"The Passion" advisor-priest suspended!

  • Thread starter Thread starter _veritas
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
V

_veritas

Guest
I’ve been without Internet at home for a few days, so this may already have been reported… apologies if it was.

I saw the following in the St. Paul Pioneer Press newspaper today:
Cardinal suspends Gibson’s adviser

A Toronto-area Roman Catholic priest who served as spiritual adviser to Mel Gibson during filming of “The Passion of the Christ” has been suspended by Cardinal Aloysius Ambrozic, archbishop of Toronto, for celebrating the Latin Mass for a conservative Catholic splinter group.

The Rev. Stephen Somerville celebrated daily Mass in Latin, with Gibson acting as his altar server, when the movie was filmed in Italy last year, reports the Toronto Star. Jim Caviezel, who played Jesus in the film, also attended the 7:30 a.m. services most days before filming.
Click to expand...
:hmmm: I do notice that it is only implied by the article that it was, in fact, Gibson’s Masses that were the specific “splinter group” in question… but I guess the implication is quite possibly accurate, based on the other information that we have about his faith practices.

It is also odd to me in how it took this long for the suspension to occur, I mean, it sure didn’t sound to me like Mel was attending “secret” Masses or anything.

Weird.

Does anyone else have a better (original?) online source for this?

+veritas+
 
Veritas,

The details are a little more than confusing at this time. However, the basic issue is that he was saying Mass for the SSPX in an SSPX chapel. His bishop told him to cease and desist, he refused – ergo, suspension.

Deacon Ed
 
+veritas+:
I’ve been without Internet at home for a few days, so this may already have been reported… apologies if it was.

I saw the following in the St. Paul Pioneer Press newspaper today:

:hmmm: I do notice that it is only implied by the article that it was, in fact, Gibson’s Masses that were the specific “splinter group” in question… but I guess the implication is quite possibly accurate, based on the other information that we have about his faith practices.

It is also odd to me in how it took this long for the suspension to occur, I mean, it sure didn’t sound to me like Mel was attending “secret” Masses or anything.

Weird.

Does anyone else have a better (original?) online source for this?

+veritas+
Click to expand...
I found this on beliefnet; it looks like it was picked up from a wire service. It seems that Fr. Somerville has been suspended for repeatedly celebrating Mass for the SSPX in Canada; not for celebrating Mass for the cast and crew of The Passion, per se.
Judy
 
This has nothing to do with a priest being disobedient and holding Masses for schismatic groups.
 
40.png
ByzCath:
This has nothing to do with a priest being disobedient and holding Masses for schismatic groups.
Click to expand...
Why do you say this, David. Having read the published letters on the Remnant, I can’t see it being anything else - unless they are totally lying???
 
Joan M:
Why do you say this, David. Having read the published letters on the Remnant, I can’t see it being anything else - unless they are totally lying???
Click to expand...
Joan,
My reply was to another reply that the moderators removed.

Someone posted links and comments about a priest who is being disobedient in another way. This poster tried to say that if what this priest (the one he had the links to) is doing is ok then so should a priest saying masses for the SSPX.

In my reply I was trying to say that who cares what others do, that does not justify what this priest did and he should be disciplined.
 
Thanks for clarifying, David.

I totally agree - it is not relevant that someone else does, or gets away with doing, something that is not right.

It seems that Fr. Somerville does not deny what he did, but is trying to justify it. I doubt very much that he will get the answer he wants from the Vatican.
 
Father Sommerville was given a lot fo time to present his case and to appeal. He is being disciplined for disobedience and because he is saying mass for SSFX which would cause confusion to the laity. It sends a double message out.

Blessings,
Shoshana
 
Fuuny how pedophile priest didn’t get suspended but say the latin Mass and bingo suspension. I know its more complicated than that with the Pius X schismatics but the Church is in dialogue with them on reunification and this nit picking isn’t going to help. This is minor stuff compared to raping of children yet action is taken pronto with the mit picky stuff. The priorities of these bishops are misguided.
 
40.png
Maccabees:
Fuuny how pedophile priest didn’t get suspended but say the latin Mass and bingo suspension. I know its more complicated than that with the Pius X schismatics but the Church is in dialogue with them on reunification and this nit picking isn’t going to help. This is minor stuff compared to raping of children yet action is taken pronto with the mit picky stuff. The priorities of these bishops are misguided.
Click to expand...
Once again, someone has to raise the scandal in an attempt to excuse the actions of schismatics.

I really am getting tired of this.
 
40.png
Maccabees:
Fuuny how pedophile priest didn’t get suspended but say the latin Mass and bingo suspension. I know its more complicated than that with the Pius X schismatics but the Church is in dialogue with them on reunification and this nit picking isn’t going to help. This is minor stuff compared to raping of children yet action is taken pronto with the mit picky stuff. The priorities of these bishops are misguided.
Click to expand...
I couldn’t say it any better. Good job!
 
