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.
