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I don't know. You mean involuntarily laicized? I don't know the ins and outs of the canons, but I suspect (this is just a guess) that there aren't technical grounds, and I don't think it would happen if his Father Superior vouches for him.

Now if he were directly ordered by his Father Superior to do something, and he refused, he could be (what's the term?) "exclaustrated" I think, which means, booted out of the CSC.

I hate these legalities. Yet I see why they are necessary, to keep GOOD priests from being bullied and victimized by corrupt superiors. So you can say I'm for all this procedural due process stuff, for the same reasons that St. Thomas More was opposed to depriving the Devil himself, or anyone else, of the protection of the Laws of England.

But at the same time, the letter kills; the Spirit gives life. We need an in-breaking of grace in people's souls. Oh! God!

And--- thinking of "canonical options" --- a bishop isn't just an canonical machine. He is a man. And he can act like a man. He could go and sit-in, personally block the stairs to the dais; he could conduct a teach-in on campus for 7 days prior to, or even concurrent with, the commencement ceremonies; he could make a grand entrance at the commencement, mitre, crozier and all, and accuse Obama to his face.

Who would stop him? Who would dare?

We need to (I need to) write to D'Arcy.

Aaargh.