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Category Archives: Clergy Issues
What’s the Job Description of a Parochial Vicar?
Q1: Would you explain what the official duties of a parochial vicar are? In our parish we have a pastor and a parochial vicar. The pastor is much older than the parochial vicar, but he’s not what we would describe … Continue reading
Posted in Clergy Issues, Parish Life
Tagged canon law, Catholic, ecclesiastical office, parish, parochial vicar, pastor
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Archbishop Viganó and the Extrajudicial Process
Q: Ok, as per Archbishop Viganó what is an “extrajudicial penal trial”? If it is extrajudicial, how can it be a trial? That sounds like being called into the principal’s office, not appearing before a magistrate. Do we assume they … Continue reading
Posted in Clergy Issues, Crimes and Sanctions
Tagged canon law, Catholic, extrajudicial, schism, Vigano
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Who Decides Whether a Catholic Has Been Excommunicated?
Q: My (big mouthed!) spiritual director directly broke the seal of confession (names and sins) privately to me not once but twice (same conversation)…. When it happened, I called him out on it and told him he had just excommunicated … Continue reading
Posted in Clergy Issues, Confession, Crimes and Sanctions, Sacraments
Tagged canon law, Catholic, confession, excommunicated, latae sententiae, sacramental seal
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Limiting Diocesan Bishops’ Authority: Recent Decrees From Pope Francis
Q: I would like to ask a question about diocesan bishops and episcopal authority, but I don’t know how to formulate it. I hope you’ll bear patiently with me, there’s a confused jumble of ideas in my head! These ideas … Continue reading
Posted in Clergy Issues, The Pope
Tagged bishop, canon law, Catholic, diocesan bishop, Episcopal, Fiducia Supplicans
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Removing a Bishop From His Diocese: The Case of Bishop Strickland
Q: I don’t need to tell you, practically the whole Catholic world is looking at the removal of Bishop Strickland from [his diocese of] Tyler, [Texas,] and wondering what happened and why. From the perspective of canon law, what did … Continue reading
Posted in Clergy Issues, Crimes and Sanctions, The Pope
Tagged Bishop Strickland, canon law, Catholic, delict, Pope Francis
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