The Sad End of the Priestly Ministry of Mr. Roy Bourgeois

By Deacon Keith Fournier
11/21/2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

We invite our readers to pray for Mr. Bourgeois

Disobedience and preaching against the teaching of the Catholic Church about women's ordination led to his excommunication, dismissal and laicization. Then Fr. Bourgeois engaged in an obstinate crusade which involved public and direct defiance of the Holy See and a repudiation of the unbroken teaching of the Magisterium of the Catholic Church concerning sacred ordination.

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MARYKNOLL, N.Y. (Catholic Online) - The short Press Release from the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers confirmed some sad news on Monday, November 19, 2012. The priestly ministry of Roy Bourgeois has come to an end:

*****

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Congregation For The Doctrine Of The Faith Canonically Dismisses Roy Bourgeois

Nov. 19, 2012: The Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, on October 4, 2012, canonically dismissed Roy Bourgeois from the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America, also known as the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers. The decision dispenses the Maryknoll priest from his sacred bonds.

As a priest during 2008, Mr. Bourgeois participated in the invalid ordination of a woman and a simulated Mass in Lexington, Kentucky. With patience, the Holy See and the Maryknoll Society have encouraged his reconciliation with the Catholic Church.

Instead, Mr. Bourgeois chose to campaign against the teachings of the Catholic Church in secular and non-Catholic venues. This was done without the permission of the local U.S. Catholic Bishops and while ignoring the sensitivities of the faithful across the country. Disobedience and preaching against the teaching of the Catholic Church about women's ordination led to his excommunication, dismissal and laicization.

Mr. Bourgeois freely chose his views and actions, and all the members of the Maryknoll Society are saddened at the failure of reconciliation. With this parting, the Maryknoll Society warmly thanks Roy Bourgeois for his service to mission and all members wish him well in his personal life. In the spirit of equity and charity, Maryknoll will assist Mr. Bourgeois with this transition.

*****

Few Press sources have reported on this sad news. The National catholic Reporter (NCR) which calls itself an "Independent News Source", carried an article by Joshua J. McElwee entitled "Maryknoll: Vatican has dismissed Roy Bourgeois from order" The article began by acknowledging the dismissed cleric's role as a "longtime peace activist".

However, even that newspaper which had heralded the former member of Maryknoll as a champion of several of their pet causes, did not try to connect his work for peace with the dismissal. To do so would have been absolutely incorrect.

There are many "longtime peace activist" members of the clergy who stay obedient to the teaching authority of the Catholic Church. Sadly, after 45 years in the Maryknoll community and 39 years as a priest of the Catholic Church, this one did not and he is now referred to as Mr. Bourgeois.

That is because he engaged in an intentional and protracted act of rebellion against the clear teaching of the Catholic Church.

Mr. Roy Bourgeois was ordained to the priesthood in 1972. From the beginning of his priestly ministry he worked with the poor and the oppressed. He took public and sometimes controversial stands against Latin American leaders who did not respect human dignity and seemed to have little concern for the oppressed or the poor.

He founded the "School of the America's Watch" in 1990 to call attention to what he long maintained was American complicity in some of the very unjust activities he had dedicated his life and ministry to exposing, opposing and changing.

Up to that point, Catholics of various political persuasions could - and often did - disagree with him and his leftist political leanings. However, he was within his rights to engage in that work. He had not veered from Catholic teaching in so doing.

However, all that changed on August 9, 2008 when Fr. Bourgeois chose to become a "concelebrant" and homilist at the attempted ordination to the "priesthood" of Janice Sevre-Duszynska. The attempted "ordination" occurred at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Lexington, KY.

Then Fr. Bourgeois engaged in an obstinate crusade which involved public and direct defiance of the Holy See and a repudiation of the unbroken teaching of the Magisterium of the Catholic Church concerning sacred ordination.

He received a letter from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith which explained his errors with a genuine concern for his salvation. It gave him a time period within which to recant his "belief and public statements that support the ordination of women in our Church, or (he) will be excommunicated."

