Priest impersonators

[turtle18]

This is why I enjoy the Extraordinary Form. Few impostors would go through the effort to learn the proper Latin pronunciations

But if an impostor misprounced the Latin Mass, would the congregation actually be able to catch it? Doubtful. Been to a Latin Mass before, very beautiful but would not have had a clue if they mispronounced the Mass.

Anybody with enough confidence can imitate anyone…ever seen to Catch a Thief? It’s based on a real story and the person in question impersonated a doctor, lawyer & an airline pilot. I remember watching a story on Dateline a couple of years ago about a man who impersonated being a doctor–he was so good at it he became the staff physician for the FBI!! (After he was sent to prison he started taking correspondence classes on-line.)

 

[FickleFreckled]

If someone wants to impersonate, they’re not doing it on a lark and they’re probably going to do a very good job. In an earlier post someone said they wondered about a particular priest because he didn’t use the proper form. Legitimate Catholic priests don’t always use the proper form and some can be very casual about the Mass and Confession. And what about the laicized former priest I mentioned earlier? He certainly would have known his way around the sacraments, and being the right age, he would have known the Latin, too.

Back in the late 80’s, I volunteered in hospice and back then there were lots of gay AIDS patients on hospice. Through them I got an up close look at the gay community. There was a man who claimed he was a priest sent by his bishop in Illinois or Indiana to minister to the gay community in the Pacific Northwest. He always wore clerics, seemed ok to everyone. He said Mass, gave the sacraments. I even received Communion at one of his Masses. It wasn’t held in a Church, but back then there were a lot of meeting-room Masses. Was he a priest? Had he ever been a priest? He later came out and began living an active gay lifestyle. He carried on with his “priesthood.” Think he was sent there by a bishop? He might have been laicized, he might have been on sabbatical to “find himself”, he might have been an imposter to begin with.

This kind of stuff is really hard to take and scary, but it seems to me that it’s part of the spiritual growing up process of learning discernment and taking responsibility for your own spiritual welfare. Especially the way the world is today.

 

[Wesley7]

Some might impersonate an ordained Catholic priest for fun and games but someone who was serious about the priesthood wouldn’t do that.

~ Wesley

 

[Sancto_Spiritu]

But if an impostor misprounced the Latin Mass, would the congregation actually be able to catch it? Doubtful. Been to a Latin Mass before, very beautiful but would not have had a clue if they mispronounced the Mass.

Oh, I’m sure we’d catch it. Just because it’s in a different language doesn’t mean we’re completely ignorant and stand by with our fingers in our noses while the priest chants.

 

[Lujack]

Oh, I’m sure we’d catch it. Just because it’s in a different language doesn’t mean we’re completely ignorant and stand by with our fingers in our noses while the priest chants.

You’d catch he was mispronouncing it. My first thought, though, would be “Boy, Father [Name] needs to work on his pronounciation. He’s having some trouble.”, rather than “AN IMPOSTOR!”

 

[m134e5]

See canon 1378.2.2. This one has been reduced to an automatic penalty of “interdict.”

I used the term too loosely…sorry. Those who impersonate priests are not out of the Church, but they may not receive the sacraments (any of them). Whatever it’s called, it’s something I certainly wouldn’t want!

 

[turtle18]

Oh, I’m sure we’d catch it. Just because it’s in a different language doesn’t mean we’re completely ignorant and stand by with our fingers in our noses while the priest chants.

Gosh Sancto Spiritu–I’ve been to the Latin Mass before and I was so busy reading the English translation, I didn’t have time really to focus on whether the Priest’s Latin was correct.

 

[Bluegoat]

Oh, I’m sure we’d catch it. Just because it’s in a different language doesn’t mean we’re completely ignorant and stand by with our fingers in our noses while the priest chants.

Ah, but perhaps he just comes from one of those countries that never adopted the Italian pronunciation, like Poland. Or he’s a bit of a renegade who insists on speaking Latin like a good Frenchman. Or a pendant who insists on sounding like Elmer Fudd.

 

[Bluegoat]

I’ve also known of Episcopaleans who outright impersonate Catholic priests by saying things like “yes I am a Catholic priest.” I remember once, that not long after arriving at a new assignment, the local Episcopalean minister offered to “help” hear confessions–my response was polite, but I always kept a close eye on things (like parishioners in the hospital and nursing homes), and made it a point to often remind my parishioners that under no circumstances could they go to confession to him because he couldn’t possibly absolve anyone, regardless of what he might tell them.

If they actually misled big-C Catholics, that was very immoral and I bet their Bishop would have been very unhappy. Sometimes they do like to tease about the designation catholic, which is perhaps mischievous, but not the same as impersonating.

 

[FrDavid96]

If they actually misled big-C Catholics, that was very immoral and I bet their Bishop would have been very unhappy. Sometimes they do like to tease about the designation catholic, which is perhaps mischievous, but not the same as impersonating.

