Whither papal respect for Eastern Patriarchs?

(CNS) - The Vatican has overturned a ruling by Chaldean Catholic Patriarch Louis Raphael I Sako, lifting the suspension of Chaldean priests who fled Iraq after the Islamic State came to power.

The Chaldean Patriarch had ordered all of his priests to return to their parishes, unless they had received explicit permission to leave. He reasoned that priests should serve their people even when their ministry puts them in danger.

Chaldean Catholics in San Diego, California, appealed to the Vatican, and won a ruling in favor of Father Noel Gorgis, who is now serving in a parish there. The ruling allowed Father Gorgis to remain in California and continue his priestly ministry.

The same ruling applies to other Chaldean priests who faced suspension because of the Patriarch’s order.

Comments

  1. Samuel J. HowardJanuary 15, 2015 at 4:37 PM

    "lifting the suspension of Chaldean priests who fled Iraq after the Islamic State came to power."

    This part seems to be innacurate. From reading the other articles, it appears that these priests, certainly Fr. Gorgis, left Iraq around the time of the *1st* Gulf War i.e. circa 1990. So at least some of them have been in the US for about 20 years and now they're getting around to disciplining them, because of the current situation of priests leaving their posts.

    (Which is not to say neccesarily that this is either a) the right decision or b) the right way for authority to be exercised.)

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownJanuary 15, 2015 at 11:19 PM

    The priests appealed to Rome. This is not disrespecting the Eastern Patriarchs. There is a long history of Eastern Bishops and Priest appealing to the Pope of Rome during times of trial.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Brantley HobbsJanuary 16, 2015 at 7:55 AM

    Nelson,

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but while there are plenty of instances throughout history of bishops appealing to Rome, I can't think of a single one where a priest appealed. Where the Pope exercised such authority, it came in a synodal manner (i.e., the result of a synod asking for the Pope's judgement).

    Having a single priest appeal to the Pope, and then having said Pope make a pronouncement countermanding that priest's hierarch not only is without (conciliarily approved) precedent, it is canonically improper.

    The Pope, like any other bishop, has immediate authority only in his own diocese, or at least he should have.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownJanuary 16, 2015 at 11:06 AM

      Perhaps you are right about individual priest appealing to Rome but the local Chaldean Catholic Bishops also appealed to Rome, I believe, on these priests behalf.

      Delete
  4. Samuel J. HowardJanuary 16, 2015 at 11:31 AM

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but while there are plenty of instances throughout history of bishops appealing to Rome, I can't think of a single one where a priest appealed.

    Arguably, Pope Nicholas I and Pope Adrian II hearing and supporting the Priest Constantine and the Hierodeacon Methodious in their appeal against Theotmar, Archbishop of Salzburg and Bishop of Passau who asserted authority over the territory in which they were working.

    The brothers had been sent to Great Moravia by Patriarch Photius, but there was a legitimate dispute at that point about whose territory they were in.

    ReplyDelete

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