Saturday, November 10, 2007

Wow, that was fast!

From the Catholic World News:

Baltimore, Nov. 9, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Baltimore's Archbishop Edwin O'Brien has removed a pastor who invited a female Episcopalian priest to join him in celebrating a funeral Mass, the Baltimore Sun reports.

Father Martin was removed from his parish assignment at a meeting with archdiocesan officials on November 8. The priest, whose unorthodox liturgical practices had prompted several prior complaints, said that the Episcopalian priest had not participated in the Consecration during the October funeral liturgy, although he had invited her to read the Gospel. There were conflicting reports on whether or not the Episcopalian cleric had received Communion; Father Martin said that he could not recall administering the Eucharist to her.

On the orders of the archbishop, Father Martin resigned his parish assignment and issued an apology for "bringing scandal to the Church," the Sun reports. A spokesman for the Baltimore archdiocese explained that the pastor's removal was called for because "he has repeatedly violated Church teaching."

Father Martin was serving as pastor of three different parishes in south Baltimore, where he had worked for 5 years. His removal comes just 6 weeks after Archbishop O'Brien was installed as head of the Baltimore archdiocese.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

"Father Martin said that he could not recall administering the Eucharist to her."

I don't remember if I set the house on fire.

Riiiiiiiiiiiight.

Either you did or you didn't.

Could Baltimore be the East Coast landing poing of the orthodox movement?

Unknown said...

"Father Martin said that he could not recall administering the Eucharist to her."

Riiiiiiiight.

He does not recall if he gave communion to a female Episcopal minister who was fully vested to whom he had apportioned his sacerdotal duty to read the Gospel?

Riiiiiiiight.