Anyone who isn’t a Catholic priest who calls himself a Catholic priest is impersonating. As a Catholic priest myself (a real one), I am not amused when that happens.

 

[FrCorey]

Anyone who isn’t a Catholic priest who calls himself a Catholic priest is impersonating. As a Catholic priest myself (a real one), I am not amused when that happens.

maybe we need a id card or something. or a wallet size copy of ordination creds. sometimes I use my hospital chaplains id badge,
but that doesnt really prove priesthood.

 

[FrDavid96]

maybe we need a id card or something. or a wallet size copy of ordination creds. sometimes I use my hospital chaplains id badge,
but that doesnt really prove priesthood.

Why not a celebret? Gee, what a concept! Glad we thought of it (big ).

When I was first ordained, the diocese used to send us a new one at the start of each church year–they were indeed wallet-sized. Then one year, they just stopped sending them. The first time, they just sent a note saying essentially “if you want one, just ask” Most of us did not. The next year, nothing at all. Perhaps the problem was in the fact that we never complained about it, and never requested that they do send them to us? Perhaps we don’t do a good enough job of asking a visitor to produce one… Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

 

[FrCorey]

Why not a celebret? Gee, what a concept! Glad we thought of it (big ).

When I was first ordained, the diocese used to send us a new one at the start of each church year–they were indeed wallet-sized. Then one year, they just stopped sending them. The first time, they just sent a note saying essentially “if you want one, just ask” Most of us did not. The next year, nothing at all. Perhaps the problem was in the fact that we never complained about it, and never requested that they do send them to us? Perhaps we don’t do a good enough job of asking a visitor to produce one… Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

hmm, well since other churches have ministers in black collar shirts,
but only the catholic wear cassocks, lets just wear our cassocks all the
time like in the old days. a priest should dress like a priest.

 

[7_Sorrows]

I think a person is automatically excommunicated if they impersonate a priest like that.

what if they weren’t Catholic?

 

[7_Sorrows]

[QUOTEI know this is totally off subject, but kujayhawk, do you go to st. lawrence? I am a student at KU and go to st. lawrence, I may know you lol]

*Only when I visit, and I never worry about if the clergy are really what they appear to be. .
*

wow, i grew up in kansas. wish i were back there now. our bishop is from kansas.
bishop olmstead. he is great!

 

[Filioque]

This is why I enjoy the Extraordinary Form. Few impostors would go through the effort to learn the proper Latin pronunciations /QUOTE

A good reason to stay with FSSP, and other legitimate groups and away from “Independent” Chapels. I know of a handful of failed seminarians who have been ordained by Old Catholics, and set up “Independent Chapels”, they drop Old Catholic ties, and parade as Traditionalist Roman Catholic priests. There are several men who have never been to the seminary who now parade around calling themselves “Traditional Catholic bishops” one who claims the “order” he founded elected him “Archbishop”. I also know at least one Anglican who after failed attempts to start Anglican parishes, started an “Independent Traditional Catholic Chapel” near Reno. Then there are a few priests who have been ordained after Vatican II, but could not deal with obedience to their local ordinaries, who saw they could make a comfortable living by gathering a group of traditional minded Catholics and bashing the local Diocese, playing on the poor formation of people who will support them financially.

 

[Bluegoat]

hmm, well since other churches have ministers in black collar shirts,
but only the catholic wear cassocks, lets just wear our cassocks all the
time like in the old days. a priest should dress like a priest.

That isn’t true, lots of Anglicans wear cassocks.

 

[Bluegoat]

Anyone who isn’t a Catholic priest who calls himself a Catholic priest is impersonating. As a Catholic priest myself (a real one), I am not amused when that happens.

You do realize the word catholic exists independently of the Catholic church? Even the Orthodox consider themselves catholic, and they aren’t even [edited] Protestants. I would agree that if the priest let the person go on thinking he was a Catholic priest, that would be a lie.

 

[FrDavid96]

You do realize the word catholic exists independently of the Catholic church? Even the Orthodox consider themselves catholic, and they aren’t even [edited] Protestants. I would agree that if the priest let the person go on thinking he was a Catholic priest, that would be a lie.

The word Catholic means the whole faith (kath holos). Catholic is an all-or-nothing word. One either is Catholic or is not catholic The spelling makes no difference.

 

[FrCorey]

That isn’t true, lots of Anglicans wear cassocks.

not out here in the desert. course, 125 is not really cassock weather either. I used to see priests and nuns in the stores in thier religious
clothing, but not in many years now. I have even seen nuns with just a headband and a pin to identify themselves. and I have seen priests wearing secular clothing. my ordaining bishop told me to always dress like a priest. if a person needs police or medical, they look at their dress. if a person needs a priest, how do they find us? when I walk around in public, people know I am a priest. in the hospitals people can find me easily.