"We just stopped sending him paychecks......and the problem just .. fixes itself!"
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Posted on 05/10/2013 5:44:53 AM PDT by cll
The new pope's first crisis is not related to the Church's controversial position on contraceptives or proposals for female clergy. Rather, Pope Francis' first major quandary is getting rid of a Puerto Rican archbishop who, despite the Vatican's numerous requests, has repeatedly refused to step down.
The source of Pope Francis' current ordeal is Roberto Octavio González Nieves, the outspoken Archbishop of San Juan, who has been accused by Vatican emissaries of allegedly protecting pedophile priests, abusing his power, promoting Puerto Rican independence from the U.S., and supporting a law that could grant same-sex couples living together hereditary rights and health benefits, according to the Vatican Insider.
González Nieves was confronted by Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the current prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, and denied the allegations during a tense meeting in Puerto Rico on December 15, 2012. In the course of the discussion, the Vatican envoy subtly asked González Nieves to resign and to ask the Church for a new position elsewhere.
On several occasions the Vatican has asked Puerto Rican Archbishop Roberto Gonzalez Nieves to leave his post. But supporters of the archbishop have organized several meetings to pray for his continuity. This flyer announced a prayer meeting that took place in San Juan, on the 8th of May.
Nearly two months later, González Nieves sent Ouellet an angry missive that was recently leaked to the Puerto Rican press.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Archbishop is a title. My understanding is that they can be fired, but once he is fired he would remain a bishop for life.
Being a bishop is a title that cannot normally be removed as it involves Holy Orders (i.e. a sacrament) and stays with you for life.
Only by secular neophytes. Neither word appears in Canon Law. The correct term is dismissal.
My point is that I statehood wouldn’t seem to be a matter for the Vatican’s consideration one way or the other.
"We just stopped sending him paychecks......and the problem just .. fixes itself!"
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Per Canon Law, Nieves can be dismissed from the clerical state and excommunicated.
The thing is, he forces his political views on the parishioners, and that was the source of one of the complaints: asking the Vatican to tell the Archbishop to cease and desist from engaging in island politics. He just won’t stop.
What is difference between “dismissed from the clerical state” and “forced laicization”?
One term is canonical and one term is secular.
So, they mean the same thing?
No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!
Time to let the Swiss Guard pay a visit to Puerto Rico.
Send a cardinal to deliver a formal written declaration of his excommunication and declaring him apostate.
I think the United States may have something to say about Europeans sending government serving mercenaries to operate over here in our neighborhood.
Does the Swiss Guard have a SWAT team?
But he can take away his rights to perform mass, hear confessions, etc.
Which is what will happen. He’ll do exactly that - call the archbishop to Rome. If the archbishop refuses to come then he’ll be excommunicated. He’ll appoint a new archbishop.
anybody here know the Latin for “you are fired”?
“anybody here know the Latin for “you are fired”?”
Vos delenda est...
Absent that charge, I see no grounds for dismissal. An admonishment, perhaps, but not dismissal.
~Theo
~Theo
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