(Silenced) Priest (Fr. Altier) fires back at archdiocese spokesman

http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/abbott/060726 ^ | July 26, 2006 | Matt C. Abbott

[NYer]

Silenced priest Father Robert Altier has responded to a recent letter by Dennis McGrath, communications director for the St. Paul-Minneapolis archdiocese, regarding Father Altier's status in the archdiocese.

The following is Father Altier's (unedited) response to McGrath:

Dennis McGrath
Chancery
226 Summit Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55102-2197

Dear Mr. McGrath,

Praised be Jesus Christ! I am writing to you in response to a letter that you wrote to Mr. Kenneth Fisher on July 17, 2006 and which was, in turn, forwarded to me. In this letter you state, regarding Mr. Fisher, that "his story is replete with errors and major exaggerations. As the communications director for The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, let me strive to correct the record and, hopefully, get your Catholic Newswire to do the same if you're at all concerned about journalistic ethics and truth." Toward the end of the letter you further state "to let Mr. Fisher use your news service as a communications medium to trumpet a campaign based on false and distorted information is almost unimaginable to me, as a trained journalist."

These are rather interesting statements considering that your own letter contains very few pieces of factual data but is, indeed, replete with misinformation and a great deal of false and distorted information of its own (and this is not the first time). This strikes me as being "almost unimaginable" coming from one who claims to be a trained journalist and even more because you represent the Archdiocese and the Archbishop. If this were merely a matter of false and distorted information I would have ignored it and remained silent, as I have in the past. But there is something much more serious contained in your letter which has prompted me to write you. This would fall under your statement about getting the record straight and concern about journalistic ethics and truth.

In your letter you state that I have "indeed frequently and inappropriately (if not disobediently) criticized the Archbishop and Archdiocesan leaders (and not simply on the VIRTUS child protection/education program)." While it is true that I have not always agreed with certain decisions that have been made, I have never, to my recollection, made public statements that are critical of the Archbishop and I have never been disobedient to anything he has ever asked. A clear distinction needs to be made here. We have a right and, at times, an obligation to make judgments on actions, including decisions. To criticize such actions or decisions does not constitute criticism of the person per se. I have made a promise of respect and obedience to the Archbishop and I have maintained this promise. To disagree with a decision is neither an act of disrespect for the person of the Archbishop nor is it an act of disobedience. These charges made in your letter are not only fabrications of your own, but they constitute slander and calumny which are both serious sins. I am requesting that you either produce some evidence to back up your remarks or "strive to correct the record" by recanting these statements in the same medium or media in which they were made.

Mr. McGrath, considering your position as the Director of Communications for the Archdiocese, and considering that you make it clear at the beginning of your letter that you are acting in that capacity, your statements have to be taken not as personal opinion, but as the official position of the Archdiocese. This is quite tragic (but does indeed speak volumes) and it is truly unimaginable coming from a trained journalist who is concerned about journalistic ethics and truth. Since you are speaking on behalf of the Archbishop and your statements are to reflect his own official position, I am sending a copy of this letter to the Archbishop. I am also sending a copy to Mr. Fisher because your original letter was addressed to him. Trusting in your desire to correct the record and uphold only the highest standards of ethics and truth, I will look forward to your rectification of this unfortunate situation.

In our Lord and our Lady,
Fr. Robert J. Altier

Cc: Archbishop Flynn
Mr. Kenneth Fisher

[NYer]

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Matt C. Abbott is a Catholic columnist. He can be reached at

[NYer]

Matt C. Abbott is a Catholic columnist. He can be reached at mattcabbott@gmail.com.

[Notwithstanding]

How sad that the bishop is punishing the good and coddling the bad.

I am quite ceratin - absolutely certain - that there are at least 5 heterodox disobeient priests in his diocese who actually deserve punitive actions and public admonishment.

Yet the orthodox priest is treated like a pariah.

[trisham]

bump

[Iris7]

I have not met many Bishops and my experience may or may not be representative. My limited experience is that Bishops are uniformly destructive.

This business is the same old thing, of course. "Eat of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and be as gods."

Catherine of Sienna said "The streets of Hell are paved with the skulls of Bishops."

