We are treated as deceivers and yet are truthful...
Devastating news.
The announcement came today. I expected it would one day - but not so soon. I never expected Bishop Piche's resignation along with the Archbishop's. This is devastating news - the resignation of a prelate, a father, the chief shepherd of an unsteady flock. Like him or not - he has been the leader of the flock in Minneapolis-St. Paul. A casualty now of scandals and lies and misdemeanors and abuse and weakness and sin and not knowing how to handle scandals and lies and misdemeanors and abuse and weakness and ...
Nienstedt, deputy resign after abuse coverup charges against archdiocese.
Archbishop John Nienstedt said he leaves ‘with a clear conscience.’ - Read more here.
The readings from today's Mass...
Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.
We cause no one to stumble in anything,
in order that no fault may be found with our ministry;
on the contrary, in everything we commend ourselves
as ministers of God, through much endurance,
in afflictions, hardships, constraints,
beatings, imprisonments, riots,
labors, vigils, fasts;
by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness,
in the Holy Spirit, in unfeigned love, in truthful speech,
in the power of God;
with weapons of righteousness at the right and at the left;
through glory and dishonor, insult and praise.
We are treated as deceivers and yet are truthful;
as unrecognized and yet acknowledged;
as dying and behold we live;
as chastised and yet not put to death;
as sorrowful yet always rejoicing;
as poor yet enriching many;
as having nothing and yet possessing all things. - 2 Cor. 6:1-10
+ +
Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said,
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one to him as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand him your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go with him for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.” - Mt. 5: 38-42
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
The fact remains it is devastating news. The Archdiocese has filed bankruptcy, properties are up for sale, venerable parish churches have been closed - one from my childhood became a mosque. This is devastating news ...
By the rivers of Babylon
there we sat and wept,
remembering Zion;
on the poplars that grew there
we hung up our harps.
For it was there that they asked us,
our captors, for songs,
our oppressors, for joy.
"Sing to us," they said,
"one of Zion's songs."
O how could we sing
the song of the Lord
on alien soil?
If I forget you, Jerusalem,
let my right hand wither!
O let my tongue
cleave to my mouth
if I remember you not,
if I prize not Jerusalem
above all my joys!
Remember, O Lord,
against the sons of Edom
the day of Jerusalem;
when they said: "Tear it down!
Tear it down to its foundations!"
O Babylon, destroyer,
he is happy who repays you
the ills you brought on us.
He shall seize and shall dash
your children on the rock!
Terrible, prayers Terry.
ReplyDeleteThere were factions against Nienstedt from the day he was appointed Archbishop. Bishop Piche is a good man - the whole thing is heartbreaking.
DeleteThis is a crisis.
Thanks for having the presence of mind to put into words what you have done. C'est vraiement déplorable, douloureux et déprimé. Mais je sais quandmême que le diable et son équippe des homosexuels et homosexuelles [féministes-nazi satanique] vivent leur Baylone ici bas. Après la mort, pour eux: feu d'enfer ! Pour nous, larmes éffacées ! Maran-atha !
ReplyDeleteSad. What happens to resigned Archbishops? Is there a way he can still serve the Church? And, what happened to the former Vicar General - Father Laird? I thought he was a good priest - is he serving the Church somewhere?
ReplyDeleteI honestly don't know - Nienstedt may just retire? Piche is young - I don't know. Teach - he could teach. Could he have a parish? Be a chaplain somewhere? Perhaps at a monastery for nuns or a nursing order? I just don't know. It is a shame because we need good priests and Bishop Piche is awesome.
DeleteFr. Laird is too - brilliant man, excellent priest - he's still MIA. Rumors abound. Pray for all of them. Laird should be in ministry - I always thought he was like a Marine - but these things are devastating.
I should add news reports seem to suggest because the corporate criminal lawsuit goes forward the question of individual charges is left open. I haven't found any reason to support that claim however - I don't know anything about civil law, obviously.
DeletePlease pray for these men - they are not criminals.
As far as we know, Fr. Laird has been disappeared. Nobody knows, or if they do, they're not talking.
DeleteWith regard to the two bishops resigning, I'm told that their resignations are in lieu of any canonical process and the likely outcome is their retirement; no idea whether that's accurate but Abp is 67 and looked exhausted on Friday at Mass. Bp. Piche is only 57 so no idea whether he would also retire. It's a shame.
Note that while they filed both civil and criminal charges against the Archdiocese, they're all misdemeanors and likely filed that way because they have nothing else. while it's possible they could find evidence leading to individual charges. I would expect that it's unlikely they will. They'd not have bothered with these charges if they have other stuff.
Thanks Nan.
DeleteI don't know much about this but it breaks my heart. It hurts the entire body of Christ. Prayers ascend for all.
ReplyDeleteThanks Angela.
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ReplyDeleteDeacon Keith Fournier at Catholic Online has a moving piece on Archbishop Nienstedt's resignation. Bill Donohue has also come to Nienstedt's defense. Other than that, the comboxes at NCR, Crux and Commonweal are stomping on the Archbishop. It's very sad.
ReplyDeleteI left a comment at Crux that they are acting like the crowds at the guillotine during the reign of terror who cheered every time a Catholic was beheaded.
DeleteI stopped visiting Crux. The vile "all knowing " commentary on both sides of the aisle was too much for me and did me no good spiritually.
DeleteI will remember your priests in my prayers, Terry.
Thanks Yaya - that's what my problem has been with the news sites and blogs - the 'all-knowing' commentary and analysis. It is such a distraction.
DeleteMy heart breaks for these two good men, true sons of the Church....yet the ones guilty of far worse go on about their merry way....it is diabolical. How long, O Lord, how long?
ReplyDeleteGosh, I don't know- from the pieces I've read, it looks like they knowingly kept a sexual pervert in parish ministry, and he, not surprisingly, molested some children. If so, they need to resign. Is that not the case?
ReplyDeleteWhatever the case may be, this is devastating. Deeply disturbing. Painful.
DeleteIndeed. Very disturbing, but don't gaze too long at the bad examples, and ignore the vast majority of our priests who are, I believe, striving for holiness.
ReplyDelete