Posted on 05/14/2004 5:33:59 PM PDT by Land of the Irish
A priest convicted of public indecency last year is returning to the ministry next week, the archdiocese of Cincinnati announced today. Rev. Raymond Larger, whom Cincinnati Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk placed on administrative leave on Aug. 5, 2003, is returning to priestly ministry Monday.
"He will reside at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains in downtown Cincinnati and celebrate the sacraments in parishes as needed," archdiocesan officials said in a statement.
Larger, who was the priest at Our Lady of Visitation in Mack before being placed on administrative leave, was arrested July 23, 2003, in a Dayton park by an undercover police officer and charged with two counts of public indecency for grabbing the officer's groin and exposing himself.
In court two days later, Larger pleaded no contest, was convicted, given a 30-day suspended jail sentence, ordered to pay a $100 fine, $58 in court costs and serve one year on unsupervised probation.
Archdiocesan officials learned of the matter several days after his conviction.
Placing Larger on paid administrative leave was the strongest action the archbishop could take in the matter. While on paid administrative leave, Larger was not allowed to present himself as a priest.
More severe punishment would have had to come from a higher church authority, an archdiocese spokesman said when Larger was suspended last August.
During his absence, Larger has been in counseling.
"His treating psychologist has advised the archdiocese that it would be appropriate for Father Larger to return to active ministry," archdiocesan officials said this morning.
In today's statement, Larger apologized.
"I am deeply sorry for my wrongdoing," he said. "I apologize to those I have hurt and who were offended by my behavior, especially my former parishioners, my family, and my friends."
Pilarczyk reaffirmed that the church demands and that he expects priests to live in celibate chastity. However, he noted, the Gospel also calls for healing and forgiveness.
This has been posted on the News/Activism forum. I think it deserves posting here.
If he's truly repented, I see no reason he couldn't return.
St. Augustine had a child with a concubine, after all, and he still got to be Bishop of Hippo. St. Photios tried to depose the Pope and he ended up a Saint after becoming Patriarch again...
Ping
Given current circumstances, I wouldn't be at all surprised if this priest ends up a bishop or a patriarch.
ha, ha. I doubt it.
All I'm saying is that we shouldn't be so quick to judge that this man hasn't really had a conversion from his sin.
Do you see no reason why Paul Shanley shouldn't return to a parish?
If he had truly repented, he would never have sought to return. He has become a public scandal to the faithful.
It is well known that pedophilia, such as in the case of Paul Shanley, is generally uncurable.
On the other hand, I believe it has been shown that homosexuals can generally be cured of their disorder. Furthermore, this man's crime was not in any way sexual abuse, but rather public solicitation for homosexual fornication. I don't believe the Church generally throws out priests who have an affair with a women, either (although homosexual acts are a greater sin than heterosexual fornication).
On the other hand, having investigated the matter further I have discovered that St. Gregory VII decreed in 1074 "That all who were guilty of incontinence should cease to exercise their sacred ministry". This is probably the wiser course of action.
"On the other hand, having investigated the matter further I have discovered that St. Gregory VII decreed in 1074 "That all who were guilty of incontinence should cease to exercise their sacred ministry". This is probably the wiser course of action."
It is the only rational course of action.
As someone remarked, he has become a scandal to the faithful. Never should he represent the Church as a priest again. Further, there is no indication that his SSAD has been cured, which means that he will be grabbing another male groin (probably many male groins) in the future.
I presume that he can still repent, that he can still make it to Heaven. That's between him and God. But the offices the Church gives him here on Earth are a completely separate issue, and those are also our concern.
And herein lies the problem in today's Catholic Church. Spiritual blindness. This "priest" is a stark raving homosexual pervert, who goes around grabbing the genitals of other men and exposing himself in public. This is no passing phase or common sin, but is an embedded thought process, and a debauchery of human nature to boot. Haven't we learned YET that these men don't truly repent of their "sin" because it's a compulsion and obsession for them? Haven't we learned yet that pardoning these deviants and shuffling them to other parishes is utterly self destructive for the Church?
ON THE MANNER OF PROCEEDING IN CASES OF SOLICITATION
FROM THE SUPREME AND HOLY CONGREGATION OF THE HOLY OFFICE
The Vatican Press, 1962
1. The crime of solicitation takes place when a priest tempts a penitent, whoever that person is, either in the act of sacramental confession, whether before or immediately afterwards, whether on the occasion or the pretext of confession, whether even outside the times for confession in the confessional or [in a place] other than that [usually] designated for the hearing of confessions or [in a place] chosen for the simulated purpose of hearing a confession. [The object of this temptation is to solicit or provoke [the penitent] toward impure and obscene matters, whether by words or signs or nods of the head, whether by touch or by writing whether than or after [the note has been read] or whether he has had with [that penitent] prohibited and improper speech or activitity with reckless daring (Constitution Sacrum Poenitentiae, § 1).Again, aren't heterosexual offenders with adult women generally allowed to return to active ministry after repentance?
In any case, it would seem that taking a recommendation from a psychologist is symptomatic of the whole problem of the abuse scandal...what about a spiritual director or confessor?
Confessor and only if the confessor is a holy priest in a state of grace.
CANON XVIII.-If any one saith, that the commandments of God are, even for one that is justified and constituted in grace, impossible to keep; let him be anathema. (Council of Trent, Decree on Justification)Studies have shown that some homosexuals can become normal. Spiritual sins are greater than sins of the flesh (ST II-II q. 154, a. 3) and yet heretics and schismatics can be reinstated to positions within the Church.
This is probably a bad idea though, especially because it is being done on the recommendation of a psychologist. It would have been better to send him off to a monastery somewhere.
May I recommend you read the document I posted?
++23++
Title V
The Worst Crime
71. By the name of the worst crime is understood at this point a signification of any obscene external deed, gravely sinful, in any perpetrated by a cleric or attempt with a person of his own sex.
I've heard of these studies too. But recent practial experience has shown that homosexual clergy are extremely destructive to the Catholic Church. Need I even ask you to look around at the devastation they have caused?
Can. 1395 §1. A cleric who lives in concubinage, other than the case mentioned in can. 1394, and a cleric who persists with scandal in another external sin against the sixth commandment of the Decalogue is to be punished by a suspension. If he persists in the delict after a warning, other penalties can gradually be added, including dismissal from the clerical state.Since this priest didn't even persist with scandal in his sin, he couldn't even be punished with a suspension.§2. A cleric who in another way has committed an offense against the sixth commandment of the Decalogue, if the delict was committed by force or threats or publicly or with a minor below the age of sixteen years, is to be punished with just penalties, not excluding dismissal from the clerical state if the case so warrants.
I agree, but the tendency may not have manifested itself during seminary (Just look at that Episcopal bishop who suddenly "realized" he was gay and divorced his wife).
Enough said; new Code, New Mass, new Bible, new liturgical calendar, new mysteries of Our Lady's Rosary,...
Notice, however there are no new Holy Days of Obligation. Rather the remaing Holy Days are gradually being rolled over to Sundays. The Ascension Thursday obligation is now satisfied on a Sunday, in most American dioceses. Talk about oxymorons. We can't overly burden the "civilization of love".
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