DAILY CATHOLIC WEDNESDAY August 19, 1998 vol. 9, no. 162
NEWS & VIEWS |
ROCHESTER PRIEST SAYS HE WAS FIRED FOR LIBERAL VIEWSROCHESTER, New York (CWNews.com) - A priest of the Diocese of Rochester told his parish on Sunday that the Vatican had ordered he be removed as pastor for his "liberal" views.Father James Callan, 50, of Corpus Christi Parish announced at the parish's weekend Masses that the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith had ordered Bishop Matthew Clark to reassign Father Callan for allowing women dressed in priestly garb to act as deacons during Masses, for actively distributing Holy Communion to non-Catholic Christians, and for engaging in ministry to homosexuals that did not adhere to the Church's teachings. Bishop Clark was not available for comment on the statement until late Monday, according to a diocesan spokesman. "I am being reassigned to another church so this church can be brought more in line with what the Vatican would like," Father Callan said. "But these are three issues that are at the heart of this church. These are not my issues, they are our issues, and I am not ashamed."
Michael Macaluso of Citizens for a Decent Community said he
was pleased by the removal since his group had complained to
the bishop and the Vatican several times about Father
Callan's excesses. "I just feel sorry we have to have a
priest who is deposed, but we have to recognize the Church
has laws for the good of souls and they must be obeyed,"
Macaluso said.
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Articles provided through Catholic World News Service. |
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