Cardinal Claudio Hummes / Archbishop Mauro Piacenza
Posted on 06/05/2009 12:26:44 PM PDT by NYer
.- During an interview today with Vatican Radio, Secretary of the Vatican’s Congregation for Clergy Archbishop Mauro Piacenza, clarified that bishops around the world have not been granted with "automatic" powers to defrock priests, but only with the capacity to proceed more speedily in cases that were not considered by the current Code of Canon Law approved by Pope John Paul in 1983.
The new powers granted to bishops were announced by a letter sent to all episcopates by Cardinal Claudio Hummes on April 18 and are aimed at filling some legal voids present in the current Canon law. The archbishop further explained that they are not a "blank check" to automatically defrock priests, as some members of the Italian press have recently claimed.
The changes authorized by Pope Benedict XVI allow bishops to proceed in the laicization of priests only in some cases not considered by the current Canon law, such as when a priest leaves the ministry by his own will; when he asks the bishop to be dispensed from the commitment of celibacy; or when a priest leaves the priesthood without telling the bishop and enters into a civil marriage, has kids "and is not interested in solving his canonical situation."
"In those cases, for the good of the Church and his own good," Archbishop Piacenza explained, "the power (from the bishop) to give a dispensation to the priest is requested as an act of charity, especially if he has children, since the children have the right to a father in good standing with the Church."
"In these cases, it is the bishop who has to take the initiative," the archbishop added.
Nevertheless, he clarified that "there is nothing 'automatic,' there is no 'automatism' in the timing of the cases, each case has to be carefully and rigorously examined."
"All the other rights and duties of the bishops in exercising their juridical authority remain unchanged," Piacenza continued.
"On a daily basis, the vast majority of priests live according to their own identity and carry on their own ministerial duties faithfully. But in few cases, the Holy See has to intervene in a subsidiary manner, to repair the scandal, reestablish justice and help the sinner amend his course." the archbishop explained.
According to the new regulations, the bishops can begin the procedure to declare the loss of the clerical state for those priests who "have attempted marriage, even if only civil," and "after the proper warning have not made changes." Also in cases when the priest is "guilty of grave external sins against the sixth commandment," which is: "You shall not commit adultery."
"Priestly celibacy," Archbishop Piacenza concluded, "is a gift that the Church has received and wants to preserve, convinced more than ever that it is good for herself and the world."
Ping!
Possible wise-crack based on headline... Let it go... Let it go...
Let it go... Just say...
No comment.
Can they be de-frocked for messing with kids?
You wrote:
“Can they be de-frocked for messing with kids?”
Many of those who molested minors were laicized, etc.
***Many of those who molested minors were laicized, etc.***
And many of them were frogmarched into jail.
Yes, and they should have been. I just wish it happened sooner.
Thank God
***Yes, and they should have been. I just wish it happened sooner.***
Agreed. Since most of them happened in the 50s through the 70s, many of the priests died before being brought to justice. There was a nest of them in the diocese that we moved into four years ago. Most of them are dead; most of the rest are in jail.
And many of them were innocent of all charges.
Ambulance chasing attorneys trying to make a fast buck.
***And many of them were innocent of all charges.***
Not enough of them. This period is shameful for all those who fall under the bishops responsible.
As Vlad already noted, many of those priests have already been laicized. But, each time this question surfaces, I often wonder why more people are not outraged and concerned about the child molesters who will continue unabated.
Sexual abuse of minors by Protestant ministers
And then there are the rabbis and imams, the public school educators, camp counselors and those who work with the disabled and handicaped.
No one could ever justify these horrific acts commited by priests. The media came at the Catholic Church like a laser beam and continue to do so, despite the fact that the Catholic Church has implemented a program to prevent future recurrences. EVERYONE who comes in contact with children in a Catholic setting, must undergo a scrupulous background check and be fingerprinted - even those who volunteer their time to educate these children in their faith. What is society doing about the others? Why doesn't the media address those molesters who are still rampant and active amongst our children?
The Bible states that these things will come to pass. Moral decay IS happening and it will lead to a day of reckoning. However, the CC did it's self no favors by trying (so publically) to buy off the victims and hide the truth for so long. Being a rich and powerful influence on such a large number of individuals made the CC an obvious target for the secular, Leftist media crowd.
Also, there's a big difference between a Priest voluntarily requesting to leave the clerical state, laicize, and a Priest being fired from the clerical state, dismissal.
Isn’t it strange then, that the Catholic Church (I don’t use CC like you do.) is the church that is gaining members rather than losing members.
Are we not purified through fire? The Catholic Church is stronger and more pure than it was 10 years ago where your thinking seems to be stuck.
Well said.
“Are we not purified through fire?”
Are you trying to say we are all sinners and must learn from our mistakes?
I merely point out why I thought the Media attacks the CC. (because it is the largest, richest Christian based denomination in the world)
In my opinion, it’s not because the Catholic Church is the largest (or richest, as you say), but that the media hates the Catholic Church for ALWAYS standing against
abortion,
euthanasia,
embryonic stem cell research,
contraception,
same-sex marriage
and the list can go on.
The media hate the Catholic Church because it speaks the truth. And the secular, non-beliving world does not want to believe these truths. They are more interested in their own self-fulfillment through practicing the Seven Deadly Sins.
I pray for the day when they start giving Islam equal time.
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