bourgeois was threatened with excommunication for his support of women’s ordination unleashed a storm of commentary and reaction from various Catholic interest groups and around the blogosphere.
If the issue is settled for Rome, it is still wide open in some Catholic circles. In addition to the expected sharp division between those who applaud Bourgeois’ action and those who find it scandalous, people have posed thoughtful questions about conscience, and how and whether the church can force someone to violate his conscience…
[Another issue] that runs through much of the commentary asks how the church could act so swiftly against Bourgeois when decades passed before the church even began to investigate cases of sex abuse of children by priests.”

 

[I_Believe]

From the National Catholic Reporter:
"The news that peace activist Fr. Roy Bourgeois was threatened with excommunication for his support of women’s ordinationRightly so unleashed a storm of commentary and reaction from various Catholic interest groups cafeteria dissidentsand around the blogosphere.
If the issue is settled for Rome, and those n communion with Rome it is still wide open in some Catholic circles.circles of dissidents In addition to the expected sharp division between those dissidents who applaud Bourgeois’ action and those who find it scandalous,catholics people have posed thoughtful questions about conscience, and how and whether the church can force someone to violate his conscience…"Doctrine,Tradition,Magisterium, who needs 'em. Hear us roar."
[Another issue] that runs through much of the commentary asks how the church could act so swiftly against Bourgeois when decades passed before the church even began to investigate cases of sex abuse of children by priests."Without the scandal what would be the excuse ? Leo X ?

Pray for Fr. Roy Bourgeois

 

[Santino_50]

This is from the current issue of National Catholic Reporter:
[We]…agree with James Martin, S.J. (America) in his questioning of the swift and brutal response by Pope Benedict and Cardinal Leveda in excommunicating Fr. Roy because of his public support of women’s ordination in our Church.

When compared to the “old boys’ club” of posturing, rationalizing and lying during the pedophile coverup scandal in our Church, with tens of thousands of young men and women as its innocent victims, Fr. Roy’s act borne of much prayer and out of deep conscience, seems pointed in the other direction.

Excommunication??? Maybe, instead, the Vatican should be holding up Fr. Roy as a model of what it really, really looks like to live out the Gospel message of Jesus Christ, especially the “love and justice” part?? Or maybe they should be giving Roy a church in Rome to keep him busy enough not to attend women’s ordinations. There are LOTs of other options here, folks! But, as Daniel Berrigan, S.J., said, “If you want to follow Jesus, you better look good on wood!”. Wood made in the Vatican, I suspect."

I concur.

 

[Aramis]

The padre in question, knowing that it was forbidden, went anyway. He needs to hie himself off to Rome, and confess to the pope. Then submit himself to the true church.

Women can not be priests. It’s dogmatic. If you don’t believe that, then you are not fully united to the Catholic (or for that matter, Orthodox) churches.

 

[peregrinus_sg]

This is from the current issue of National Catholic Reporter:
[We]…agree with James Martin, S.J. (America) in his questioning of the swift and brutal response by Pope Benedict and Cardinal Leveda in excommunicating Fr. Roy because of his public support of women’s ordination in our Church.

When compared to the “old boys’ club” of posturing, rationalizing and lying during the pedophile coverup scandal in our Church, with tens of thousands of young men and women as its innocent victims, Fr. Roy’s act borne of much prayer and out of deep conscience, seems pointed in the other direction.

Excommunication??? Maybe, instead, the Vatican should be holding up Fr. Roy as a model of what it really, really looks like to live out the Gospel message of Jesus Christ, especially the “love and justice” part?? Or maybe they should be giving Roy a church in Rome to keep him busy enough not to attend women’s ordinations. There are LOTs of other options here, folks! But, as Daniel Berrigan, S.J., said, “If you want to follow Jesus, you better look good on wood!”. Wood made in the Vatican, I suspect."

I concur.

I disagree with you. That kind of comparison between the penalties involving the sad priest’s participation in an pseudo-ordination drama and those sad priests who sexually abuse minors are the kind of silliness I have come to expect from the National “Catholic” Reporter: big on emotions, but thin on logic and consistency.

If we really want to compare, it would be between the pseudo-ordination of women to the priesthood vs the illicit ordination of Bishops (obviously male) without papal mandate, such as by the late Archbishop Lefebvre. Both these matters concern the divinely appointed hierarchial ministry in the Church, the principle of communion within the Church as well as the risk of scandal. As far as I recall, both excommunications come rather swift.

Those who want to drag the feet-dragging over the sexual abuse of minors would find comparison with the present “pastoral” debate over Catholic politicians who publicly support abortion as more appropriate. In both cases, the grave evil perpetrated (sexual abuse or murder) are quite undisputed by the pastors of the Church, and the question centers on what makes the most “pastoral” solution to bring about the conversion of the sinner.

I don’t see NCR making such a comparison, but then again, I’ve come to expect nothing more than ideology-driven bias in its reporting and commentary.

 

[Apologist78]

This is from the current issue of National Catholic Reporter:
[We]…agree with James Martin, S.J. (America) in his questioning of the swift and brutal response by Pope Benedict and Cardinal Leveda in excommunicating Fr. Roy because of his public support of women’s ordination in our Church.

When compared to the “old boys’ club” of posturing, rationalizing and lying during the pedophile coverup scandal in our Church, with tens of thousands of young men and women as its innocent victims, Fr. Roy’s act borne of much prayer and out of deep conscience, seems pointed in the other direction.

Excommunication??? Maybe, instead, the Vatican should be holding up Fr. Roy as a model of what it really, really looks like to live out the Gospel message of Jesus Christ, especially the “love and justice” part?? Or maybe they should be giving Roy a church in Rome to keep him busy enough not to attend women’s ordinations. There are LOTs of other options here, folks! But, as Daniel Berrigan, S.J., said, “If you want to follow Jesus, you better look good on wood!”. Wood made in the Vatican, I suspect."

I concur.

You concur? Since when is the Gospel message contrary to God’s law and will? How is it “living the Gospel Message” to act against the very Gospel?

People who say things like this confuse the Gospel message with “Nice” The Gospel message reveales LOVE, it does not reveal “Nice.”

 

[brotherhrolf]

I have a different perspective on Father. His mamma and daddy are still alive here in south Louisiana. They’re in their 90s and still attend daily Mass. There was an article in either our local Baton Rouge paper or in the Times Picayune in New Orleans. (I can’t find the article.) His parents are heart broken.

We’re still very traditional here. Fr. Roy is a Cajun. I’m 57, of Acadian descent, and close to his age. He is grieving his parents which is nothing new for him. He’s just hit national attention but he’s been in the news here since the 70s. The threat of excommunication by the Holy Father would make any other kid from south Louisiana take immediate notice.

His parents are in my prayers. I went to school with kids from Lutcher and DW’s folks are from the next community up the river. His actions since the 70s run contrary to local Catholic sentiments. He needs to remember his roots.