Friday September 17, 2010
Phoenix Bishop Excommunicates Pro-Gay Priest Over Woman’s Ordination
By Peter J. Smith
PHOENIX, Arizona, September 17, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Catholic bishop of Phoenix has excommunicated a priest who had openly supported the homosexual agenda, but crossed a line by participating in the attempted ordination of a woman to the Catholic priesthood.
According to the Arizona Republic , Rev. Vernon Meyer, 58, was excommunicated by Bishop Thomas Olmsted over his participation in last month’s attempted ordination of Elaine Groppenbacher in Tempe. The ordination – which the Catholic Church does not recognize as valid – was performed on Groppehbacher by the Ecumenical Catholic Communion, a group considered in schism with the Catholic Church.
Meyer had resigned as a priest in the diocese over the summer. His last assignment was as pastor at St. Patrick’s Church in Scottsdale. Meyer jumped ship from the Catholic Church completely and took up a pastor’s position with Sun Lakes United Church of Christ on Tuesday, the day he opened up the letter of excommunication from the diocese.
Meyer had been in trouble with the diocese previously over his support – along with eight other priests – for a statement pushing for special homosexual rights within the Church. Meyer removed his name from the statement, but told the Republic that afterwards he had doubts about his continued life as a priest in the diocese.
Olmsted explained his decision, saying that illicit attempts to confer Holy Orders are “a grave offense against a sacrament and the structure of the Church.”
“Actions such as these are extremely serious and carry with them profoundly harmful consequences for the salvation of the souls participating in this attempted ordination,” said Olmsted. “To feign the conferral of the Sacrament of Holy Orders results in the penalty of excommunication. This penalty applies both to the person attempting the ordination and the person attempting to be ordained.”
He added that the Church’s refusal to ordain women “does not mean that women are of any less value or dignity than men.” Olmsted also pointed out that women serve as administrators and perform other valuable service in the lay life of the Church. Rather he said that the Catholic Church is bound by Jesus Christ, its founder, “who lived as a celibate male and chose to ordain only men.” (see full column here)
Olmsted gained national attention earlier this year after announcing the excommunication of Margaret McBride, a Catholic nun and administrator of St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, who approved an abortion on a woman who was 11-weeks pregnant, whose life hospital officials allege they were trying to save.
The bishop said he was appalled at the hospital’s twisted reasoning that reduced the unborn child to the status of a disease in order to justify its decision to directly abort the child. (see full coverage here)
See related coverage by LifeSiteNews.com:
Bishop Says Nun is Automatically Excommunicated for Rubberstamping Hospital Abortion
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/may/10051712.html
Bishop Olmsted: ‘Love Authentically’ by Acknowledging Disorder of Homosexuality
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/aug/10081104.html
Bishop Olmsted: Notre Dame’s Obama Honor “Public Act of Disobedience to U.S. Bishops”
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/mar/09032605.html
Phoenix Bishop: Failure to Correct Pro-Abort Pols ‘Emboldens’ to Greater Evil
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/jul/10070507.html