I do notice many "cradle Catholics" use "obedience" to avoid personal responsibility. The "whitened selpuchre" analogy is most accurate, eh? And "cradle Catholics" aren't the only ones.

As Augustine put it, "Give me chastity and continence, but not yet." "If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don't like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself." "The confession of evil works is the first beginning of good works."

Saint Augustine, again, "Who can map out the various forces at play in one soul? Man is a great depth, O Lord. The hairs of his head are easier by far to count than his feeling, the movements of his heart."

Easy to be very proud of one's humility. Easy to be proud that one realizes this.

True strength can only be built on a foundation of humility. After sixty years I see I have built on sand.

I fled Him, down the nights and down the days;
I fled Him, down the arches of the years;
I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways
Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears
I hid from Him, and under running laughter.

Up vistaed hopes I sped;
And shot, precipitated,

Adown Titanic glooms of chasmèd fears,
From those strong Feet that followed, followed after.

But with unhurrying chase,
And unperturbèd pace,

Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,

They beat -- and a voice beat
More instant than the Feet --

"All things betray thee, who betrayest Me."

The Hound of Heaven, Francis Thompson.

[dangus]

It's a good thing he wasn't giving dictation to a secretary.

You can almost here him say, "Praithed by Jeethuth Chwitht!"

[dangus]

>> I have never, to my recollection, made public statements that are critical of the Archbishop... To criticize such actions or decisions does not constitute criticism of the person per se... These charges made in your letter are not only fabrications of your own, but they constitute slander and calumny which are both serious sins. <<

I'm sure he never criticized the PERSON of the Archbishop; he probably just said something like "the Archbishop's commands are fasicistic, and evil, and all Christians of good faith must recognize them for the demonic outbursts they are!" Nah, I'm just kidding. I'm sure Altier doesn't believe in the devil.

Incidentally, I'm sure any decent bishop wouldn't mind being called an "idiot, who nonetheless has correctly taught the wisdom of the Magisterium and the teachings of Christ," so long as his instructions are honored. If Altier has not disobeyed the bishop, but has taught that the bishop commands are stupid, sinful, intolerant, homophobic, sexist, racist, or archaic, then he has inspired rebellion in his flock, and the bishop would be just to remove him.

[dangus]

Or, since I read from other comments indications he's a conservative dissenter, I would also suggests there's a spirit of disobedience in saying the bishop's directives are modernist, heretical, etc. Unless they actually are. From the article, I thought that the priest was silenced for his liberalism, confusing him with a pro-homosexual priest silenced in the same diocese; It's much harder for an American priest to be to the right of sound teaching.

[dangus]

" I have never, to my recollection, made public statements that are critical of the Archbishop... These charges made in your letter are not only fabrications of your own, but they constitute slander and calumny which are both serious sins... your statements have to be taken not as personal opinion, but as the official position of the Archdiocese."

Whether or not the Archbishop deserves criticism, it is ridiculous that he asserts he has never criticized the Archbishop. To call an action sinful is to criticize the subject for being a sinner; otherwise, he's just playing semantics.

[dangus]

>> It's a good thing he wasn't giving dictation to a secretary. You can almost here him say, "Praithed by Jeethuth Chwitht!" <<

And, yes, I do see the same plattitudes, obfuscations and wordplays in his writings which are typical of the left, and its homosexual agenda. It's just that the left is so much more prevalent in using them, that I draw the association.

[dangus]

After reading more about the case, I can certainly say that the bishop's chancery, McGrath puts on a show of obfuscation that is just short of amazing.

[Straight Vermonter]

He was not calling the Archbishops actions sinful. He was calling the actions (slander and calumny) of the communications director sinful.

[dangus]

>> He was not calling the Archbishops actions sinful. He was calling the actions (slander and calumny) of the communications director sinful. <<

He said he was presuming that the words (i.e., the actions of slander and calumny) represented the Archbishop. IOW, whether he actually was calling the Archbishop's actions slander and calumny, he at least BELIEVED he was.

[Daffy]

As I understand, Fr. A. gave a sermon on the origins and shortcomings of some youth "SafeTouch" program, then it turns out the Abp. is a big supporter of the program.