40.png
ByzCath:
Once again, someone has to raise the scandal in an attempt to excuse the actions of schismatics.

I really am getting tired of this.
Click to expand...
Code:
Do you understand this kind of reasoning??? Why do they do this?

Blessings,
Shoshana
 
40.png
ByzCath:
Once again, someone has to raise the scandal in an attempt to excuse the actions of schismatics.

I really am getting tired of this.
Click to expand...
Well I am sure the paretns of innocent children were pretty tired of the pedophile priest. Yet the bishops did nothing for years. But a little latin mass and they will shut the preist down.
I am pointing out the priorities of the bishops.
This is completly a valid point.
Look I am a faithful catholic and I am not into priest bashing most of them are godly and great but the bishops have some obvious problems in attatching the traditional ones and leaving alone either the pedophiles or the liberal priests who attack the churches tradition teaching on morality.
 
40.png
Maccabees:
Well I am sure the paretns of innocent children were pretty tired of the pedophile priest. Yet the bishops did nothing for years. But a little latin mass and they will shut the preist down.
I am pointing out the priorities of the bishops.
This is completly a valid point.
Look I am a faithful catholic and I am not into priest bashing most of them are godly and great but the bishops have some obvious problems in attatching the traditional ones and leaving alone either the pedophiles or the liberal priests who attack the churches tradition teaching on morality.
Click to expand...
Not to justify* any* kind of disobedience of priests… but it does seem like the priests who “err” on the side of tradition seem to catch more flack than those who blatantly err to the depths of liberal hogwash. I am against any schism, but am more disturbed when I hear of a blatantly disrespectful liturgical abuse. Maybe I am wrong, but it does seem this way. Note, I am not justifying these accusations of the priest in question.
 
Peace-bwu same here I am not advocating disobedience but it seems like the crack-down is all one way. Latin masses with no permission suspension! Kneelers at communion take them out! (although no vatican 2 doucments says so) Liturgical dancing permitted! Laity giving the homily permitted! Nuns giving the homily permitted! Nuns acting as deacons permitted! Catholic moral teaching from the pulpit not permitted! Watered down ecunism and moral relativism from the pulpit permitted! I know I am not the only one who notices these things!
 
40.png
newby:
Sorry, but what is SSPX or SSFX?
Click to expand...
SSPX is the schismatic group, the Society of St. Pius X, founded by Archbishop Marcel Lefevre in the aftermath of Vatican II and the promulgation of Pope Paul VI’s liturgy, commonly referred to as the Novus Ordo.
 
40.png
Maccabees:
Well I am sure the paretns of innocent children were pretty tired of the pedophile priest. Yet the bishops did nothing for years. But a little latin mass and they will shut the preist down.
I am pointing out the priorities of the bishops.
This is completly a valid point.
Look I am a faithful catholic and I am not into priest bashing most of them are godly and great but the bishops have some obvious problems in attatching the traditional ones and leaving alone either the pedophiles or the liberal priests who attack the churches tradition teaching on morality.
Click to expand...
False premise, there is no either or decison here, any more then then claiming the judical system is broken because it deals quicker with traffic violations than it does with murderers. The nature of charge and burden of proof are so radically different it makes the comparison premise flawed from the outset.

God Bless
 
False premise, there is no either or decison here, any more then then claiming the judical system is broken because it deals quicker with traffic violations than it does with murderers. The nature of charge and burden of proof are so radically different it makes the comparison premise flawed from the outset.
Click to expand...
WEll the judicial system doesn’ let the murderers even when they are found guilty keep on murdering people they are taken out of society.

Our wacky bishops kept on recycling the pedophile priest knowingly. That is the biggest scandal here not that these priest exist but the way the bishops recycled them wihtout so much as a suspension.
WOuld they have said the latin mass non-remitedly they would have got a suspension however.

Don’t stick up for the catholic bishops they need a wake up call.

I think the bishops ruilings are the ones here with the flawed system not me.
 
Deacon 2006 is right, your reasoning is seriously flawed. You can’t moan and groan that the Bishops did not exercise discipline enough back in the 70s and 80s (when most of the cases of priestly sexual misconduct occurred) and at the same time complain that the Bishops are exercising discipline now.

And it’s not just a matter of saying a “little Latin Mass” or even just of discipline. If the media coverage is true (and it may not be accurate) this priest has alligned himself with schismatics. Schism is a really big deal. This particular schism has hurt thousands of Catholics and torn unnumbered families apart.

This is not meant to minimize priestly sexual misconduct or the action or inaction of the Bishops involved. That was a grave and serious matter. So is what is happening to this priest.

And of course, we don’t know the whole story anyway. Only what the press chooses to feed us.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top