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Tag Archives: clergy
When are the Laity Permitted to Preach?
Q: I have a question about preaching: what happens in times and places where there is no priest or deacon available to hold Mass, and a communion service or another form of liturgical prayer is held by the laity? –Mark … Continue reading
Canon Law and False Abuse Allegations, Part II
(Part I of this article was posted on May 2, 2013, and can be read here.) In the first part of our discussion of false sexual-abuse accusations leveled against Catholic priests, we saw that canon law provides—and has always provided—a … Continue reading
Posted in Clergy Issues, Crimes and Sanctions
Tagged canon law, Catholic, clergy, sexual abuse
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Canon Law and False Abuse Allegations, Part I
Q: There are so many stories of priest-abusers shielded in past years by their superiors, who allowed it to continue. But not all the accusations are true, right? Do you know of any cases of priests accused of sexual abuse, … Continue reading
Posted in Clergy Issues, Crimes and Sanctions
Tagged canon law, Catholic, clergy, sexual abuse
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Who Can Conduct an Exorcism?
Q: I thought every Catholic priest could act as an exorcist if he has to, by virtue of his ordination to the priesthood. But our assistant pastor told me recently that that’s not true, because he is not able to … Continue reading
Can a Priest Ever Return to the Lay State?
Q: I thought once a man was ordained a priest, he is always a priest. So how is it that some priests get permission to leave the priesthood and get married? Sometimes you hear about somebody being a “former priest,” … Continue reading
Posted in Clergy Issues
Tagged canon law, Catholic, clergy, laicization, priest
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