From the perspective of one who accepts my Total Depravity
I Know that healing cannot begin, until one
inspects their sins, confesses, and acts in contrition
Forgiveness and repair cannot proceed
This is true of all Christians as best I can tell
These stories speak to our fallen and broken natures
True everywhere, Princes, Paupers, Priests, and Kings
Resisting the effort to face our sins, confess them, and act in contrition
is a complete waste of energy, and a profound injury to our witness
It is NOT a Catholic vs Protestant issue
From the source...
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Cached = Posted June 21, 2011 by abyssum
http://tinyurl.com/3pt5dfn
The Church law is clear that when a cleric is penalized, as Fr. John has been, it must always be by means of a formal process that has an official beginning and ends with a final judgment.
A priest cannot simply be left in legal limbo without a resolution of charges that resulted in a penal action. Technically what has happened to Fr. John is a penal action and the Church is clear about when such action can take place.
Canon 1341 states that a penalty can only be imposed as last resort (after lesser means have been attempted to “repair the scandal, restore justice, reform the offender”) and can only be applied as the formal outcome of an administrative or judicial process.
And this outcome always gives the defendant opportunity for appeal to higher authority. I do not believe that either a true administrative process or a judicial process was begun here, which is implied by Fr. John’s level of frustration.
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I pray for the Church and priests.