Statement of Bishop Alexander K. Sample In Response to Bishop Thomas Gumbleton’s Public Appearance in the Diocese of Marquette

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Perhaps because Bp. Gumbleton has never been a Holocaust denier.
 
Perhaps because Bp. Gumbleton has never been a Holocaust denier.
True but Bishop Gumbleton has been a Catholicism Denier in that he refuses to assent to the Catholic Church’s teaching on female ordination among other things.
 
True but Bishop Gumbleton has been a Catholicism Denier in that he refuses to assent to the Catholic Church’s teaching on female ordination among other things.
Holocaust denial doesn’t really compare to denying doctrines of the faith. It compares more to unethical behaviour, for example a bishop who keeps child porn on his computer.

Denying the holocaust isn’t a problem of opinions, its a problem of what do we do with a bishop who does the equivalent of urinating on the graves of the victims of the holocausts. It’s apples and oranges.
 
Why does Bishop Gumbleton still remain in good standing and yet Bishop Williamson (SSPX) get appropriately punished?
Bishop Gumbleton is a properly ordained and never excommunicated member of the Church. He isn’t in the position of having to come with hat in hand seeking to be readmitted to full communion. (Not that the SSPX has ever shown that level of humility.) The pope has not said of him, as he has said of the SSPX bishops, that he does “not exercise in a legitimate way any ministry in the Church” source]. His personal views don’t carry the same danger as illegitimate ordinations.
 
dioceseofmarquette.org/upcarticle.asp?upcID=2123

Why does Bishop Gumbleton still remain in good standing and yet Bishop Williamson (SSPX) get appropriately punished?
since the published statement refers to one bishop who asked a bishop from another diocese not to appear and speak publicly in his diocese, and expresses disapproval rather than approval, I don’t see OP’s problem.

I don’t see a statement from the Bishop of Marquette about Bp Williamson probably because he has never come to that diocese, so why should that bishop be expected to make any statement at all?
 
since the published statement refers to one bishop who asked a bishop from another diocese not to appear and speak publicly in his diocese, and expresses disapproval rather than approval, I don’t see OP’s problem.

I don’t see a statement from the Bishop of Marquette about Bp Williamson probably because he has never come to that diocese, so why should that bishop be expected to make any statement at all?
I bring it up because in the article it became apparent that Bishop Gumbleton does not obey Catholic teaching esp. in regard to Female Ordination.

Bishop Williamson, denying the Holocaust, is reprimanded from the Vatican for that.

It is unclear to me why the Vatican is taking an active role in Bishop Williamson and not Bishop Gumbleton.
 
Perhaps the Vatican is more concerned about the bishop that scandalizes unbelievers and potentially places a roadblock to their conversion than about the bishop that scandalizes believers who (presumably) already have access to the sacraments and thus enough Grace to suck it up and tough it out.
 
Perhaps the Vatican is more concerned about the bishop that scandalizes unbelievers and potentially places a roadblock to their conversion than about the bishop that scandalizes believers who (presumably) already have access to the sacraments and thus enough Grace to suck it up and tough it out.
But here’s the question: who poses a more danger to the faith? Someone who poses a stumbling block to unbelievers, or someone who is in the Church hierarchy who twists and distorts Church teaching? The latter. As bad as external persecution is, it is not as nearly as dangerous to the Church than internal enemies.
 
But here’s the question: who poses a more danger to the faith? Someone who poses a stumbling block to unbelievers, or someone who is in the Church hierarchy who twists and distorts Church teaching? The latter. As bad as external persecution is, it is not as nearly as dangerous to the Church than internal enemies.
Bingo:thumbsup:👍
 
Gumbleton is still around??!!?
…I thought that that blasphemer had died a few years ago.
 
I bring it up because in the article it became apparent that Bishop Gumbleton does not obey Catholic teaching esp. in regard to Female Ordination.

Bishop Williamson, denying the Holocaust, is reprimanded from the Vatican for that.

It is unclear to me why the Vatican is taking an active role in Bishop Williamson and not Bishop Gumbleton.
You’re wrong about this. Bishop Gumbleton does obey Catholic teaching regarding the ordination of women. He has never attempted to ordain a woman in his capacity of Bishop and has never stated an intention to do so. He publicly admits that he disagrees with the teaching, but he has never disobeyed it. Bishop Williamson is in a different boat altogether.
 
