What Happened?

UPDATE (3/20/2006): ARCHBISHOP FLYNN RESPONDS! - click or SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THE STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE ARCHDIOCESE OF ST.PAUL-MINNEAPOLIS!

UPDATE: (3/6/06) This post, originally dated 3/2/06, has by itself tripled the traffic to my blog. This is a story covered only cursorily by the press, but a large number of people seem very interested in it. Perhaps some journalist or newspaper should take a real interest. According to my tracking, interest is only growing.

Have you heard about this?

SCROLL DOWN FOR UPDATES AND BLOG ROUNDUP!

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Father Altier is off the air! (H/T: Spirit Daily):

In obedient compliance with the expressed written request of

Most Reverend Harry J. Flynn

Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Father Altier’s homilies and spiritual presentations
can no longer be published on www.desertvoice.org
or broadcast on Relevant Radio.

Has anyone heard what he might have said to be censored in such fashion?

UPDATE: I've emailed the Archdiocese to request whatever information might be available from them regarding this announcement.

I understand that Father Altier is also President of Help The Helpless.

According to his guest bio on the Relevant Radio website:

Father Robert Altier is a Roman Catholic priest in the archdiocese of Saint Paul-Minneapolis. Ordained in 1989, he currently serves as assistant pastor at the Church of Saint Agnes in Saint Paul, Minnesota. A member of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, Fr. Altier has a great devotion to the Holy Eucharist and Our Blessed Mother Mary, and is loyal to the Holy Father. Fr. Altier serves as president of Help the Helpless, a charitable organization benefiting handicapped children in India. His deep commitment to providing orthodox instruction of the Catholic Faith to the faithful led him to begin the ever-popular "Fundamentals of Catholicism" series which is attended by 150 people each year and is now in its 14th year. Recordings of this series and over 150 other talks by Father Altier are available through Divine Mercy Tapes (651-454-8800) and Leaflet Missal Company in Saint Paul, MN.

I'll be updating this post as new information becomes available.

UPDATE: I've emailed Drew Mariani, on whose Relevant Radio show Fr. Altier is a frequent guest, but no reply yet.

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam is suggesting that the issue was Fr. Altier's statements about the widely-criticized VIRTUS child abuse awareness program.

UPDATE: Bett.net is refusing to speculate.

UPDATE: The Seventh Age hasn't heard why this happened either.

UPDATE: The Church On-Line presumes that the issue is Fr. Altier's criticisms of VIRTUS:

The order to be silent is presumably in response to Fr. Altier’s outspoken criticism of the VIRTUS® program "Protecting God’s Children" and the archdiocesan program "Talking About Touching." As this is very likely the cause of this grave action and since there are profound problems with these programs, we would like to continue Fr. Altier’s work and provide links to several resources... [Emphasis in original.]

I'm having difficulty getting my head around the idea that someone like Father Altier might be shut down, while dissenting priests and even bishops all across the country continue to enjoy the spotlight in both the secular and eccliesial media.

UPDATE: The Curt Jester contrasts Father Altier's obediance with another priest's dissent.

UPDATE: The Cafteria Is Closed has a number of interesting comments going.

UPDATE: Pair 'o Dice has commentary:

Fr. Altier happens to be one of my parish priests, in fact he married my wife and I. He is one of the most sincere men of God I've ever met in my life and certainly one of the most, if not the most dedicated Catholic priests in Minnesota.

So I'm at a loss. Fr. Altier, never one to question the authority of the Archbishop, is not speaking but rumors surround a forthcoming "day of judgment" for a few parishes that have gone "off the reservation" of late.

As does AdoroTeDevote:

No one knows why this has happened. Today on my lunch break, I went to www.spiritdaily.com and clicked on the link about the "Conservative Priest nixed by Bishop" or something like that. To my complete horror, it took me to www.desertvoice.org, where Fr. Altier's homilies had been posted, and there, instead of links, was a large message stating that Archbishop Harry Flynn had requested that Fr. Altier no longer speak on Relevant Radio nor post his homilies on the internet, and Fr. Altier is obedient to that directive.

It's being speculated that the action against Fr. Altier is part of a larger effort to bring dissenting priests (not that that could fairly describe Altier) into line. I forwarded this post to the Archdiocese, and I believe they read it, but no response from there as yet.

