Archbishop Milingo rejects his excommunication

Religion and Spirituality ^ | September 27, 2006

[NYer]

WASHINGTON, September 27 (UPI) — A Roman Catholic archbishop, whom the Vatican says has been excommunicated, Wednesday rejected the Holy See's disciplinary action.

    

"We do not accept this excommunication and lovingly return it to His Holiness, our beloved Pope Benedict XVI, to reconsider it and withdraw it and join us in recalling married priests to service once again," said Emmanuel Milingo, the Catholic Church's former leader of its Zambian parishes.

    

Earlier this week, the Vatican said Milingo had excommunicated himself by an illicit consecration of four married men as bishops and also by his public promotion of a married Catholic clergy. The four men claim affiliation with the breakaway Synod of Old Catholic Churches.

    

Milingo, who himself got married five years ago, used Wednesday's rejection of the Vatican's excommunication to push for a married clergy.

    

"We call upon the bishops of dioceses to bring back the married priests because they have long been needed to do the work of the church," Milingo said. "Lay people need to write to the bishops and to the newspapers to tell them to return married priests to ministry."

    

Milingo was ordained by Pope Paul VI in 1969 at the age of 39. His 2001 marriage was not recognized by the Roman Catholic Church and, out of respect and love for Pope John Paul II, Milingo honored the pontiff's request to return to his ministry in Rome. Milingo has since moved to the Washington area where he leads a group called "Married Priests Now!"

    

He says the new group's purpose is "to support the priests who have married and to loudly clamor for their return to full ministry in the church. We have only one goal and purpose and that is the restoration of the married priesthood to the western Roman Catholic church."

[keat]

I'd say a good old-fashioned caning is in order.

[JamesP81]

Look, I'm not catholic and I think that there's nothing in the bible that disallows a pastor to get married. But, the Pope does make the rules for the RCC. Nobody made the archbishop choose the RCC.

[Jaded]

"We do not accept this excommunication and lovingly return it to His Holiness, our beloved Pope Benedict XVI, to reconsider it and withdraw it and join us in recalling married priests to service once again," said Emmanuel Milingo, the Catholic Church's former leader of its Zambian parishes.

Sounds like a poker game. "I lovingly return this and raise you...

[bornacatholic]

"We do not accept this excommunication...."

*Hey, he picked-up some rhetorical tips from the sspx :).

[the invisib1e hand]

denial. the rebellious get a lot of mileage out of it.

"I can't hear you! I can't hear you! I can't hear you! I can't hear you! I can't hear you! I can't hear you! I can't hear you!"

[wagglebee]

Where do they come up with this utter nonsense?! The Church is not a democracy, the Pope's authority is absolute. This guy is more obtuse than the Protestant Reformers, because they at least bothered to make arguments (albeit invalid ones) that rejected the Pope's authority to excommunicate.

[samiam1972]

I say good riddance. It's obvious our Pope made a good decision. I am sorry the Bishop chose the wrong path. It's a shame.

[PetroniusMaximus]

"the Pope's authority is absolute"

Peter's wasn't.

:)

[Antoninus]

Uh, huh? How, exactly, do you reject an excommunication?

You're out, pal. Deal with it.

[HarleyD]

This guy is more obtuse than the Protestant Reformers, because they at least bothered to make arguments

Hey...don't forget we left without even being asked to leave. :O)

[Phsstpok]

Milingo can believe whatever he wants, practice religion how he thinks best, but he can't defy the Pope and then also declare himself a Catholic.

It's part of the package, fella.

Those of us who call ourselves Protestants hold to a church founded by those who had the courage to accept the consequences of their consciences and strike out on their own, believing that in leaving what was then a massively corrupt institution they were furthering God's will, not opposing it. Moral choices are just that, moral and choices.

You can't have it both ways.  You either stay a Catholic and accept what the Pope does and says, or you leave.  Anything else is a lie and is open defiance of God's will, by your own stated beliefs.  That is the beauty and the pain of free will. 

[redgolum]

Not quite all of us (Lutherans were told to leave :)

So now there is a schism. Wonder what the next play is.

[lastchance]

News Flash. One can not reject their excommunication. No matter how you slice it bubba you is O.U.T. out of the sacramental life of the Church. You can sit in the pews all you like but you might as well go back to the moonies. Cause you can no longer recieve any of the sacraments. You have by your actions cut yourself off from the grace of the sacraments. So don't let the door hit you on the way out.

[lastchance]

Thank you. I am Catholic but agree that if one can not agree with the teachings of the Catholic Church they should leave. Just as I would expect a Protestant who did not agree with the doctrines of his church to leave and go to a church he agreed with.

[Rutles4Ever]

I'm gazing into my crystal ball and seeing a merger with the "Catholic" Womenpriests (Womenbeasts)...

[wagglebee]

My point was that Luther made a reasoned argument (which the Catholic Church rejected as invalid) where he rejected the Pope's authority over him. Milingo has simply rejected the Pope's ruling. I see that as a major difference.

[wagglebee]

One other thought, I don't think Luther or Calvin would have EVER considered ordination of women to be valid.

[redgolum]

No, and in fact if my synod ever ordained women I would leave immediately. No denomination has remained "Christian" after that. Not one. They all seem to jump head long into a new age feely dualism type of thing.