That action followed overt, repeated, defiant and public rejection of efforts from the leadership within his own religious community to return him to full fidelity with the teaching of the Catholic Church.

His letter of response to the Holy See was defiant and dismissive. It was ...

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1 - 10 of 34 Comments

Judy Claar
5 months ago
Emma, Again I say, Peace Be To You. Our Church needs visible unity. In order for that to be affective, it must be visible. "That is why the struggle for the visible unity of the disciples of Jesus Christ remains an urgent task for Christians of all times and places." -Pope Benedict XVI

Yes dear sister, you are most certainly entitled to speak your truth. If I have been perceived to have "a holier than thou" attitude, I sincerely ask forgiveness; for that was not my intent. I Know that the Church is a hospital for sinners. I am there all the time! Perhaps that is why the Church is slow on taking action against some. They wait and wait til they can wait no more, without a large body of the Church becoming affected and infected.
May the Sacred Hearts Of Jesus and Mary Pray For Us Always.
Emma
5 months ago
No Judy, it was not I who introduced the topic of pedophile priests, but Pam.. Follow the thread and you'll see that that is true. To get back to the topic at hand : it's funny how you mention church teaching seeing that Roy Bougeois did not follow church teaching, nor did he adhere to the constitution of the Jesuit Order. He was given ample opportunity to do so and instead chose to willfully disobey and in so doing led many astray. "I am full of hope seeing the Society at the service of our Lord, and of the Church, under the Roman Pontiff, the Vicar of Christ on earth. May she keep going along this path " ....Pedro Arrupe, Father General SJ -1965-1983. BTW ... I also understand church teaching. It is this condescending "holier than thou " attitude by some in the church that turns many away, moreso than any other topic! We are or should be a hospital for sinners, not an exclusionary society of self appointed saints! And I have as much right to express my pov as you do. I will pray for you also.
judy claar
5 months ago
Emma...Peace Be To You. Let me assure you, that I was Not introducing a new topic which geared away from the article.

The Truth of the matter is: You brought up PP. And You, took us off the beaten path, with your supposed uncaring feeling, of what has, and is still is, a resounding issue within the Church. And you did so, with not the inkling of a thoughtful or humble opinion.
That my sister, is why I felt the need to respond.
My response was to reply to those who have suffered and are suffering, after what You so boldly brought up on this board. Pam was one of them.

May I offer a bit of advice that my Da taught me, and that I myself still fall short of everyday?
"Think Before You Speak. Respond. Do not re-act".