UPDATE: Spirit Daily comments:

Father Altier has expressed a number of views that some in mainstream Catholicism consider strong and controversial. We have contacted the diocese for comment.

"They say you can't preach like that because the collection will go down," said Father Altier, who is a third-order Carmelite and who before becoming a priest, at age 28, had attained a degree in computer programming.

But his "tell-it-like-he-sees-it" approach, he says, has not hurt. "Parishioners seem to be fine with it, but I'm not sure other priests like it," he told Spirit Daily a while ago. "Priests are into materialism and worldliness. And if you want the material, you can't have the spiritual. Priests have gotten into a lot of worldliness."

As a local newspaper notes, Altier is a prominent voice in conservative Catholic circles and has spoken out against a sex-abuse prevention program being taught throughout the archdiocese, including to schoolchildren. He says the program is too explicit. Such programs were mandated in all dioceses by U.S. bishops as part of their response to the clergy abuse crisis.

It is Father Alitier's contention that there is a simple and real truth behind scandal. "I got sick and tired of all the lies. I just laid it out. There are three groups that have infiltrated the Church, the Masons, the Communists, and the homosexuals, who came in 1924," he alleges. "85 percent of all the abuse cases are homosexual. There is rank homosexuality. Homosexuals chose the best and brightest and best looking and put them into the priesthood."

Bett.net has more, as well:

...Archbishop Flynn, Altier’s bishop, is the chairman of the US bishops’ Ad-Hoc Committee on child and youth protection and thus it is important to his national credibility that all of the “safe environment sex education” training programs be implemented in his archdiocese. Having a prominent priest--who is heard on a national Catholic radio network and whose homilies are posted online and read throughout the country--opposing him on this is not good for his image.

Contrast the action taken against Altier with the (in)action against the infamous St. Joan of Arc parish in the same archdiocese. Outright heterodoxy from priests and people of that parish were tolerated for years until the pastor left on his own terms. There was no silencing, no rebuking. Just tolerance of stuff like a gay/lesbian ministry that openly defies the Church’s teachings.
...

Last October, Altier gave a homily, that was posted online, that directly challenged these “safe environment sex ed” programs and brought up the Teresa Kettelkamp controversy...

Flynn came out in strong defense of Kettelkamp, attacking those who were criticizing her. I can see where Altier’s criticism would upset him. Heterodoxy at St. Joan’s is one thing, but one of his own priests making him look bad must be quite another.

I’m not saying this is why Altier was silenced, but absent any other information it does look bad for Flynn.

Is anybody happy about this yet?

UPDATE: Our Word And Welcome To It, members of Fr. Altier's parish, comments (with a link back here, thank you!):

Seeing as how I'm not only from Minnesota, where this happened, but that we belong to St. Agnes parish (where Fr. Altier is), I suppose I'm expected to have something to say on the matter. But aside from acknowledging what's going on, and pointing you toward some really good sources of information, I'm afraid I don't have much more to offer. Perhaps I'm tired; perhaps the week has been too much of a drain (a very busy work week), but I just don't seem to be able to rouse myself to say much more.

Check that - I will offer this. I don't know Fr. Altier well; he's been a guest in our home once, when he blessed our previous home. He's a man of impeccable integrity, and a man of very strongly held beliefs - beliefs I happen to agree with. If he's been ordered to remain silent on any particular issue, I suspect he'll obey, because that's the kind of man he is.

So what of Archbishop Flynn? I've said this before, and I suppose I'll say it again - I think that the man personally is a good, holy, well-meaning bishop. I think he's surrounded by a group of liberal, "spirit of Vatican II" types who do the Arch a great disservice, and seem to have as one of their primary goals to antagonize every orthodox Catholic group available. So while I refrain from passing judgement on the Arch, I wouldn't have any particular reservations about sticking it to the administrative staff - right down to the sorry excuse for a diocesean newspaper, The Catholic Spirit (about which one Minneapolis-area parish once said it was too bad the Archbishop didn't have a paper that he could depend on to support his positions). From homosexual marriage to liberal politics, you can count on the Spirit to display the squishiest sort of watered-down Catholicism.

UPI reports:

ST. PAUL, Minn., March 3 (UPI) -- The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has requested that the Rev. Robert Altier of St. Agnes Church stop publishing online and broadcasting on radio.

