Bishop John C. Favalora of the Archbishop of Miami on the act of schism by Fr. Cutié in his decision to join the Episcopal Church.
According to our canon law, with this very act Father Cutié is separating himself from the communion of the Roman Catholic Church (c. 1364, §1) by professing erroneous faith and morals, and refusing submission to the Holy Father (canon 751). He also is irregular for the exercise of sacred orders as a priest (canons 1041 and 1044, §1) and no longer has the faculties of the Archdiocese of Miami to celebrate the sacraments; nor may he preach or teach on Catholic faith and morals (cannon 1336, §1). His actions could lead to his dismissal from the clerical state.
This means that Father Cutié is removing himself from full communion with the Catholic Church and thereby forfeiting his rights as a cleric. Roman Catholics should not request the sacraments from Father Cuité. Any sacramental actions he attempts to perform would be illicit. Any Mass he says would be valid but illicit, meaning it does not meet a Catholic’s obligation. Father Cutié cannot validly officiate at marriages of Roman Catholics in the Archdiocese of Miami or anywhere.
Father Cutié is still bound by his promise to live a celibate life, which he freely embraced at ordination. Only the Holy Father can release him from that obligation.
The Bishop goes on to state that Fr. Cutié never met with him again after being granted a leave of absence and that also the Episcopal bishop never contacted him either. The Bishop though has written a forthright and pastoral letter worth reading.
I blogged about this story before and how I was initially saddened to hear this news. Then he added insult to injury by appearing on a morning show making excuses like it was the Church’s fault. That he took this step without even once consulting with his Bishop shows that this guy is just a totally arrogant jerk. A a totally arrogant jerk deeply in need of our prayers since he has separated himself from the Church and I would imagine incurred Latae Sententiae excommunication.
When he appeared on the morning show he had said he had fallen in love. Too bad he has forgotten what love is. Love is willing the good for another. When he broke his promises and committed a gravely disordered sin with her he was not showing love. By endangering her soul as well as his own, this is an objective act of selfishness. When a married man says he “fell in love” with the women he committed adultery with it is the same lie. The same goes for homosexual sex. Any act of sex outside of the the Covenant of marriage is objectively sinful and thus never an act of love. To will the good for another is to will an objective good.
11 comments
The timing of the whole move is what makes this seem so disingenuous. Is he SURPRISED that people disagreed with what he did, being an influential priest who just caused that much more scandal due to his popularity? Having half the Catholics in Miami still supporting him after what happened wasn’t good enough. This is not a well-thought-out move based on a reaction to the Church’s discipline of priestly celibacy. This is an emotionally childish response of anger that he got his hand caught in the cookie jar and it’s Mama Church’s fault for snooping around in the first place and then having the gall to discipline him for it.
This whole thing is very sad and disappointing. I hope that some of his followers don’t end up leaving the Catholic Church too.
It’s just so typical of our relativistic culture.Instead of acknowledging the sin and repenting, people proclaim themselves victims of the Church, society, their family, or whatever, and go off and set themselves up as false prophets.
I’ll pray for his conversion but I’m pretty disgusted at his immaturity.
Bishop Favalora’s letter is very nearly Pauline in its clear statements of the facts and of Christian truth, and its humble invitation to reconciliation. Miami is blessed in its Bishop.
Hmmm… did you read the news bit out there about Cutie’s ‘profession of faith’ in the Episcopal church? There was a line about how the Episcopal bishop used a ‘traditional formula’ to welcome him into the “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church” before marrying them in his office. The story included the line that he would have to wait at least a full year before being allowed to resume priestly ministry among the Episcopalians.
I think this is the major declaration of ecclesiological impact, which the Episcopal bishop did not realize or intend. The Episcopalians can only theoretically justify their existence in one of two ways… either they are a legitimate “branch” of the Catholic Church, deriving their (autonomous) authority to ordain bishops, celebrate Mass, and set up ‘particular Churches’ from that relationship -OR- they derive their authority from somewhere else (perhaps from a past relationship with a Catholic Church that no longer exists, except in them as a remnant), considering the modern Catholic Church illegitimate and thus an organization completely different from them and their communion.
