DETROIT (LifeSiteNews) — A leaked letter from an anonymous professor charges Detroit’s Archbishop Edward Weisenburger with breaking several institutional policies and even civil law in his abrupt firings of three renowned and faithful professors from Sacred Heart Seminary (SHMS).
The three-page letter from the nameless professor is addressed to the archbishop along with the Trustees of SHMS, laying out arguments that the sudden dismissals of Drs. Ralph Martin, Ed Peters, and Eduardo Echeverria “violate several provisions of the Faculty Handbook,” which include policies regulating faculty separation, academic freedom, and contracts.
It also explains significant damaging consequences due to these dismissals including a “chilling effect on faculty morale,” significant bad press for SHMS, and negative impacts with its accreditation bodies.
Despite his aggressive decision to terminate these men, the new archbishop – who was installed in March – provided no explanation for the move apart from ambiguous statements regarding his differing theological opinions.
In a statement provided to LifeSiteNews at the time, Martin affirmed the dismissal and went on to explain, “[w]hen I asked him (the archbishop) for what reason he said he didn’t think it would be helpful to give any specifics but mentioned something about having concerns about my theological perspectives.”
Reactions to these firings from Catholics across the nation were sharp. Crisis magazine editor Eric Sammons called it “an act of a thin-skinned, petty tyrant,” and Dr. Janet Smith, a former longtime colleague of these men at SHMS, said it was “outrageous and terribly damaging to the seminary and to the Church.”
“For their careers to end in firing by the Archbishop, with little or no reason given, is a shameful act of attempted humiliation,” Smith told LifeSiteNews at the time.
The right to academic freedom within parameters of Magisterial doctrine
According to the letter, the Faculty Handbook stipulates that SHMS is obligated to issue an official “notification of intent to dismiss” a professor stipulating the “material violation(s)” of their contract or the Faculty Handbook which have necessitated the dismissal. They are further afforded a due process.
“No such violation was alleged, and no cause was communicated other than unspecified theological differences. Nor was there any due process,” wrote the author. Additionally, “[t]hese professors received no written notice specifying the grounds for dismissal.”
All three professors have filed requests for review of the process by a “panel of faculty peers,” which is also prescribed in the Faculty Handbook. “Will this right of faculty members be respected?” the letter asks.
The author observes that the Handbook’s section addressing academic freedom recognizes a “healthy diversity” of “theological perspectives,” while excluding faculty members from promoting “anything contrary to Catholic faith or morals as taught by the Magisterium.” No such charge of infidelity was issued to any of these fired professors.
“To terminate these faculty members merely for differing theological perspectives expressed in their print or online publications is a violation of their academic freedom,” the letter affirmed.
Dismissals violate faculty contracts
Thirdly, the letter states that the archbishop’s dismissals are additionally a violation of the legally binding contracts between SHMS and these professors. Faculty members are reappointed with six-year contracts providing them with the stability and job security of a guaranteed salary for a full six years.
“These dismissals without cause violate their contracts and leave intact the right of each professor to his salary for the remainder of his six-year term,” states the letter. “The seminary’s offer of only one-year’s severance, conditioned upon a non-disclosure agreement, violates both the Handbook and these professors’ contracts.”
“While it is true that the Archbishop of Detroit has governing authority over the seminary, that authority must be exercised in a manner consistent with the seminary’s governing documents and faculty contracts in order to keep faith with the SHMS faculty,” the letter asserts.
Further addressing consequences, the author writes that in addition to the adverse press and negative impacts on faculty morale, the firings “have also raised doubts about the direction of the seminary in the minds of some of the bishops and religious communities who send seminarians to SHMS, which could well reduce seminary enrollment and income next year if confidence is not restored.”
Weisenberger confronted by faculty members
Stella Maris Media, who broke the story, also included an accompanying email from an anonymous priest faculty member who addressed his correspondence to what the outlet describes as “multiple bishops, priests and laity.”
This priest professor gave an account of a recent SHMS faculty meeting with Weisenberger reporting that the archbishop “spent less than 5 minutes” on the topic of the firings claiming he took this action in obedience to his “conscience.” But he “would not elaborate further” out of fear of violating non-disclosure agreements he entered with at least some of these professors.
Fielding just three questions on the topic, Weisenberger was first challenged regarding his breaking of SHMS Faculty Handbook norms in providing no previous warnings to Martin, Peters and Echeverria. He reportedly responded saying something to the effect of “Canon Law trumps any civil norms or procedures.”
‘A climate of fear and uncertainty’
The priest correspondent offered the archbishop two comments of his own during the meeting, the first regarding the shock and sadness many in the SHMS felt in response to these sudden dismissals as these men were not just colleagues, but friends and part of their SHMS family. “Are we now going to simply ‘shun’ these men and cancel their memory from SHMS?” he challenged.
After Weisenberger expressed his desire that the seminary faculty and staff “move on” with the mission of the institution, the priest asked, “how can we move forward when we are forced to constantly look over our shoulders, afraid of where the axe may fall next?”
“By failing to give a clear explanation for what theological norms these professors violated, we are left in the dark. This has created a climate of fear and uncertainty,” the priest lamented.
“Are we not a Catholic institution of higher learning engaged in the task of critical thinking? Academic freedom doesn’t give us the right to promote heresy, but it does give us the right to ask questions and point out inconsistencies,” he said.
At this point Weisenberger reaffirmed he would not put forward any more reasons for these dismissals and the meeting was adjourned.
Ralph Martin living ‘heroic virtue for the Lord’
The priest, whose name is protected by Stella Maris, said that an official complaint will be filed with one of the seminary’s accreditation agencies. He further reported “many of the other bishops of Michigan are said to be ‘livid’ with the heavy handed and unjust way that Archbishop Weisenberger has dealt with this matter.”
Additionally, while Ralph Martin was in Africa recently, the priest said, “many bishops and even Cardinals had already reached out to him offering support and prayers.”
The priest concludes by witnessing to Martin’s “heroic virtue for the Lord” and his personal sanctity that may only be enhanced by this “final trial.”
Weisenburger also came under fire in June for promulgating a new liturgical policy which significantly reduced the numbers of Traditional Latin Mass offerings in the Archdiocese.
While the archbishop said he was simply implementing Tradiitionis Custodes, issued by Pope Francis in 2020, he went much further and prohibited ad orientem in the Novus Ordo form of the Mass as well.
In April, Dr. Peter Kwasniewski called the changes “by far the bloodiest reduction I am aware of since TC came into force almost four years ago.” And upon their implementation he has noted that the affected parishes were “powerhouses” sustained by thriving traditional communities and warned that the closures would cause “long-term damage to parishes.”
Editor’s Note: This article was updated a few hours after publication.
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