Don’t Consecrate Idiots as Bishops
- Donald R. McClarey
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 43 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
I will guarantee you that Bishop Michael Martin is a Democrat.
Apparently the 31 signatories of the Dubia represent about 1/4 of the total number of priests in the Charlotte diocese— and about 2/3 of the signatories are pastors. If there are that many priests publicly questioning their Ordinary, it’s a safe bet even more priests agree with the Dubia but chose not to put their name to it.
His Excellency needs to think very carefully about his leadership style, especially since he has a limited pool of personnel to hector and micromanage. It’s not as if a bishop, dissatisfied with his priests, can fire them all and replace them just by putting an ad in the paper.
Unfortunately, I suspect thinking very carefully is not this Bishop of Charlotte’s strong suit.
His excellency reminds me to some degree of administrators in school who believe it is their solemn duty to implement all the Best Practicesâ„¢ (how I despise that term) they learned in their Masters of Edu-ma-cation Program – no feel for real life, no sense of the way things are on the ground, no consulting the ones who actually are the grunts (so to speak) in the trenches. And they don’t care. Why? It is all about The System and Authority, forgetting that the root of administration is “minister”.
(&)Don’t remove good bishops(?)
<i>His excellency reminds me to some degree of administrators in school who believe it is their solemn duty to implement all the Best Practicesâ„¢ </i>
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The problem is not an interest in Best Practices, but in fads labeled as such which are congruent with the social prejudices of teacher training faculty &c.
Art,
Oh I am well aware. Hence the sarcastic “TM” and capitalization of best practices.
Too many in leadership would rather have the world while losing their souls.
Change happens when brave faithful men stand up and quietly say “I will not do it.”
And guess whose dicastery selected Bishop Martin for Bergoglio to appoint? If he now allows Martin to continue acting like anything but a shepherd, much will be revealed. We are still in the desert, I fear, and a long way from getting out of it.
Complaining about a bishop to the guy who vetted the bishop. 🤔
(Leo was in charge of this area before he was pope.)
It may result in a brief, tactical victory and I still applaud the 31 priests for trading comfort for the sake of doing the right thing.
However, my confidence in Rome is lower than my confidence in most sees, which is perpetually low.
A guy named Strickland is an available replacement.
To not make idiots bishops would be a fine start to a renewal of the episcopate. Then make sure not to consecrate heretics or those of a certain persuasion.
Bishop Martin….only slightly less effective than Dean Martin from Back to School….
I agree, Mr. McC.
I am blessed to have a kind, faithful, and pastoral bishop – Edward Malesic of Cleveland. He does what is right and within the teaching of the Church, even when it makes him a target of others.
He also picks his fights judiciously, but behind his mild manner is a spine of steel. He did not hesitate to declare that all Diocesan employees – from seminarians to hospital workers to school employees – must use the gender of their birth, including their baptismal names and using the bathroom of that gender. And that no one can bring a same-sex date to parish and school dances, etc. And that no one can be on an athletic team that is designated for the opposite gender (yes, two genders and no more than that). He was attacked from coast to coast by outsiders, and worse, by some of his own people. But he stood his ground, and it is specifically Diocesan policy.
That said, he also permitted the TLM to be celebrated at select parishes throughout our very large Diocese, with no strings attached.
Removing kneelers and does not come into it. And it has been the policy of the Diocese for the last few decades that those who approach Holy Communion may kneel or stand and may receive on the tongue or in the hand, all with the deepest respect for the Blessed Sacrament. Our EMHCs are universally trained and certified by the Diocese, and we are trained to offer Jesus in those situations.
I do not take Bishop Malesic for granted, and I am sorry the people of the Diocese of Charlotte are suffering. Peace to all here.