Q1: We have a seminarian in our diocese, who spent a summer in my parish. He was expecting to become a priest several years ago, but the bishop declined to ordain him. Nobody knows why. Today he’s just a deacon and is working in the diocesan office, doing administrative work that any layperson can do.
Does this sound strange to you? People are wondering if there’s some problem with him, otherwise why wouldn’t he be a priest already? A couple of us asked our pastors about him, and they were evasive…. If he’s a problem, why not just let him go altogether? Unemployment is high here and we laypeople question why we’re paying this man a salary, instead of hiring someone who really needs a job to feed his or her family. –Erika
Q2: In our diocese we have a deacon who was ordained for the priestly ordination. Some months after his diaconate ordination, he began to have a fear of receiving the priestly ordination. He is now a deacon without doing his ministry. What does the Code of Canon Law say about this? What is the responsibility of the Bishop for him? –Father B. Continue reading