US bishop summoned to Rome by Congreg. of Bishops to explain "gag order" excommunication threat

CFAA/ Free Republic ^ | 5/21/03 | Dr. Brian Kopp, Vice President, Catholic Family Association of America

[Polycarp]

Thanks.

[ArrogantBustard]

Would you pleas explain what you mean by that? If you mean what I think you mean (ie that an "American Catholic Church" form after the model of, say, the Anglican Church), then I say to Hell (literally) with your hope.

[COBOL2Java]

A rumor that Bishop Joseph Adamec has been summoned to the Vatican to make a "verbal presentation" regarding diocesan priests is just that, a rumor, Altoona-Johnstown Roman Catholic Diocese says.

Hmmm. Could be a Clintonesque denial by Adamec. A quick check of the word "summon" on Thesauraus.com shows that it's quite a slippery word...

[Campion]

Hoping the break from Rome with the creation of a new American Catholic Church comes to fruition.

Why? So the dissenters, heretics, and liturgical experimenters will have a home and leave the faithful Catholics in peace?

Any "new American Catholic Church" would be Episcopalianism with bad music and ugly churches within a generation. That's hardly what the world needs.

[BlackElk]

Maybe Adamec should resign and take Delaney (Fort Worth) who presides over "liturgical dance Masses" while corrupting the diocesan Boy Scouts and take that other AmChurch leftist stooge at San Antonio who allows pagan liturgies with him. Let's get the ball rolling here and not limit the reach of the Congregation of Bishops in the neverending search for Catholics to become bishops of formerly Catholic American dioceses.

[Salvation]

**Today at his annual spring priests' meeting for the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown (held at the plush Seven Springs Four Season Resort in Somerset County PA) Bishop Joseph Adamec announced he had received a letter from the Congregation of Bishops at the Vatican summoning him to Rome to explain his recent gag order placed upon his diocesan priests.**

Good news for all of us! Dissident bishops, take note!

[Salvation]

**"The most evident mark of God's anger and the most terrible castigation He can inflict on the world are manifested when He permits His people to fall into the hands of clergy who are priests more in name than in deed, priests who practice the cruelty of ravening wolves rather than the charity and affection of devoted shepherds. Instead of nourishing those committed to their care, they rend and devour them brutally. Instead of leading their people to God, they drag Christian souls into hell in their train. Instead of being the salt of the earth and the light of the world, they are its innocuous poison and its murky darkness."

--St. John Eudes **

Bears repeating for all bishops to take heed.

[Jim Noble]

Any "new American Catholic Church" would be Episcopalianism with bad music and ugly churches within a generation

I almost never get into these RC threads anymore, but since I have to go to an RC Church-can't you do something about the music and the architecture???

[victim soul]

bump

[AnAmericanMother]

Episcopalianism with bad music and ugly churches

Oh, ouch! We were just talking about that last night.

Regards from an unreconstructed High Church Anglican . . .

[Polycarp]

UPDATE:

In this week's June 2, 2003 The Catholic Register of the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown, Biashop Adamec denies being "summoned" to Rome and denies the "gag order" he placed on his priests at a meeting several months ago threatening suspension or excommunication of any priests publicly criticizing him or the diocese.

In his weekly column, "For the Good of the Household," entitled "Pentecost," Bishop Adamec states:

"...During this Season of Easter, I have reminded those gathered for the Sacrament of Confirmation that witnessing to the truth is not easy. The people of this world would rather believe what is to their immediate liking. Consequently, the truth about Jesus, about his Church, and about those who lead in the Church is skewed."

"Nor have I been exempt from such machinations. Some of our Faithful would have recently read in their local newspaper something to the effect that I have been summoned to Rome. Other than participating in the Ad Limina visits every five years (to which every bishop in the world is obligated), I have never been "summoned" to Rome. Supposedly, I am being asked to explain a "gag" order that I placed on the priests of the Diocese. No such order from me exists. That's just the latest; and, perhaps not, by the time you read this."

"Since the Church has always had those who dissent from within, it can be considered a normal part of the Church's life. We ought not to be surprised by that, nor should we allow it to deter us from a faithful witness to the Holy Spirit's work within and through us..."

Notice how he 1)denied he's been "summoned" to Rome and 2) denied he issued a gag order, but...

...he has not denied he received a letter from the Congregation for Bishops asking for an explanation, nor has his diocesan spokesperson.

He may not have been literally summoned to Rome. But everyone I've spoken to who heard his talk agrees he stated he has received a letter from the Congregation for Bishops asking him to explain his "gag order."

Most recently I heard he's been requested to present this explanation to the US apostolic nuncio, who is to forward it to Rome.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Thanks for the update. I was wondering how things were turning out.

[narses]

Ping.

[B-Chan]

Hoping the break from Rome with the creation of a new American Catholic Church comes to fruition.

Huh? What's that supposed to mean?

There is only one universal (= catholic) Church. Any soi-disant "American catholic church" that might be formed would be by definition outside of the one Catholic Church -- and would be, therefore, no church at all.

Thanks for the prayers.

[ninenot]

We've done it.

Come to Milwaukee's St. Anthony--9th at Mitchell. Bask in the glory of a Catholic Church with an altar rail, hand-carved reredos w/intact Crucifix, stained glass, kneelers, 72-rank pipe-organ and choir which sings, (inter alia) Chant.

It's a bit of a drive for you...SACRIFICE!!! that's Catholicism.

[ninenot]

Clinton lives in the words of certain Bishops.

[mickie]

What are you praying for......an Americian Cafeteria Church?

Where we can just choose what we like, and disregard the rules that we don't.
That sounds like what most of the Catholics I know do anyway.

[Polycarp]

Amen.

One more note from a member of our diocesan clergy I received this AM:

Brian,

"Supposedly, I am being asked to explain a "gag" order that I placed on the priests of the Diocese. No such order from me exists." --Bishop Adamec.

What a liar!!! He absolutely, without question, issued a canonical warning to all the priests and deacons in the diocese last fall at the Clergy Conference, just ask any honest person who was present. How he can lie through his teeth about that is beyond me. I'm sure in his mind it's all semantics (and the fact that he didn't put it in writing!) but I'm really have serious doubts about ... this [bishop]!

I just talked to another priest yesterday who was at the latest Clergy Conference who told me he heard Adamec say he had to "go to Rome" ...but apparently he didn't mean it literally from all that this loon has said since.

Later, *****

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Another disturbing eruption of AmChurch silliness. Who is writing these scripts, Monty Python? It would be good satire if it were not so frighteningly real. When a bishop invokes penal canons to defend his own unorthodoxy, it really enters the Twilight Zone of the absurd. Why, O Why, do we have such bishops in this country?

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Let me get this straight...
he threatened "excommunication" over protesting the appearance of a Holy Cosmic Comedy of Errors "creation spirituality" speaker? That's utterly ridiculous. A public heretic is not "the Church."