But here’s the question: who poses a more danger to the faith? Someone who poses a stumbling block to unbelievers, or someone who is in the Church hierarchy who twists and distorts Church teaching? The latter. As bad as external persecution is, it is not as nearly as dangerous to the Church than internal enemies.
I think you need to be careful with words here. To my knowledge Bishop Gumbleton has not twisted or distorted Church teaching. He does not say Church teaching is this when it isn’t. What he does say is that he disagrees with some aspects of Church teaching, even though he has remained faithful to that teaching. Bishop Gumbleton is being criticized for doing what most people think it would have been best for Martin Luther to do; offer honest critique of Church teaching while not attempting to overthrow it. Bishop Gumbleton is faithful to the Church. He knows that if there is change to come it will come through the agency of the Holy Spirit working through the Church.
 
Gumbleton is still around??!!?
…I thought that that blasphemer had died a few years ago.
Bishop Gumbleton has not blasphemed. He has questioned aspects of Church teaching, but he has never questioned the core doctrine of Catholic belief.
 
I think you need to be careful with words here. To my knowledge Bishop Gumbleton has not twisted or distorted Church teaching. He does not say Church teaching is this when it isn’t. What he does say is that he disagrees with some aspects of Church teaching, even though he has remained faithful to that teaching. Bishop Gumbleton is being criticized for doing what most people think it would have been best for Martin Luther to do; offer honest critique of Church teaching while not attempting to overthrow it. Bishop Gumbleton is faithful to the Church. He knows that if there is change to come it will come through the agency of the Holy Spirit working through the Church.
If he hasn’t twisted Church teaching, then why have at least two bishops prohibited him from speaking in their respective dioceses? Bishop Sample wasn’t the first bishop to issue this prohibition. I think the Bishop of Phoenix did the same thing a couple of years ago.
 
You’re wrong about this. Bishop Gumbleton does obey Catholic teaching regarding the ordination of women. He has never attempted to ordain a woman in his capacity of Bishop and has never stated an intention to do so. He publicly admits that he disagrees with the teaching, but he has never disobeyed it. Bishop Williamson is in a different boat altogether.
No I think you are wrong. The fact that he publicly supports the ordination of women is no different than doing the act itself. What if he had said, “Go kill the abortionist,” but wasn’t involved in the actual shooting? Do you think that would make a difference?? If you do, then you need to study our faith better.
 
one of the several concurrent threads on this topic also notes that Bishop Gumbleton refused to speak, honoring the diocesan bishop’s request, hardly the action of a blaspheming heretic. Either you trust the Vatican to do what is necessary in regard to individual bishops, or you distrust the authority of the Vatican completely. A native of the Detroit diocese, I am hardly a defender of Thomas Gumbleton, but you can’t throw words around like they were frisbees.
 
one of the several concurrent threads on this topic also notes that Bishop Gumbleton refused to speak, honoring the diocesan bishop’s request, hardly the action of a blaspheming heretic. Either you trust the Vatican to do what is necessary in regard to individual bishops, or you distrust the authority of the Vatican completely. A native of the Detroit diocese, I am hardly a defender of Thomas Gumbleton, but you can’t throw words around like they were frisbees.
While it was good he respected the other bishop’s request, that doesn’t change the fact that his views are in conflict with Church teachings.
 
It is unclear to me why the Vatican is taking an active role in Bishop Williamson and not Bishop Gumbleton.
Mostly because the Vatican has already written Bishop Gumbleton off as a sad mistake, a voice heard by no one. At least with Bishop Williamson, they see a measure of hope, that his reconcillation will help bring thousands of faithful Catholics back into the fold.

The Church, of course, would heartily love to see Bishop Gumbleton and folks like Call to Action as faithful Catholics. But it must use different methods. The Church evangelize them as they would athiests or liberal protestants, such is not the case with the SSPX. The Church may (and should) treat them as Catholics who understand and obey the Holy See.
 
Holocaust denial doesn’t really compare to denying doctrines of the faith. It compares more to unethical behaviour, for example a bishop who keeps child porn on his computer.
I am sorry but are you actually saying that questioning certain aspects of history is tantamount to having child pornography stashed away on your hard-drive?
Denying the holocaust isn’t a problem of opinions, its a problem of what do we do with a bishop who does the equivalent of urinating on the graves of the victims of the holocausts. It’s apples and oranges.
For a start as far as I know His Excellency Bishop Williamson has never stated that the Holocaust did not happen, rather has has questioned the ‘official’ story. He is completely within his rights to do so and should not be degraded to such an extent that he is compared to a paedophile for his belief!

Yours sincerely,
Murphy Bhoy.
 
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