I missed this one when it first happened a few days ago. Bishop Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix has suspended a priest who refused to remove his name from a pro-gay declaration. Now that’s an episcopal spine. Father Andre Boulanger had his priestly faculties suspended because he failed to uphold his vow of obedience and because he dissents from Church teaching. Would that more bishops had the courage to demand orthodoxy from their priests, we might be poorer in the quantity of priests, but richer in quality.
Olmsted, in the suspension letter, said he was concerned “that you be faithful to the teachings of our church.” He said Boulanger would remain suspended “until such time as I have assurance from you that you do indeed believe and teach what the Church teaches about the call to holiness for homosexual persons.”
Predictably, Boulanger casts himself as the poor oppressed man of principle set upon by the benighted bishop.
[Thanks to De Gratia for the link.]
The resulting shortage would be very temporary.
The good bishop sets a model for those higher up. If the Pope had suspended dissenting and heretical bishops years ago, the Church (and its members) would be in much better shape today.
I think you are correct, Sinner.
Nevertheless, bravo for this bishop, who is doing his job well.
A priest like this one is worse than no priest at all. A priest behaving like this no longer represents the Faith of the Church. He’s working for someone else when he behaves this way. Let’s be honest. The bishop is being wise to deal with him in this way. He will prevent many problems…..