Eight priests who had been privately ordered by Bishop Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix to remove their names from a pro-gay statement have ignored him. Only one has obeyed. That priest, Father Chris Carpenter, said he did it “in fidelity to my promise of obedience and respect for the bishop of Phoenix and in the interest of parish and diocesan unity.” Bravo, Father.
Now it’s up to the Bishop Olmsted to prove that he’s more than just words, that the disobedient priests’ actions have consequences. After all, that was what the Scandal was about: bishops failing to take action against priests who spit upon their vows and their duty. From what I’ve seen of Bishop Olmsted, I don’t doubt he will do what’s right.
It’s time for discipline. Move ‘em out to the boondocks, or put ‘em behind desks with stacks of paper, or send ‘em to a monastery to reflect and contemplate and read the Bible. If the bishop does not discipline them strongly, we’ll have one more lost diocese in this country.
I hope and pray your prognostication proves correct, Dom. If it doesn’t, there will be little incentive for the next Fr. Carpenter, and the number of dissident clergy will grow in the absence of anything stronger than rhetoricas a counterforce.
On the other hand, if the good Bishop backs up his good words . . . Oremus!
Let’s hope Rome backs up the good bishop this time around.
He should remove them all from parish ministry immediately.