Thursday, June 7, 2012

Just Sayin'

"A bishop, on his own initiative, can relegate a church to profane but not sordid use (that means close it for use as a church) only if it cannot be used in any way for Divine Worship. He must issue a decree to that effect, and the decree must set forth in clear terms the proof that the edifice is so damaged...His decree to close the church cannot order its sale. It remains the patrimony of the parish to which it belongs and the pastor, who is the rightful administer of the property, must make that determination...a parochial administrator does not have this power. Only the pastor...." (a canon lawyer, according to Canon 1222: 1. If a church cannot be used in any way for divine worship and there is no possibility of repairing it, the diocesan bishop can relegate it to profane but not sordid use.)

Who is our pastor?

6 comments:

  1. this may be to late but am just catching up on the blog....Fr. Chris Linsler from Mary Our Mother in Horseheads is Our Pastor.....

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  2. That's what we're told...

    Has he ever been down here at All Saints Parish? Has he ever presided over a Mass in our parish? Has he ever taken anyone's confession at ASP? Has he ever attended a parish council meeting? Does he oversee the administration of the parish? Has he ever, ever done anything that a PASTOR is supposed to do in a parish he presides over?

    I guess you could call him a Pastor In Name Only. But it serves the purposes of the diocese and our pastoral administrator. It facilitates the non-canonical and non-apostolic leadership of a deacon.

    We have two parish priests, and the diocese still puts a deacon in charge of us.

    Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.

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  3. Wow, such manipulation of the whole system, similar to what the government is doing to the church lately with the HHS mandate. The church is the pot calling the kettle black. True that the church is getting what it gives.
    I think this parish can consider my donation In Name Only until I see a real pastor. The bishop has left this mess alone far too long.

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  4. You are entirely right Gretchen....don't know if he has any involvement at all except a title

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  5. Please look more closely at Canon 1222. The Bishop does have the authority after consulting with a group of priests. The Canons do not say the pastor. There is unfortunately a significant difference between a pastor and a parish administrator. A deacon in the absence of a priest can be a parish administrator and frankly must be if one is available but the parish administrator merely administrates the church goods on behalf of the bishop.

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  6. Here is Can. 1222 §1 If a church cannot in any way be used for divine worship and there is no possibility of its being restored, the diocesan Bishop may allow it to be used for some secular but not unbecoming purpose.

    §2 Where other grave reasons suggest that a particular church should no longer be used for divine worship, the diocesan Bishop may allow it to be used for a secular but not unbecoming purpose. Before doing so, he must consult the council of priests; he must also have the consent of those who could lawfully claim rights over that church, and be sure that the good of souls would not be harmed by the transfer.

    I assume you are speaking about the presbyteral council? No one is disputing that aspect of a bishop's procedure to close and sell a church.

    You say, "A deacon in the absence of a priest can be a parish administrator..." However, we have never had an absence of a priest. In fact, we have two parish priests, and have had over several years.

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