Why the Príncipi case matters

The Pillar ^ | Oct. 10, 2024 | ED. CONDON

[ConservativeMind]

The Vatican Secretariat of State’s “extraordinary procedure” to reinstate a laicized priest, blocked this week by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, may prove to be the most significant Vatican story of the year. Peña Parra and the rule of law: Has anything changed in the Vatican?

Little is known, as yet, about why sostituto Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra issued an order trying to reinstate a man convicted of child sexual abuse by two interdiocesan tribunals in Argentina.

But his decision to do so, and the DDF’s move to publicly void the attempt, raises real questions about the role of Pope Francis, the rule of law, and the exercise of power in the Vatican.

According to canon law, Ariel Alberto Príncipi’s case was clear — convicted on multiple counts of abuse of minors by two local courts and laicized, his line of appeal was to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, and ultimately to the pope personally, but through the same department.

Instead of that process, “subsequent evidence presented by some diocesan bishops of Argentina” (though it is not clear to whom it was presented) led to the a statement from the deputy of the papal secretariat, saying he had overturned the entire canonical process and its results and convened his “extraordinary procedure” to reinstate the priest to limited ministry, finding him guilty only of unspecified “reckless” behavior.

It is not known who else, if anyone, was involved in Peña Parra’s attempted star chamber process, which seems to have considered only the “evidence” presented by advocates and allies of Príncipi, and to have proceeded without reference to the victims, Church prosecutors, or the Vatican department with sole jurisdiction of the case.

To canonical ears, the entire process seemed as obviously “illegal” as it was “extraordinary.”

[metmom]

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Which, although is not Scripture, is why I don’t believe for a minute that Jesus set up any religious organization headed up by one human leader.

Small local bodies of believers were the norm for the early NT church. Not one big mega church of any kind.

[ConservativeMind]

Well said.

[ebb tide]

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