Altier posted a message Thursday saying he was going along with the request by Archbishop Harry Flynn.

"Father Altier's homilies and spiritual presentations can no longer be published on www.desertvoice.org or broadcast on Relevant Radio," said the posting.

A prominent voice in conservative Catholic circles, Altier has spoken out against a sex-abuse prevention program being taught throughout the archdiocese. Such programs were mandated in all dioceses by U.S. bishops as part of their response to the clergy abuse scandals.

Opponents -- including the Minneapolis-based non-profit group Catholic Parents Online, of which Altier is the spiritual adviser -- say the programs are too explicit for children.

An archdiocesan spokesman said nothing improper had occurred. [Emphasis added.]

If by "nothing improper had occurred" they mean to suggest that Father Altier did nothing wrong, then I think it's very nice of them to protect his reputation that way.

But if not, then they're quite wrong to make that statement, because it's highly improper to silence the public statements of a popular orthodox priest while letting the dissenters run wild.

UPDATE: More on this at Bearing Blog:

Father Altier is a great priest --- I can say this from personal experience, as I've heard his homilies and I've been to him for confession. He has posted transcripts of his homilies, which are intelligent, reasoned discussions of the Gospel, for a long time, for anyone to access via the web. (Now they're down.) He is a regular guest on --- in my opinion the best part of --- the Drew Mariani Show on Relevant Radio, fielding all kinds of questions about Catholic practices, theology, current events, you name it. (Not for the time being.)

This is an example of it all going both ways, I suppose. I have criticized some in the past for complaining when the archdiocese stops comment or activity by priests who push the envelope of Church teachings in the "left" direction. They work for the Church, the Church issues their paychecks, they ought to expect that it will dictate their activities to some extent. So when criticism comes from priests on the "right," and the archdiocese requests that they quiet that criticism, the same principles apply. (Except, nags one side as I write this paragraph in an attempt to be fair and balanced, Fr. Altier isn't left or right of, but centered on, the magisterium; he's trying to encourage the archdiocese to be faithful to the magisterium.)

Still no statement from the Archdiocese beyond simple confirmation that it happened; no word on why.

Perhaps the folks at the local parish will get an announcement tomorrow at mass.

UPDATE: WI Catholic Musings also wants to know why.

And Sacrmentum Vitae comments:

Having listened to many of his podcast homilies as well as to the ecclesiastical scuttlebutt about him, I believe that Fr. Robert Altier is one of the finest priests in America. That is why I am disgusted that his bishop, Archbishop Harry J. Flynn of Minneapolis-St. Paul, has reigned him in even further.

Still young (45) for a priest, Altier undertook "deliverance" as his first major priestly ministry years ago. A good way of describing that would be "informal exorcism." While the permission of the local ordinary is required for the exorcism of people who, after extensive testing, are found to be diabolically possessed, any baptized Christian can engage in deliverance ministry short of that. Sometimes without proper study and guidance, lay "charismatic" Catholic groups have been doing it on their own for decades; with proper study and guidance, they can be quite effective. And in a recent post at Pontifications, I explained how and why deliverance ministry in general and exorcism in particular are becoming more common among clerics with the full backing of the Vatican. But one of Flynn's earliest acts after becoming bishop was to shut down Altier's delieverance work; according to Altier, Flynn's stated reason was that "he didn't want any priest in his diocese doing this." Not, mind you, that Altier had been doing it badly; apparently the objection was to a priest doing it at all. I don't get it—unless Flynn doesn't take literally Jesus' talk of Satan as a real and active personal force. Unfortunately, it wouldn't surprise me to learn that he doesn't.

And now Altier is not permitted to broadcast his homilies. Why not? Well, in them he has sometimes been critical of the American bishops, indeed of the clergy as a whole. The criticisms I've encountered seem to me entirely justified. I should even say that a few, such as the one about the U.S. bishops' handling of the sex-abuse problem, weren't strong enough. But apparently it isn't enough for Altier to pull a few punches; he is not to throw any at all.

Penraker has something to say about it all, too.:

Altier has built a very large following in the Twin Cities. He is a noted teacher, has his own cable TV show, is a regular guest on radio and so forth. He became popular because he would actually teach what the Catholic church teaches - in its fullness and depth.

