The Vatican’s “clarification” this summer that pedophilia and women desirous of becoming priests were “delicta graviora” amused some, angered others, was ignored by many more. However, it drew a response from the Pastor of Ascension Parish in Oak Park (near Chicago) and over 600 parishioners that signed a letter about the Church’s apparent callousness in dealing with women in general, and then making the incredulous comparison between the "sin" of women priests and pedophilia. The petition took aim at that notion, saying "we take great offense that good faith struggles for gender equality could be misunderstood as a sacrilege and placed on a par with the sexual abuse of children."The Pastor, Rev. Larry McNally, brought the petition personally to Cardinal George while the Cardinal was preparing for another trip to Rome. The Cardinal graciously invited McNally into the Cardinal residence for lunch and said he would bring the petition to Rome. George only took McNally to task for his complaints about Cardinal Law getting off easy in the Abuse Scandal - being “punished” with a plum Vatican assignment.
Of course, a month or so after the dust-up, the other shoe has now fallen. Cardinal George, seeking to distance himself from the issue personally, delegated Auxiliary Bishop John Manz to crackdown on Father McNally. McNally was ordered to apologize to his congregation for causing “confusion” about Church doctrine and had to read sections of the Catholic Catechism to his congregation from the pulpit. The alternative was to resign.
More details are available at: http://www.chicagocatholicnews.com/2010/11/suburban-priest-muzzled-over-remarks-on.html and http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/11-02-2010/Ascension_walks_afoul_of_Catholic_establishment
They are owned slaves. Fr. McNally is being publically flogged in retaliation for rebelling against his master.
ReplyDeleteI stayed in the Catholic Church for years thinking that one day certain things would change. I always felt like I was not honest when I would gather with other Catholics and they would talk about what the "Church teaches". In my heart there are so many things I cannot agree with. I have since left the church and when I read things such as what happened to Father McNally I realize that nothing has changed- only gotten worse. My heart aches.
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