The Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis received the decree last week, the decree was served to Wehmeyer yesterday, Wednesday, March 11.
Curtis Wehmeyer, 50, was sentenced in 2013 for abusing a 12-year-old and 14-year-old boy and possessing child pornography while serving at St. Paul's Church of the Blessed Sacrament. In November 2014, he was charged with second-degree sexual assault in Wisconsin.
The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis said Pope Francis issued a decree for Wehmeyer's dismissal in December. Wehmeyer has been "permanently and definitively barred from presenting himself as a priest." - Finish reading here.
He smoked dope too.
I have to watch what I say.
After yesterday's news from Kat and how she was treated at her Grandmother's funeral I have a low threshold for churchmen related news. [Kat posted a conciliatory update here.] As I said to a friend, that sort of abuse is what reveals the hypocrisy of churchmen as well as erodes Eucharistic devotion - and causes people to lose interest in 'worship' and liturgy. Similarly, Wehmeyer's ordination and fall from grace erodes the confidence most Catholics need to seek reconciliation in and through the sacrament of penance, as well as seeking simple spiritual direction or help in discernment.
Ironically, Wehmeyer might have been termed one of the 'new faithful' - remember that book title? He also could have been included in the JPII group of priests. Young, faithful, devout, and so on. I only mention this to demonstrate that there are bad apples in every realm of Catholic piety. Liberal, conservative, traditional - doesn't matter. Incidentally, all categories seem to be taking advantage of the Francis pontificate to maintain division in the Church. Religious people - priests - are able to justify just about any behavior with some sort of excuse from their 'religious decorum handbook' - reliant upon the "Jesus wasn't nice" mantra, as well as the 'Jesus rebuked' stories whenever needed - Wehmeyer wasn't nice - but I digress.
Be assured however, I'm a big fat hypocritical Pharisee myself - so I have nothing to lord over the likes of Wehmeyer or any one else.
God have mercy.
I wasn't surprised at the news; it's appropriate and expected under his circumstances. He's still in prison and has other charges against him. We should still pray for him as he has gone through one big transition and once he leaves prison may have a difficult time. Both his living arrangements and work opportunities are now limited; neither being a sex offender nor a prison record will help his future. I suppose he'd have credibility to work as a prison chaplain.
ReplyDeleteNor was I surprised at the news - this is how these matters ought to be treated - the Pope's new policies are at work.
DeleteNot legitimate doping. Makes the rest of the dopers look bad.
ReplyDeleteHaha! Thanks - that helped lighten my mood.
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ReplyDelete"Young, faithful, devout, and so on"
Terry, I can't find anything on the internet on Fr. W ---pre-scandal---. Do you have maybe local MN anecdotes about him the would indicate perhaps that he held to some of the new crops' distinctives, e.g.
that he
i. supported the liturgical renewal
or
ii. 40 days for life
or
iii. the Extraordinary Form
or
iv. rejected Marty Haugen hymns :-).
or are you just going off his age?
haha! No I don't have any links to pre-criminal behavior - I just know who he is and met him a few times, I know of his background from people he knew during formation as well as first assignments after ordination, and so on - can't say too much lest I inadvertently involve others from whom I have no permission to quote.
DeleteI should add that those who supported the EF Mass were more from the Pope Benedict crop - JPII priests weren't necessarily EF but reform of the reform I think.
DeleteI thought maybe you had crossed paths given your proximity. I'll take your word for it!
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