Ginny Pippin

RL 480           

July 10, 2005

 

A Question of Ordination

 

KEY FACTS

  • Because of an accident, the last ten priests in the diocese of Outer Mangolia have been killed
  • This diocese that once had 100 parishes and was already suffering from a gross shortage of priests, now has 40,000 Roman Catholics spread throughout an area the size of Ohio and no priests
  • Bishop Gregor Stavinski is the only bishop in the diocese
  • His chancery is composed of lay Catholics rather than clerics out of the bishops desire to spare priests for ministering to the people
  • The diocesan seminary has long been closed
  • The diocese has been compromised for ten years by the shortage of priests
  • Several married men and women have applied to be considered for Orders
  • Each has had requisite seminary training, in on-going spiritual formation
  • Each is a faithful Catholic
  • Each is a recognized leader in their parish and civic community
  • Bishop Stravinski has up until now turned them away due to canonical prohibitions
  • Pastoral needs of his parish require that he reconsider his position
  • He selects four of the best applicants and calls them forth for ordination
  • Each representatives of the Deaneries of the diocese present one candidate for ordination
  • Bishop Stravinski observes all the proper rites for ordination for the three and reinstatement for one
  • He does his best to prepare the congregation for the new ministers
  • He has assigned four priests where previously there had been ten.  Now each new priest will be responsible for 10,000 people
  • Papal legate to his country reports the unusual ordinations to Rome
  • Bishop Stravinski is summoned to the Holy See to explain

 

OTHER FACTS TO KNOW

  • Were there any other options
  • Could missionary priests be temporarily or permanently assigned to the diocese
  • What charges could be brought against the Bishop if he left his flock sacramentally unattended
  • Did Rome have a solution better than his

 

PASTORAL ISSUES

  • How has this change affected the parishioners
  • Have his actions brought scandal or wholeness to the local diocese and/or to the larger Church
  • What strain is the Bishop under with only four priest to help him
  • How long will he physically, emotionally, and spiritually hold up
  • Have the new priests been given adequate support to minister well
  • Will they be able to be effective in their diocese due to their unorthodox ordination

 

CANONS

  • 1045    Only baptized males
  • 1026    Absolutely wrong to prevent someone canonically suitable from orders
  • 1027    Candidates to be formed by careful preparation
  • 1032    Have prescribed years of training
  • 1029    Possess qualities of spirituality, knowledge, good reputation, moral        probity, etc.
  • 1033    Confirmed
  • 1032    Six months between acolyte and deaconate
  • 1048    Dispensation of irregularity (married priest) under dire circumstances
  • 1087    Marriage after holy orders may be deemed invalid
  • 233      Bishops are to promote vocations in their diocese
  • 234      Bishop is to erect a minor seminary if it would help vocations  
  • 756-8   Proclaiming gospel entrusted to bishop, deacons, religious, lay
  • 377      Bishop is appointed by Pope, bishop takes on as coadjutor to Pope
  • 383      Bishop as pastor
  • 385      Foster vocations
  • 387      Access to sacraments
  • 388      Bishop must celebrate Mass for people every Sunday
  • 390      Diocesan bishop can perform pontifical functions in his diocese with                   reasonable or presumed consent
  • 391      Bishop has legislative, executive, and judicial power
  • 399      Five-year report to Pope re: state of the diocese (lack of seminarians,             shortage of priests, etc.)
  • 412      Impeded See – bishop cannot fulfill pastoral function due to circumstances
  • 413      Impeded See – bishop has governance and list of priests
  • 414      Whoever called to pastoral care is bound by obligation and possesses the          power in the exercise of pastoral care of diocese
  • 150      Orders must be conferred
  • 151      Provision of an office which entails the care of souls, not to be deferred
  • 157      Diocesan bishop to provide for ecclesiastical offices
  • 162-3   Installation by person presented to

 

LITERARY, RHETORIC, HISTORIC

Historically, the very early church would not have considered ordination, married priests, married men, single and married women serving the church as deacons and/or priests an issue.  All the above served the church in those capacities.  Unfortunately, the canons are suffering from amnesia and are trying to enforce and validate these offices by making them restricted to a privileged few.  They clearly provide the design for a hierarchical church maintained by men.

 

MY POSITION – Parishioner, Attorney

 

RESOLUTION

There are three options that I would consider:

  1. Ordain the four candidates
  2. Reinstate the priest and make the other three deacons
  3. Put my head in the proverbial sand and do nothing

 

I personally like the first option the best; however, there might be less obstacles and cause less scandal if I chose option two. Once a priest, always a priest, therefore, considering the dire circumstances, I would give him permission to celebrate Mass, thereby providing Eucharist.  By making the others deacons, they would be able to administer most sacraments.  The two glaring difficulties are the priest’s marriage, which brings in that he is, according to the Church, living in sin. The second glaring difficulty is plumbing.  The lay members of the diocese whose plumbing, and thereby gender, is different from the bishop’s are considered to be “un-ordainable”.  The easiest piece of this is the married man becoming a deacon.   This option, though a bit easier, is less effective.  It posses many more pastoral issues, such as, making the sacraments less accessible, further decreases pastoral care, counseling, teaching, etc., etc., etc.

 

This assignment asked if I would be willing to defend the Bishop.  Yes, and I would make my case on the canons above.  The question for me revolves not so much around the “who” got ordained but around, did the bishop have the right, authority and obligation to appoint priests, ordain priests, pastor his flock, and provide sacraments for his diocese.  According to the canons above, the bishop acts within his diocese with the same authority as the Pope (c.377, 414).  He is responsible for the care of souls and cannot delay in that ministry (c.151). 

 

A case could be presented that the Bishop was within his jurisdiction (c. 391) and did what was necessary.  It is his role to accept application for the priesthood and ordain the same, and he did this observing all proper rites.  As coadjutor to the Pope, he is permitted to make exceptions to canons when and where necessary.  If he had not acted, he would have deprived his parishioners from the Sacraments (c. 387). 

 

Tradition provides precedence for these ordinations and the scriptures provide examples of female and male priests being appointed and sent out to minister fully.        

 

ETHICAL, PASTORAL, THEOLOGICAL

Ethically and pastorally, the bishop acted as he thought best.  These ordinations were contrary to Church custom, but they were not contrary to Church theology or doctrine.  The question becomes, was Rome acting ethically, pastorally, and theologically.  There is no reason to believe that they had not received at least one Quinquennial Report.  Were they not concerned about the shortage of priests and empty seminary?  Weren’t they to provide pastoral care for their over-worked bishop, priests, and needy laity?  Was it they, who had their heads in the proverbial sand and did nothing to assist and improve a compromised diocese.