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To: Land of the Irish
Prompted by years of liturgical research and studies which drew him toward the Traditional Latin Mass, Fr. Zigrang had requested on multiple occasions for the opportunity to offer a public Tridentine Mass in a parish. His most recent request came in January of this year when he sent a letter to Bishop Fiorenza requesting permission to convert St. Andrew's parish in to a traditional parish (dedicated to the practice of the Tridentine Mass and other sacraments) or start such a parish in another location. Six months later, he had still not received a reply.

Several posters said that Fr. Zigrang went about it the wrong way and shouldn't "have been in the bishop's face." But reading the article tells you that he tried for a long time, apparently for years, to get permission to offer the Latin Mass. Notice that the bishop didn't find time in 6 months to respond the priest's latest request, but somehow he found time the SAME DAY to kick the pastor out of his parish when he committed the unforgivable sin of believing and practicing the Catholic faith.

A few other points worth mentioning: 1. Decades are not too long a time for responding to the crisis of priestly pederasts. But a priest who dares to say the Latin Mass finds himself out on his ear the SAME DAY.

2. The "psychiatric evaluation" theme recurs in a large number of these stories. Anyone who won't go along with the program must obviously be crazy. Remember Fr. Haley, the priest from Arlington VA who blew the whistle on 3 consecutive pastors he served under? They tried to have him indefinitely committed to a mental hospital. He only got out by getting his own private psychiatrist to come down to the hospital and get him released.

Regarding Fiorenza's remarkable speed in dealing with a priest who dares to say the Latin Mass, in comparison with his speed in dealing with sexual predators, here are some excerpts from a 1997 article (apparently Fiorenza was on the cutting edge before the abuse scandal became big news):

Documents show bishops transferred known abuser

"In 1982, Bishop Joseph A. Fiorenza wrote that he knew of Father Holley's "past difficulties" and stated: "With our shortage of priests, I am willing to risk incardinating him" - which means formally making him a priest of the Diocese of San Angelo, Texas.

At the time, Bishop Fiorenza headed that diocese. Today, he governs the Diocese of Galveston-Houston and, as vice president of the national bishops group, is expected to become president next year.

Bishop Fiorenza, 66, declined interview requests, saying through spokesman Ron Regan that he didn't want to revisit old traumas. "The church needs to move beyond this," Mr. Regan said Thursday .

Father Holley isn't the only child molester whom Bishop Fiorenza has allowed to continue working. After going to Houston in 1985, the bishop reassigned a priest caught in the act of abusing a girl and offered her no help, according to published reports that his spokesman doesn't dispute. The woman who discovered the abuse said the diocese pressured her not to tell police.

Here's another story from just last month:
Houston priest still working despite abuse accusation
The Rev. John T. Keller had allegedly let a deacon's teenage son drink wine on a trip two decades ago, then called the intoxicated boy into bed and fondled him. Questioned by the diocese, Father Keller denied abusing the youth but acknowledged he "crossed a proper boundary by holding you in a manner inappropriate for a priest," Bishop Joseph A. Fiorenza wrote the deacon's now-grown son in January. For his actions, Father Keller would have to undergo counseling "to ensure he is not at risk for any future inappropriate behavior," the bishop wrote. His job was safe, though.

28 posted on 07/05/2003 8:09:00 AM PDT by Maximilian
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To: Maximilian
Unfortunately, my fears and suspicions are verified by your post. I was hoping I was simply thinking the worst and being too harsh in my judgement of Fiorenza.
30 posted on 07/05/2003 8:20:08 AM PDT by k omalley
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To: Maximilian
What I find abominable is the employment of mental health professionals. If there is anything certain it is that psychology is half-baked science.
31 posted on 07/05/2003 8:20:25 AM PDT by RobbyS
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