Veteran Jesuit explains choice to return to lay life [Catholic Caucus]

NC Reporter ^ | July 15, 2013 | Robert McClory

[married21]

Perhaps he knows the game is up. The Church is not evolving in his direction, in his lifetime. Time to go. Yet I doubt there will be a noticeable cascade of self-defrockings, if only because as a retired priest, somebody will take care of you somehow. If you are not a priest, you get to face economic reality and old age at the same time.

[A.A. Cunningham]

The sisters on the bus will no doubt have a spare bunk for him.

[Heart-Rest]

In his old age, he’s turning to New Age.

[bboop]

Bye, Bert. You’ll find plenty of churches that embrace those things you love, aka the wide road that encompasses all and leads to perdition.

[LadyDoc]

cosmic connectedness? Yup. a new age idiot.

but the real reason is this: I am doing this primarily out of the necessity and consequence of my new call, but, secondarily, as a protest against the social injustices and sinful exclusions perpetrated by a patriarchal church that refuses to consider ordination for women and marriage for same- sex couple

wonder who pressured him to leave?

[SuziQ]

I have become convinced that the Catholic Church will never give up its clerical privilege until and unless we priests (and bishops) willingly step down from our pedestals. Doing this would also put me in solidarity with my friend, Roy Bourgeois, my fellow Jesuit, Fr. Bill Brennan, the late Bernard Cooke, and many other men who have been "de-frocked" by the reigning hierarchy. It will also support the religious and lay women, former Catholics, and gay and lesbian couples marginalized by our church. I want to stand with and for them. I am, if you will, choosing to de-frock myself in order to serve God more faithfully, truly, and universally.

Kinda sounds like BrAngelina's 'threat' to not get married until homosexuals got the 'right to marry' in CA.

He also sounds like he's inculcated a little too much 'new age' thinking into his 'ministry'. I'm sad about this, but it has infected so many Jesuits in this country, and around the world.

And despite his rejection of 'hierarchy', he is demonstrating a 'hierarchy' of his own, by giving off distinct 'I'm more moral than the Church' vibes with his comments.