What is a just reason to leave my parish?

[Online_Knight]

In these times when many people are having to go without a priest or travel greater distances for a Mass I hate to complain but…

Is it acceptable to leave my parish because of our priest? We have a priest who has repeatedly told our bishop that he will leave the priesthood if he is forced to leave the parish. With this newfound security, he cuts parts from the Mass (telling everyone to sit when we should be kneeling, refusing to wash his hands and say the accompanying prayer, cutting short the Our Father, etc…), tells inappropriate jokes instead of giving meaningful sermons, does not offer confession very often if ever, etc., etc., etc.

I often find myself leaving Mass angry and very distraught over my poor feelings about the priest. As a member of the Knights of Columbus, I have a duty to support our priests thoroughly.

Would I be wrong to report such things to the bishop? Is it acceptable for me to go to a neighboring parish despite of my wife’s insistence that we stay with her childhood parish?

Please help me … I thirst for a meaningful Mass!!!

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

Assuming your report of the situation is correct, I do not know why a bishop would allow a priest to dictate to him the conditions of his priestly ministry, but I assume the bishop must have his reasons for keeping this priest at this parish. Certainly it would be a service to the bishop to document the abuses going on at this parish, if for no other reason than enlightening him to the fact that this priest appears to be abusing his bishop’s tolerance in allowing him to stay at this parish. If the priest’s actions are as scandalous as you report though, leaving the parish is certainly a just option for a parishioner. In any case, Catholics are free to register and attend any Catholic church they prefer; they are not bound to stay at any particular parish.

It seems that the only problem you face is not whether you can leave (you can), but convincing your wife to do so. You have some options for compromise available. If sentimental attachment to her childhood parish is important to her, perhaps you can remain registered at this parish and attend Mass elsewhere. You might suggest that you go to her parish on special occasions and to regular Sunday Mass elsewhere. Or, if you are a daily Mass attendant, you could attend daily Mass elsewhere and Sunday Mass at this parish. If it is important to you that you not belong to this parish, you can register elsewhere on your own but make it a point to find some workable solution so that you and your wife can attend Mass together as a family.

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Should a husband and wife belong to the same parish?