Goodbye to Gumbleton

Catholic World News ^ | 1/25/06 | Diogenes

[marshmallow]

During the past year I have carried on correspondence with Cardinal Giovanni Re, the head of the Congregation for Bishops, regarding this request. However, some time ago he indicated that my request to defer my resignation was not acceptable.

Translation: they fired him.

Finally.

[Deo volente]

"So long, farewell, aufwiedersehen, goodbye....goodbye.....gooooodbyyyyyyee.”

[magisterium]

As Haydn would say: "Te...Te Deum Laudamus!"

[paw prints]

Hip Hip Hooray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[A.A. Cunningham]

Excellent. Hopefully Gumbletons' Pax Christi will disappear too.

Mary Carry: You recently celebrated your 75 th birthday. Typically, at that time, you are supposed to write a letter to the pope and offer a resignation. Have you done this, and if so, what does this mean for you personally if you are required to retire?

Bishop Thomas Gumbleton: I did write a letter, but I indicated that I felt it was better if I did not resign so I did not request to resign. I just said I prefer to continue working. And so I sent that in and when I got it back they asked for another letter, but I haven't sent it yet. So, it's all in limbo.

[AlaninSA]

Please excuse my ignorance here, but who is this guy and why is it good that he's been semi-fired?

-Conservative Catholic Dude in San Antonio

[mirabile_dictu]

"A minor league Archbishop Tutu..." Wouldn't mind that appellation on my tomb-stone... Eat your hearts out.

[Coleus]

gumbleton

 

Rome Forces Homosexual Activist Bishop Gumbleton to Resign

 

By Gudrun Schultz

 

DETROIT, Illinois, January 26, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, who is known as an activist for homosexuality in the Church, has handed in his resignation to the Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI is expected to announce the resignation today.

 

Bishop Gumbleton resisted mandatory retirement last year when he reached the age of 75, asking to continue on as Auxiliary Bishop to Detroit Cardinal Adam Maida. His request, given to the head of the Congregation for Bishops, Cardinal Giovanni Re, was denied.

 

”Some time ago he indicated that my request to defer my resignation was not acceptable,” Bishop Gumbleton said in an open letter to his parishioners at St. Leo’s Church.

 

Bishop Gumbleton has spent his years of spiritual authority in the Catholic Church working to promote the homosexual lifestyle. He is affiliated with numerous gay activist organizations such as the Triangle Foundation, the Rainbow Sash Movement, and New Ways Ministry, SHARE, and Call to Action. In 1995 he received the Call to Action leadership award.

 

He has been a prolific speaker and writer on the subject of homosexual acceptance in the Church, openly challenging the Church’s teaching that homosexual activity is “intrinsically disordered.”

 

Speaking to a conference for New Ways Ministry, a psuedo-Catholic movement that has been banned by the Church for openly promoting homosexual behavior, Bishop Gumbleton once outlined his position on homosexuality:

 

“…homosexual people are not disordered people. They are psychologically healthy people. ... Homosexuals are as healthy as anyone else."

 

Bishop Gumbleton has recently been campaigning against the Vatican’s direction that homosexual men should not be admitted to the priesthood. Gumbleton revealed earlier this month that 60 years ago, as a teenager, he was sexually molested by a Catholic priest. He has called for legislative changes that would allow time-sensitive allegations of priestly abuse come to trial, a suggestion that has triggered intensive controversy.

 

Gumbleton maintains that his work as a Bishop will continue, despite having retirement forced on him. It is not clear, however, if Cardinal Maida will allow him to remain in his position as pastor to St. Leo’s Church. Archdiocesan spokesman Ned McGrath suggested Cardinal Maida would raise major questions over Bishop Gumbleton’s history of activism, according to the Detroit Free Press.

[Chesterbelloc]

"I don't resign"

"We accept your resignation"

[marshmallow]

He was the poster child for '60s and '70s -style clerical activism and liberalism.

One could write screeds about him, but he's essentially Ted Kennedy in a Roman collar.

[SuziQ]

SirKit and I were wondering the other day how soon he'd be retiring. This is great news!

[Deo volente]

Gumbleton had vanished. A morning came, and he was missing from
the chancery: a few thoughtless people commented on his absence. On the
next day nobody mentioned him. On the third day Winston went
into the vestibule of the Records Department to look at the notice-board. One of the notices carried a printed list of the members of the Peace and Social Justice Committee, of whom Gumbleton had been one. It looked almost exactly as it had looked before -- nothing had
been crossed out -- but it was one name shorter. It was enough.
Gumbleton had ceased to exist: he had never existed.


(with apologies to George Orwell)

[RobbyS]

Thank God they are all getting older, but can the pope outlive them? May he live to be ninety and in good health until his death.

[Petronski]

My mother used to mutter in disgust about Gumbleton. Then she would rush off to confession.

[Dajjal]

Good news bumpus ad summum

[Salvation]

That would be good news also!

[bornacatholic]

I just got my copy of This Rock. It has an excellent article about why the Pope rarely "fires" a Bishop. It's very interesting. Once Catholic Answers posts it, I will post it in here

[Antoninus]

Adios, Gumby. Another bad one bites the dust.

[TaxachusettsMan]

I always liked Ronald Reagan's response to the reporter who asked:

"So how did your meeting go with Tutu?"

Reagan: "Tutu? So-so."