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Dear Desdemona,

"Normally, I would agree, but this priest had been asking for years and nothing. What's so horrible about it?"

?????

Come on, Desdemona! We don't get to break our vows because we ask for something for years, even a good thing! If a man's wife refuses him sex, even for some years, he is not then justified to violate his wedding vows! His wife may be wrong, but her sin does not justify his adultery!

And Desdemona, that doesn't mean we can't see the priest's situation with some compassion. Just as we may see the poor slob compassionately who, weak with temptation, sins against his marriage vows, I can understand the priest's frustration with this bishop of his.

But one cannot excuse the adulterer's sin against his wedding vows, because of his wife's prior sin against him, and one cannot excuse this priest's sin against his priestly vows, because of his bishop's prior sin against him.

VIOLATING SACRED VOWS IS A BIG DEAL, even when committed in difficult circumstances.

But of course, this priest isn't even in an analogous position to the poor man whose wife denies him use of their marriage. This priest had been permitted to celebrate Mass, even celebrate the old rite privately! But that was not enough! The better analogy would be a man whose wife gives him use of their marriage, but does not wear the lingerie he wishes she would wear for the occasion.

And then, he justifies his adultery, his violating his vows, over it. One would not be unjustified if one felt very little compassion for such a one as this.

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