This is almost never done in America anymore. Priests often have no idea what the Church teaches. Most refuse to teach it if they do know. So when a priest comes along that can tell you what the church teaches, and can defend it and show you how it all make sense, it is a rare thing. People are hungering for that, instead of the half-baked new-age mumbo-jumbo pablumized Catholicism that comes slithering out of the mouths of most priests.

So what happened? Archbishop Harry Flynn seems to have disciplined him. He has been forbidden from appearing on radio. His website has been altered so that all of his sermons and other communications are no longer available. He has disappeared from the scene. He is being obedient to his bishop, which is how things are supposed to be.

Maybe the bishop did not remove him because of his stance on Virtus. Maybe something is going on that no one knows about. But it sure looks suspicious.

Does Bishop Flynn treat all who transgress in the same manner? He took years to deal with a parish that was into all sorts of strange things. He waited until their left-wing liberal priest retired. Now things are less overt. But their web site still carries information about "The goddess" and so forth. What's on their church events agenda? A concert by the Twin Cities Gay Mens chorus.

UPDATE: More at Our Word:

The lesson we can take from this is from Fr. Altier himself, who when he was told to stop his comments in the media, did so, obediently and humbly and immediately. What a role model, especially in this time of Lent as we reflect on our Lord who went to the Cross without opposition or complaint. We are called upon to pick up our cross daily and follow Him and that is precisely what Fr. Altier has done. Our prayers go out to him - and to Archbishop Flynn - for Jesus taught us to love our enemies. We just never thought that they would include our bishops. [Emphasis added.]

"How long, oh Lord?" I'm finding this episode to be a real stumbling block. Archbishop Flynn has scandalized me.

Free Republic is reporting the story as well.

Catholic Answers Forums has extensive discussion.

UPDATE: Spirit Daily has new commentary, including a quote from Fr. Altier:

Last week, the hot button issue was a priest who is especially well-known in parts of the Midwest, where his strongly orthodox views were often broadcast over a network of stations called Relevant Radio and also on a weekly radio program, "As the Spirit Leads," in Philadelphia. A website, "A Voice in the Desert," operated by parishioners, placed his homilies -- rich in traditional viewpoints, as well as prophetic interpretations -- on the internet.

Father Altier in the sanctuary of Saint AgnesBut Archbishop Harry J. Flynn of Minneapolis has halted his radio and internet presence [see homilies], limiting him to the vastly smaller audience of local Mass-goers at the Church of St. Agnes in St. Paul, Minnesota, where Father Altier tends to the six a.m. Mass [see previous article].

It remains unclear exactly why Father Altier was removed. Neither the archbishop nor the priest has released the letter. There is no reason to believe that the action pertains to any issue of abuse, which has led to so many other actions. But there are times when the priest has openly criticized bishops and he has been especially opposed to a sex-education program okayed by Catholic authorities.

In a statement issued to Spirit Daily, the priest writes: "Praised be Jesus Christ! The people who take care of the Desert Voice website informed me of your interest in the case in which I am involved with Archbishop Flynn. It is certainly fine with me if you want to write something about it, but there really does not seem to be much of a story, on the surface, to write. The fact that this thing has taken on a life of its own with no help from anyone in particular should tell you that it is really not about me at all. Rather, it is about something much larger than me.

"Beyond that, I really do not have much to say other than what was said of the Apostles 2000 years ago, i.e., that they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name [Acts 5:41]. All of this is part of God’s loving providence and He will bring about a greater good from this than any of us can ask or imagine. Can you think of a better way to live out the Lenten observance?

"Regarding the letter from the Archbishop, I will not release it to anyone. This is done solely out of respect for the Archbishop. He did not request that I not release the letter; it is my decision to act in this manner out of respect for his Excellency.

"The Archbishop acted within the bounds of his jurisdictional rights (canon 831 §2) and I simply have to obey. The rest is up to our Lord and Our Lady. It is so wonderful because I am at peace and filled with joy knowing that through obedience I am doing the will of God.

"Who could ask for anything more in this world than to know with certainty the will of God for you at any given moment and to be able to live it out in peace and joy? The whole thing is a pure gift from God. This is my take on the whole situation, but as I mentioned above, this cannot possibly be about me. I am merely an instrument that God is using for a much larger purpose. So, if you want to write an article, you really do need to look at what God is doing here."

