JD and Ed talk about the situation of Fr. Alexander Crow of Mobile.
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I just realized what this whole situation reminds me of. This is exactly what would have happened had Mr Darcy allowed Mr Wickham to fulfill his wish of becoming a clergyman.
I had Lydia and Wickham on the brain too!!
Question for the canonists in the room: if the state files criminal charges against Crow and he claims that he cannot return to the US (and thus to his assignment) because he'll go to jail, does that stop the clock on canon 1392?
Interesting question! I hope you get an answer because now I am curious too.
I’m not a canonist, just a normal guy in the pews. But as said normal guy, it would be a travesty if it did. “It’s not that I wanted to abandon my assignment, but if I return to it I must face justice for crimes allegedly committed and so I can’t” is a pretty terrible excuse.
Oh 100% it would be a travesty. But if the prosecution's strategy is to tee up a homer like this, let's make sure the wind doesn't blow the ball off of the tee.
I agree, priests should not retire! We need to make that a popular opinion.
One of the best pastors I ever had was an administrator not a pastor because he was in his 80s. On the other hand, I had a senile pastor in my youth when they probably didn't have a retirement age. He could still teach us gradeschool kids theology, though.
True, but I don’t think anyone would support the idea that a priest in their 80s should still be a pastor. A priest ‘in residence’ or a parochial vicar would be great improvement over a formal retirement.
He was an excellent pastor even though he wasn't called that. But he was an outstanding people person. His age was irrelevant; he was an outstanding priest.
In defense of retired priests: in my diocese it is an incredibly rare thing for a priest to actually stop working. Our older priests do indeed look forward to being relieved of administrative responsibility, and some of them even buy a home, but they become a great help to us non-retired priests. Even the ones who have some mobility issues have busy schedules covering Masses and helping out.
Of course no one could be upset that the inevitable technical problem arises here and there, though I am sure it is most frustrating for those who worked hard to put the show together. That said, I’m very curious what the second thing was that they were going to discuss that no one else is talking about!
It sounds like JD regularly refers to the legislation on bishops as “Vos Estis *Lex* Mundi.” Is that supposed to be a running joke that I missed the start of, or am I just hearing it wrong?
Just hearing it wrong. I have a terrible NJ accent sometimes.