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1. It's wonderful to see that Fr Rowe will be given a second chance.
   It completely in line with Christ's example when he said 'Go and sin no more.'

   Posted By: Paul Keen

2. I agree great for a second chance. However our priests need to follow the liturgy as proposed by the Vatican.

   Posted By: David Rabe

3. Paul Keen: Was the context of Jesus' admonition any thing at all to do with liturgical rubrics?
   One needs to be very careful, I think, in talking about sin, especially when the trivial is set along side the monumentally immoral.

   Posted By: David Timbs

4. 'This severe punishment is usually only meted out by the Pope to priests accused of grave crimes such as child abuse.'
   Read Book Six of the 1983 Code of Canon Law. Suspension can be imposed by a Diocesan Bishop for a number of offences, after due warnings.
   [It is not, a 'punishment' as is usually understood, but rather a means of correction when all else has failed].
   The problem here, as stated in the article is that proper procedures were not followed; not an uncommon event. 'It points out that that Belleville diocesan Bishop Edward Braxton had not followed proper procedures in stripping Rowe of his priestly duties.'
   That does not change the fact that the priest in question was guilty of grave liturgical abuses which contravene the rights of the People of God [see canon 214] and he is required to correct this otherwise sanctions could again be put in place.
   He is not off the hook but then neither is his bishop who clearly needs the advice of a competent canon lawyer.

   Posted By: Father K

5. David Timbs: Yes, I believe it was. Both situations involved some sort of sin, as far as I can tell.
   I completely agree that one needs to be very careful when talking about it. Jesus, unsurprisingly, gave us something to go by in this regard when he said: 'Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.'
   Speaking from my own experience, and to borrow from our unofficial poet laureate, Paul Kelly, it can happen that 'from little things, big things grow.'

   Posted By: Paul Keen

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