"We'll let the Holy Spirit do that; we'll urge obedience (above sacrifice); and we'll leave it to your own discernment."

The case once more points up the increasingly open face-off between liberals and conservatives, as well as conservatives and ecclesiastic authorities. The time has come to wait for further Vatican guidance and patiently listen to each other, avoiding disunity. Inquiries have been made for more information, if prudent, from the archdiocese.

As Rosenkrantz said to Guildenstern, "there's something they're not telling us." I don't know if we'll ever find out the truth. But as long as the orthodox get the Altier treatment, and the dissenters are left to wander the world, seeking the ruin of souls, the faithful will be scandalized and the hierarchy discredited.

UPDATE: BettNet decries more of the double standard (H/T: The Cafteria Is Closed):

On the one hand, you have Father Robert Altier, who has been silenced apparently for publicly disagreeing with his archbishop, Harry Flynn of Minneapolis, over “safe environment sex education” programs. (And I don’t care what you say, this was a silencing. He was forced to remove his homilies from public distribution and to stop speaking on a Catholic radio program.) To his credit, Altier obeyed the order, only speaking about it to the extent to say that he was obeying a lawful order of his superior.

On the other hand, you have priests of the same archdiocese publicly dissenting from the Church’s dogmatic teachings on homosexuality and marriage.

"Anybody who wants to be in a committed relationship and have children — I say God bless them," said the Rev. Mike Tegeder, head pastor at St. Edward’s. While plenty of other denominations have struggled with gay rights, and clergy of other faith are involved with the postcard campaign, it’s a particularly thorny issue for Catholics.

And it’s not like Tegeder is new at this game: “Tegeder is a longtime thorn in the side of archdiocese officials; he also has spoken out against the prohibition of married Catholic priests. But on the gay marriage issue, he’s not alone.” Yes, there are 28 priests total who have co-signed a letter to Flynn saying in part: “We believe that your aggressive and widespread endeavor in favor of the amendment is a scandal.”

So, I’m left wondering whether Flynn will be consistent. Altier was silenced for disagreeing with a policy decision, not doctrine and dogma. He certainly wasn’t personally attacking the archbishop. Yet you have these priests attacking Flynn and espousing heterodox views. And they’ll get away with it. Why? Altier was ordered to be quiet because Flynn knew he would obey, being the good orthodox priest he is. If Flynn were to try to order the heterodox priests to be silent, they’d laugh in his face. He’d then be forced to either put up or shut up, and if he were to back down, then his authority would dissipate like smoke in the wind. Better to speak strongly of orthodoxy and ignore the heterodoxy than confront the heterodoxy and let it win is the apparent mindset.

UPDATE: 3/20/2006 - Statement Received from Archbishop Flynn's communications office:

To interested party

Thank you for your recent note. I appreciate that you have benefited spiritually from Fr. Altier’s homilies. He has done much good work and is not being “silenced.”

Fr. Robert Altier is a priest of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis in good standing. He wrote to ask me for permission to extend his radio ministry. I reviewed the situation and discerned that a break from his multi-media apostolates might be beneficial to him and to the parish of Saint Agnes. His primary responsibility has been and continues to be as assistant to the pastor there in ministering to the parishioners. The specific reasons for this decision are within the context of a bishop’s relationship with his priests. It would be most inappropriate to discuss them with others.

Many people have leaped to inaccurate and unkind conclusions. They do a disservice to Fr. Altier and to me. I pray that Lent will be a time for them to examine their consciences and grow in charity. They would be well-advised to listen to or read some homilies about the perils of rashly judging others and about the respect owed to the successors of the apostles.

Some people have mentioned concerns with regard to the “safe environment” programs for children. Let me assure you that pastors in this Archdiocese have a number of options from which to choose and that parents always retain the right to withhold their children from any program to which they object.

I hope that you may avail yourself of some of the other good spiritual resources on the radio, Internet or in good, old-fashioned books. I personally enjoy the insights of the periodical missal Magnificat. You are also free to visit Saint Agnes where Fr. Altier continues to actively minister.

