Two Catholic
scholars called highly unusual, appears to include the possibility of offenders
being prohibited from taking part in church sacraments such as communion,
confession and burial.
"Madison Catholic Bishop Robert Morlino
has moved to quell a backlash against a group of conservative priests in
Platteville by warning parishioners they risk formal church censure unless they
stop spreading "rumors and gossip."
The action by Morlino, which two
Catholic scholars called highly unusual, appears to include the possibility of
offenders being prohibited from taking part in church sacraments such as
communion, confession and burial.
The warning came in a five-page letter
Wednesday from Morlino to St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Platteville. The
congregation has been roiled by opposition to the traditionalist priests, who
began serving the parish in June 2010.
Within months, church donations fell
by more than half, and about 40 percent of the church’s 1,200 members signed a
petition seeking the priests’ ouster. The church’s 77-year-old school is set to
close June 1, a loss many parishioners tie directly to the collapse of
donations.
The letter, in which Morlino raises
the prospect of invoking the church’s Code of Canon Law against dissenters, has
stunned many parishioners.
"There’s almost shock and awe," said
Myron Tranel, a member of the church’s finance council. "But mostly, there’s a
lot of disappointment that the bishop has decided to deal with it this way..."
Others applaud the bishop’s move,
saying decisive action was needed because criticism had gotten out of hand."
2 comments:
When Communion time came, not a single adult came forward.
To suggest that women should be ordained priests denies the will of God, the very God who selected 12 men to be His Apostles.
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