Now which is it?
If the episcopal bishop considers the Catholic Church legitimate, then the words lack any meaning whatsoever, because the bishop would be welcoming someone (Cutie) into a Church he already belonged to, and as a priest, no less.
If the bishop does not respect the legitimacy of the contemporary Catholic Church, then he has no business accepting Cutie on the basis of his orders for any ministry (apparently he approved Cutie for preaching), much less priesthood, without re-ordination– which Episcopalians do not normally do when a Catholic priest defects. (Remember? Part of the charade is that Episcopalians tend to want or claim some kind of apostolic succession by way of Catholic Orders.)
So which is it?
Oh, I forgot! It doesn’t matter when “Pelvic Theology” trumps all.
I’d consider this a slap in the face if I was actually thought ecumenical relations with our friends in the Episcopal church was ever going to go anywhere.
You know, I just re-read the article on Whispers, at it seems that the bishop “recognized” him as a member of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church.
I suppose that this may or may not imply a rupture with the Catholic Church we know and love, making my points maybe irrelevant or maybe relevant after all.
Whatever.
Again, “Pelvic Theology” makes this distinction meaningless anyway.
Pelvic theology … very funny.
Apart from that moment of laughter, the whole thing is very painful. The guy makes vows as an adult with no one holding a gun to his head; he then breaks the vows and after the fact tells the world (and his parish!) that they weren’t fair to begin with; and now the Epicopalians have accepted him with open arms. There are priests who leave that church and come to us and I’ve never seen a press conference about it.
The Bishops letter was great: pointed, fair, compassionate, and absolutely right to point out that it’s this guy who broke with us.
And, by the way, how many priests are there is the US, who every day follow their vows?
CarpeNoctem pointed out a very good contradiction on the part of the Episcopal Church. I was thinking more along the lines of the contradiction that Father Cutie committed. He either:
1. thinks the Catholic Church is NOT the Church which salvation is obtained but for some odd reason spent at least 10 years of his life in seminary and as a Catholic priest or
2. thinks the Catholic Church IS the Church which salvation is obtained but would rather pursue lust for a woman in the Episcopal church instead of love of God in the Catholic Church.
Whether it is option 1 or option 2 he is contradicting himself in one form or another. If he doesn’t believe in the Catholic faith, why spend so many years in it as a priest? If does believe in it, why leave it?
I didn’t give much attention to the story when it first broke. I just prayed for the priest to do the right thing. Guess he had other ideas. Oh well. Thanks for linking the true Catholic bishop’s letter.
I rambled a bit on the topic yonder.
This is serious stuff:
Fr. Alberto, is turning his back on the Church that Jesus founded, this willful act, has put his soul in serious jeopardy. Those who know that the Catholic Church is the True Church and refuse to enter or remain, commit mortal sin and cannot be saved.
Fr. Alberto, is embracing a church that has invalid holy orders, in other words, the Anglicans do not have the authority to ordain bishops or priests–the men who call themselves “Episcopal/Anglican priests” are invalidly ordained.
Anglicans, do not have a valid Eucharist, they have a female priesthood [invalid] they were the first Protestants to allow contraception of any form and type thereby instigating the wide acceptance of contraception among Protestants.
Anglicans, have allowed an openly gay “bishop” [invalid] to be ordained to their pseudo-episcopacy, many Episcopal churches have performed gay “marriages.”
The Anglican/Episcopal communion is losing members at a record speed, many
ex-Anglicans/Episcopalians are returning to Rome sometimes entire congregations decide to convert. Fr. Alberto and his girlfriend, are heading in the wrong direction—something is very wrong here.
We need to all pray for his reversion — those who knowingly abandon Christ’s Church put their salvation in mortal jeopardy.
Fr. Alberto, has publicly repudiated the One, True, Holy Catholic Church—this is serious stuff!
Nice headline…”Pelvic theology”…hahahaha!!!!!!
Let’s pray for the woman too.