With every good wish, I remain

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Harry J. Flynn, D. D.
Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

UPDATE: Paul comments on His Excellency the Archbishop's statement:

The statement from the Archbishop includes several points:

1. Fr. Altier was not "silenced" (quotes in original).
2. The Archbishop, apparently without consultation with the pastor, whom we've been told seemed surprised by the move, decided that, contrary to Fr. Altier's stated wishes, it was in the best interests of Fr. Altier and his parish that Father's "multi-media apostolates" be given a break.
3. There are other reasons, but it would be inappropriate to discuss them.
4. The Archbishop feels that the people who have remarked on these events have been disrespectful to him, and urges us to consider "the respect owed to the successors of the apostles".
5. There is nothing wrong with "Talking About Touching", and even if there is something wrong with it, it's optional.
6. Why don't you people go read a book and quit bothering me?

Each of which begs a new question:

1. If Fr. Altier was not "silenced", then why can I no longer hear him?
2. Are we sure it was Fr. Altier and St. Agnes Parish that would benefit, or might it not be Archbishop Flynn and USCCB? In the former case, how could the benefit of the parish or the priest require removing an on-line archive of past homilies?
3. Without touching on the specifics of this case, could someone at the Archdiocese give us some examples of some possible circumstances that might lead to such a move in the case of a priest who has done nothing wrong, and much good work, as the Archbishop says of Fr. Altier? Would it be appropriate to discuss other cases of priests whose public statements might be viewed as scandalous?
4. Is there an extant homily by an American bishop of the past 30 years or so on the topic of the respect owed to the successor of Peter, from which I might glean a lesson about respect for bishops? Are bishops owed respect regardless of their actions, or might it be true that, as St. Athanasius, himself a bishop, said, "the floor of hell is covered with the skulls of bishops"? And isn't it true that "respect for the successors of the apostles" is a code phrase for "you conservatives be quiet while we go about re-making the Church in our own image"?"
5. If the "Talking About Touching" program is so good, why would opt-outs be needful? Would it be OK for your inner-city parishes to serve manure-laced dog food to the homeless, on the grounds that they could always go over to the Salvation Army instead?
6. In the "Spirit of Vatican II", the lay faithful are taking a greater involvement in the running of the church. Not just the liberals, dissenters, queers, and heretics, but those of us who also value the long tradition of the Universal Church.

UPDATE (3/22/2006): Mitchell at Our Word comments on Archbishop Flynn's note (with a link back here, thanks!):

This response is pure Archbishop Flynn: at once pastoral and condesending, thoughtful and tactless, intriguing and infuriating. In many ways it reads like a letter of recommendation written by an HR department for an employee that has been fired: cautious in the extreme, stressing the obvious, providing nothing that could be used against them, adding nothing to the base of knowledge.

To the archbishop's suggestion that his critics "would be well-advised to listen to or read some homilies about the perils of rashly judging others and about the respect owed to the successors of the apostles," his point is correct, and well-taken. One could only add that the archbishop himself might be well-advised to consult scripture, particularly Matthew 18:6.

UPDATE: Spirit Daily knows someone who got the same e-mail.

UPDATE (3/28/06) The Catholic Caveman responds to an archdiocesan spokesman:

Roll up your trouser legs... the bullshit's getting deep the the Roman Protestant Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis. Vicar General Father Kevin McDonough stated: "I don't believe in this archdiocese there has ever been an active subculture of homosexual priests who were sexually active and justifying their behavior."

Hold on... back the truck up. I've never personally been backstroking in a pool of shit, but I think the good folks in St. Paul-Minneapolis are about to.

Father McDonough's public assertion was surprising especially since his own brother Professor William McDonough, a priest (active as such at least until 1998) in the diocese, is on public record going against Church teaching on homosexuality. At The Society of Christian Ethics, professor McDonough convened the "Gay and Lesbian Issues Interest Group sessions". In 2001, he presented the paper "Toward a MacIntyrean ethic of same-sex life partnerships". In an issue of Review for Religious he authored "Acknowledging The Gift Of Gay Priestly Celibacy."

Moreover, there is definitely a hornet's nest among clergy in the diocese regarding the Church's teaching on homosexuality. In February 2006, 27 priests of the diocese sent a letter to the bishop saying his support of the marriage amendment was a scandal and act of discrimination, but the archdiocese is unwilling to release the names of the priests who signed the letter. What a shocker, huh?

Of course, there's more.

I've closed out this post now, find further updates here.