Posted on 06/30/2002 10:49:00 AM PDT by Polycarp
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| Angered by information leaks, Bishop Joseph Adamec abruptly canceled planned transfers of priests this week, The Tribune-Democrat has learned. The cancellation affects a Centre County priest who has publicly disagreed with the bishop’s stance on homosexuality in the priesthood, and whose brother is a conservative Catholic activist and harsh critic of the bishop. Both brothers declined to comment, and Adamec was tight-lipped about his orders, issuing only terse written responses to a reporter’s questions. The cancellations appear to be the latest tear in the widening fissure between Adamac’s administration of the Altoona-Johnstown Roman Catholic Diocese and his conservative critics. Events leading up to the cancellations began June 18, when Altoona businessman George Foster’s laity group sponsored a visit by conservative author Michael Rose, whose book “Goodbye, Good Men” is critical of the Altoona-Johnstown diocese. Several priests attended a reception for Rose, and there were conversations of pending transfers and moving arrangements. On June 19, the Centre Daily Times newspaper carried a front-page story about Foster’s brother James, a Bellefonte priest, being reassigned next month to another parish, and diocese officials denying political motivations. On June 21, Adamec wrote to all parishes, telling priests that “a number of transfers scheduled to take effect on July 10, 2002, have been put on hold. There are several reasons for that, including breaches of confidentiality.” A new list of transfers was developed last week, but dated for release on June 28. Foster’s transfer was not included in the new list. In his letter, Adamec apologized to “those not contributing to the situation. “I am sorry that this places an unexpected inconvenience on those who were prepared for a move on July 10,” he wrote. When a reporter asked what motivated the letter, Adamec replied with a short, written answer: “It’s in the letter.” When asked if a copy of the transfer list obtained by The Tribune-Democrat early last week, but dated June 28, was a complete list, Adamec replied, “I don’t know.” Reassignments announced by the diocese on Friday were: Sister Mary Parks, spokeswoman for the diocese, declined to comment on Foster’s situation. But Adamec and Parks have clashed with the priest in the past over the issue of homosexuality. Some dioceses, such as Philadelphia, will not accept homosexuals as priests, and the Vatican bans homosexual priests. The homosexual lifestyle has been the subject of an ongoing debate at Penn State University in State College. Foster voiced his conservative views and was chastised by the diocese. That debate began in October 2000, with a Penn State ceremony titled, “A Service of Affirmation of the Human Dignity of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People.” Hlublik then wrote an essay saying: “Fortunately, with a few positive thought-provoking images of gays portrayed on television and movies and maybe even encounters with gays in our own lives, it is becoming common enough to be a topic of discussion.” Conservative Catholics, including priests like Foster, were outraged. Foster wrote a response calling Hlubik’s statements “false teaching.” Then Parks wrote back, rebuking Foster: “It is highly inappropriate for a Catholic priest to criticize publicly one of his brothers. [but its OK for a feminist nun to publicly criticize a priest--Polycarp] It is canonically inappropriate for a priest to suggest publicly that the diocese (ergo his Bishop) is somehow colluding to lead souls astray.” Foster’s brother, George, who is president of the Lay Stewardship Foundation, since has been engaged in a public war of words over the way the diocese has handled sex scandals. Both Parks and Adamec declined to discuss James Foster’s future as a priest, or any other transfers that might be made. |
;^)
Sia lodato Gesucristo!
I do not think the Catholic Church will implode, for out of every advesity comes a greater or equal opportunity. My prayer is that the Catholic Church chooses the opportunity of reporting all sexual abusers as the Charter passed in Dallas stated. Then I pray that the Bishops will deal with the issue of homosexuality. I think you can see by the many posts from Catholics here, that we oppose homosexuality among priests.
Thanks for your reply and the tone in which it was rendered.
And remember that prayer is the answer.
Personally, since it was St Athanasius who dealt with the Arian heresy before St John Chrysostom was even born, I believe the quote I posted is correctly attributed to him. I believe that Chrysostom and Eudes more than likely paraphrased Athanasius. Eudes may have paraphrased Chrysostom or both may have come to virtually the same conclusion as Athanasius. The definitive answer may be hard to come by.
If it's in there
Sleep easy tonight. It isn't favorable in the bible.
The homosexual proponents are simply fabricating. No honest interpretation could ever conclude it is anything other than an abomination in God's view.
I have heard in three or four homilies here in Phoenix that the "sin" of the men of Sodom was-------are you ready for this-------?The sin,was,A LACK OF HOSPITALITY.Yesiree!I bet you guys have been misunderstanding those passages for years,but not our priests,and they are so pleased to share that "new take"on it with us.
Yikes! No more Mr. Nice Guy for me when strangers come a knockin. I don't want anyone accusing me of being "HOSPITABLE".
Great editorial. Let us know if it gets printed.
I've heard that several times, too. I guess it's just a coincidence that the name of the city is the root of the word sodomy.
BTW, nobody else I know can find any favorable references, either...so as we fisheaters say, Q.E.D. (that's Catholic code for Roma locuta est, causa finita est (Rome has spoken, the case is closed.)
On to the next Big Lie of the perverts!!!
You are so right. And the sodomite community tries to take advantage of this ignorance at every opportunity.
It is the responsibility of the Bishop to encourage and teach with love the Church's doctrine, and to endure the disapprobation of the liberal press and the sodomites. Look at the persecution which was heaped upon the late John Cardinal O'Connor in NYC.
My pastor usually avoids saying "homosexual" from the pulpit. The one time in the past several months he did say it, he immediately said he doesn't like to say it from the pulpit.
How about "sodomite" instead?
I answered my own question. There are two distinct Congregations, as you can see on the Vatican Web site's Congregations index page. The Bishops' page only has the profile in Italian.
That's a great idea!
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