I tried to be careful to cover all the possibilities.
Welcome!
Posted on 04/30/2004 3:17:52 PM PDT by Phx_RC
I tried to be careful to cover all the possibilities.
Welcome!
However, this is not the first time that Fr. Cunningham has been involved in a situation like this.
An event far worse happened while he was pastor of St. Bridget Parish in Mesa. Whatever methods were used to bail Cunningham out of that very serious mess are far less likely to be effective on a second go-round in Rome even if the offense seems to be less serious.
Priest suspended for allegedly concelebrating Mass with a non-Catholic clergyman
GILBERT - A Gilbert priest has been suspended pending further investigation for allegedly concelebrating a Eucharistic Mass with a non-Catholic clergyman.
Bishop Thomas Olmsted of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix ordered the Rev. John "Jack" Cunningham removed from duties at St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church parish in Gilbert, which the priest founded in July 2002.
Cunningham previously spent 17 years at St. Bridget Catholic Parish in Mesa, which he organized in June 1985.
"In the language of the church, Father Cunningham allegedly engaged in the forbidden concelebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice with a non-Catholic minister," said a statement released by the diocese Wednesday night. It was termed "celebrating the Mass in a manner that is inconsistent with Catholic teaching."
The alleged incident is believed to have occurred during a recent wedding at St. Anne's Catholic Parish in Gilbert in which Cunningham allowed a minister to join him in serving Holy Communion, or Eucharist, to Catholics on hand, said the Rev. Tim Davern, judicial vicar of the diocese.
Davern will lead the investigation with the Rev. Michael Diskin, assistant chancellor. Their report will be turned over to Olmsted for review and recommendations and then forwarded to the Vatican for final action.
AP seems to have picked up the Tribune story.
*Sadly what it really shows is how entrenched liberalism is in the Church, not only in it's leaders, but in the pews also.*
An astute observation! Not long ago, in deciding how best to address liturgical abuses in my parish, I tested the waters by citing a few to the 'sheeples' that populate the pews. The groundswell of support I had hoped for, turned on me. In essence, they found nothing wrong with any of these abuses; moreover, the sentiment swerved totally in the pastor's direction with the comment: "Aren't we so blessed to have this priest as our pastor".
I walked 3 months later.
A bell just rang. Fr. Davern was the priest who annointed my daughter right before surgery. While she was being wheeled to surgery, Deacon Hinze blessed her with a relic, and Fr. Clements was the first non-medical person to see her after her surgery. Talk about blessed!
When more Catholics surround themselves with/in the protection of their Faith, as your family has, then they will become blessed also.
FReepers are uplifted when we read about Catholic family life lived in the fullness of the Faith.
Thank you for your posts to this and the related threads.
The good Bishop Olmsted needs our assistance to clean up the mess.
He needs both, your information, and your prayers.
The Bishop's homily for Confirmation at St Teresa's on Sunday at 6PM was so great and inspiring. A request has been made to Mary Jo's office to make video tapes of his homilies available. It is hard to overstate how good it was.
He spoke with such serenity about fear that those present seemed to hear the meaning of his brave and holy words as if for the very first time. Truly memorable, given the spiritual battles that occupy so much of his daily life.
Be sure to attend one of his Confirmations!
Post #29 clarification: The Bishop needs info and prayers from all of us.
You are correct. As I sent you the full-blown explanation of my story, I will post the "Readers Digest" version. I witnessed Father Cunningham concelebrate with a female Episcopal Minister from Safford back in January, 1997. She even recited the Eucharistic Prayer - including the Consecration of the Blood.
When I reported it to O'Brien in an official letter, Father John got a censure, and I got ridden out of the parish on a rail. In the parish's eyes, Judas Iscariot was a saint next the level of betrayal I had committed, yet he got off with a slap on the wrist.
I still have contact with some of my past parishoners, but I am still given the silent treatment by many even after Father John had left to go to St Mary Magdelene.
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