Lastly, Everything I have ever written on this board, has been in line with Church Teaching and Church Law. If it were the old days, I certainly could take offense at your accusations and demand a duel! I am being silly here...because for me to feel the need to defend myself, is indeed silly. Prayerful Blessings...
allain
5 months ago
it looks like that a certain judy has her or his bad experience with some of our priests and she/he is bitterly emphasizing them as pedophiles. well we are sorry that you were once a victim but never did the Holy see had condoned it but rather the issue or shall we say the scandal was taken with serious attention. if the response was made late as per human judgement let us consider that while we have the religious liberty we are still subjects of our democratic society therefore whether we are a clergy or not we are still entitled to due process. annual holy week retreats of clergies are conducted now in their respective dioceses, to serve as a constant reminder of their religious vows and sustaining their spiritual strengths. in every holy mass we are all requested always to pray for the pope, our bishops, priests and the religious (to include nuns). it is because while they are all living in supposed divinity they are all still humans made of earthly flesh, susceptible to temptations and their own weaknesses. we also condemn the acts (the sins) but we cannot condemn individuals (the sinners). let us forgive and yet as a community we must all be vigilant as well for our erring servants of the church. and while there are few bad eggs let us not throw the entire basket.
janusz
5 months ago
As a Polak I see this sytuation in my cantry as well, looks like from that time where was allowed more liberal “modernistic trend” in church we have to pay for that.Thats way I think more and more people are turning to the tradytional “Trident”mass or Latin.
Emma
5 months ago
As for the Crusades and Inquisition, anyone with a basic knowledge of world history knows that since mankind first walked the face of this earth, they have been warring with each other, enslaving each other and abusing each other. This is not the private domain of the Catholic Church. It continues to this day. I haven't heard of any Catholics practicing this recently, so why do we keep beating a dead horse? Oh wait! Could it be that we don't want to complain or draw attention to all the Christians now being tortured for their beliefs?
Emma
5 months ago
@Judy ...you're taking what I said out of context. Nowhere did I state that no harm had been done! so allow me to clarify : this article had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with child sexual abuse! Nothing. But, rather than stick to the topic at hand, those seeking to further unravel the Roman Catholic Church inevitably resort to it. This they do only to claim moral superiority and manipulate the conversation away from its original intent and place a guilt trip on the rest. One has nothing to do with the other.
judy claar
5 months ago
Emma, Indeed the two are not the same. But Both have done harm. And I venture to say, that as long as the Catholic Church let Pedophile Priest's for years have their way, how many? and to be transferred to other parishes so that they could inflict more Mental and Physical and Emotional damage to unsuspecting little lambs!.?... This, most certainly, has been more harmful to so many numerous Catholic families, that you can not even begin to count them. Because of PP, people still leave the Church today. We are still living in it's aftermath... so Huge was it. This will be a major scar upon the Church. Dare I say, almost as much as the Spanish Inquisition? The Spanish Inquisition was of course much worse in outward physical barbarism. Pedophile Priests however, attacked innocent altar boys, whose only intent was to be more holy and Godly. He followed that Trusting Holy Adult ...who betrayed him. I speak here Emma, for the wounded of PP. Who have been so injured, that they can not, find it in their heart to forgive. So damaged are they. And this includes the parents, extending out to relatives. And Yes, the PP hit this world Globally! I do not think the Inquisition did. Naturally, the sooner we stop mentioning this, the sooner it goes away. But in the ranks of Catholic society today, every time a PP is mentioned, that Past affected person or family lives it all over again.

Indeed, I agree with Pam. We have lost ? how many members in the Catholic Church due to PP. And, we are still losing them. This priest, to me, was a Radical priest who was left to his Ism much to long, and should have been removed before he Even got to this stage. He does not compare. Just as PP does not compare with the Spanish Inquisition.
Blessings...May we all pray for those harmed by PP. Especially those who can not find it in their heart to forgive their predator, or even God Himself. Let the predator, and the victim, find it in their heart to forgive each other and themselves. And for those who have lost their Faith, to find it once again. In the Loving Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Amen.
catholic14
5 months ago
Good to be in a Catholic faith, in a true faith. Since Peter the apostle received the earthly authority from the Christ, we are constantly under attack.

- And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. (Mt. 16:18)

If someone not able to accept the Vatican teaching that person not belongs anymore to the Catholic Church. Have plenty of other man made religion where you able to satisfy yourself, where man and female can be priest or bishop. You can be married if you wish, or just live your sodomy lifestyle. Nobody hold you back, free to go if you are not anymore Catholic.
We are Catholics and sorry for you.
Emma
5 months ago
xyz...if anyone is sending the message to women that they are "not good enough ", it is being sent by those promoters of ordination for women! Do you mean to tell me that just because I cannot be a priest I'm of less value in the eyes of God? Sounds weird, but I entered the Catholic Church from the Assembly of Wicca, ultimate of feminine practices. Yet even their women clergy call themselves priestesses, not priests! I never heard a Wiccan Priestess complain because they couldn't be a priest! Bizarre how these Catholic Sisters whine over the one thing that they can't have, like children denied candy before dinner. Maryknoll is always recruiting for work in foreign missions. Oh, but wait, they don't want to "serve ". They want the title. By their aggressive nature they give proof of the lack of humility demanded of the priesthood. And, for the record, I have never been treated as a lesser person by anyone in the church, nor do I think of myself as one!

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