Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions. - GK Chesterton

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Fr. Rick on Lay Administration

Fr. Rick fielded a call yesterday on lay administration.  Here's the audio clip:



While defending orthodoxy, he also seems to suggest we should accept the Bishop's position.  His suggestion is simply to find another parish.  While I agree that we should respect the Bishop and always give him the benefit of the doubt, I've also felt compelled to do my duty to defend orthodoxy.  I have at times used this blog to question the bishop (never resting on my own authority, but always on Church teaching).  I've obviously thought and prayed about this before, but Fr. Rick's remarks compels me to re-examine what's the best thing to do.  Should we just remain silent and do our own thing?  Or do we have a duty to vocally defend orthodoxy?  Is there any Church teaching on a layperson's duty in such a circumstance?  Once again, I'd rather not rest on my own opinion or on the opinions of others, but on the opinions of the Church.  Anyone have any good references?

update: I also asked this question on Catholic Answers Forums:
http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?p=6273454#post6273454 

update: I have taken down the previous post.  I will change the wording so it's more informative than presumptuous and repost it.

update:  a somewhat related topic:
http://www.canonlaw.info/2010/02/options-for-responding-to-albany.html
Whether Roman dicasteries find this situation to rise to a level warranting their attention is not for others to say.
update:

Code of Canon Law

Can. 212 §1. Conscious of their own responsibility, the Christian faithful are bound to follow with Christian obedience those things which the sacred pastors, inasmuch as they represent Christ, declare as teachers of the faith or establish as rulers of the Church.

§2. The Christian faithful are free to make known to the pastors of the Church their needs, especially spiritual ones, and their desires.

§3. According to the knowledge, competence, and prestige which they possess, they have the right and even at times the duty to manifest to the sacred pastors their opinion on matters which pertain to the good of the Church and to make their opinion known to the rest of the Christian faithful, without prejudice to the integrity of faith and morals, with reverence toward their pastors, and attentive to common advantage and the dignity of persons.

1 comments:

  1. Everything he says confirms what sites like Cleansing Fire and others have been saying. A priest must always run the parish!
    ReplyDelete