CWN - July 02, 2012
For the 4th time in just over one year, Pope Benedict XVI has forced a bishop from office.
The Vatican announced on July 2 that the Pope had removed Archbishop Robert Bezak from his post as head of the Archdiocese of Trnava, Slovakia.
No explanation was given for the move, but the Trnava archdiocese had been the focus of an apostolic visitation earlier this year, amid charges that Church funds had been mismanaged. Archbishop Bezak reportedly refused a Vatican request for his resignation. At the age of 52, he is 23 years short of mandatory retirement age. He had been appointed to the Trnava post in 2009, succeeding Archbishop Jan Sokol, who retired on schedule at the age of 75. According to John Allen of the National Catholic Reporter, there were reports of friction between Archbishop Sokol and his successor.
On 3 previous occasions Pope Benedict has taken the highly unusual step of removing a bishop from his diocesan post:
In March 2011 the Pope removed Bishop Jean-Claude Makaya Loembe from the Dicoese of Pointe-Noire, Congo, reportedly because of misuse of diocesan funds;
In May of the same year the Pope removed Bishop William Morris from the Diocese of Toowoomba in Australia, after months of conflict over the bishop’s unorthodox statements on Church teaching and discipline; and
In May of this year the Pope removed Bishop Francesco Micciché from the Diocese of Trapani, Italy, apparently because of concerns about financial irregularities.
Additional sources for this story
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Other Pontifical Acts (VIS)
Pope fires Slovak bishop in rare show of papal power (AP)
Pope fires another bishop (National Catholic Reporter)
African bishop removed from office; mismanagement cited (CWN, 4/1/11)
Vatican worked for years to remove Australian bishop (CWN, 5/9/11)
Pope removes Sicilian bishop from diocesan leadership (CWN, 5/21/12)
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SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012
Bishop's Congregation Had the Goods on Dismissed Archbishop From Slovakia
Smackdown!
Edit: It looks like Cardinal Ouellette is taking this assignment, very seriously, and taking the wolves down to size. These Bishops are fairly small potatoes. It will be interesting to see more visible and powerful prelates fall to this kind of treatment.
A Slovakian television broadcaster has published a letter between the Archbishop of Tyrnau and the Bishops Congregation.
(kreuz.net, Trnava) Yesterday, Archbishop Robert Bezak of Tyrnau, dismissed on July 2nd, took leave during Mass in the chapel of his former Episcopal Palace.
This was reported by the Austrian news agency 'kathpress'.
The Media Bosses Know the Background
Msgr. Bezak celebrated the New Mass. The new Diocesan administrator, Auxiliary Bishop Jan Orosch, concelebrated.
At present Archbishop Bezak is located, according to press reports, in a cloister of the Redemptorists in Bratislava.
The Slovakian television station 'TA3' will publish before long, the background of the dismissal.
It's All True
The broadcaster presented an exchange of letters between Msgr Bezak and the Roman Bishops Congregation.
The documents contain information of an query of the Archbishop regarding his financial situation, his faithfulness and his manner of life.
The president of the Slovakian Bishops Conference, Archbishop Stanislav Zvolensky of Pressburg, confirmed the truthfulness of this information in a press conference.
Previously to that, he met with the Slovakian nuncio, Archbishop Mario Giordana, for four hours.
Who it was that brought the confidential documents to light, he did not say.
This was reported by the Austrian news agency 'kathpress'.
The Media Bosses Know the Background
Msgr. Bezak celebrated the New Mass. The new Diocesan administrator, Auxiliary Bishop Jan Orosch, concelebrated.
At present Archbishop Bezak is located, according to press reports, in a cloister of the Redemptorists in Bratislava.
The Slovakian television station 'TA3' will publish before long, the background of the dismissal.
It's All True
The broadcaster presented an exchange of letters between Msgr Bezak and the Roman Bishops Congregation.
The documents contain information of an query of the Archbishop regarding his financial situation, his faithfulness and his manner of life.
The president of the Slovakian Bishops Conference, Archbishop Stanislav Zvolensky of Pressburg, confirmed the truthfulness of this information in a press conference.
Previously to that, he met with the Slovakian nuncio, Archbishop Mario Giordana, for four hours.
Who it was that brought the confidential documents to light, he did not say.
This Inquiry Came Too Late
The Bishops Congregation asked Msgr Bezak -- in hindsight -- about the state of his priestly ordination, about euthanasia, abortion, premarital infidelity and women's ordination.
The Archbishop worked prior to his ordination as Bishop in April 2009, as an Old Liberal Professor of Moral Theology.
Still further, the Bishops Congregation charged that Msgr. Bezak is said to have "presented himself in secular clothing (jeans and shirt, sweat suit)".
Still, the secular style of the contemporary clergyman (zeitgeistlichen) was well known before his ordination to Bishop...
As Everywhere: He promoted the Vermin of the Diocese
The Bishops Congregation informed Msgr Bezak also about the financial situation of the Archdiocese and about the conduct of a female business manager.
Msgr Bezak had to justify himself further, because he had surrounded himself "with colleagues of dubious reputation".
The situation related to homosexual clergy and priests living in concubinage.
The Bishops Congregation presented information -- and photographs --, where the Archbishop visited "gyms, saunas, baths and public showers" with dubious persons.
Back or Homosexual Problems?
In the response to the last criticism, Msgr Bezak criticized the sharp tone of the Congregation.
He didn't know what a "public shower" was, has no times for baths and is not interested in saunas.
He was simply at the sports center because of his back problem.
Link to kreuz.net....
The Bishops Congregation asked Msgr Bezak -- in hindsight -- about the state of his priestly ordination, about euthanasia, abortion, premarital infidelity and women's ordination.
The Archbishop worked prior to his ordination as Bishop in April 2009, as an Old Liberal Professor of Moral Theology.
Still further, the Bishops Congregation charged that Msgr. Bezak is said to have "presented himself in secular clothing (jeans and shirt, sweat suit)".
Still, the secular style of the contemporary clergyman (zeitgeistlichen) was well known before his ordination to Bishop...
As Everywhere: He promoted the Vermin of the Diocese
The Bishops Congregation informed Msgr Bezak also about the financial situation of the Archdiocese and about the conduct of a female business manager.
Msgr Bezak had to justify himself further, because he had surrounded himself "with colleagues of dubious reputation".
The situation related to homosexual clergy and priests living in concubinage.
The Bishops Congregation presented information -- and photographs --, where the Archbishop visited "gyms, saunas, baths and public showers" with dubious persons.
Back or Homosexual Problems?
In the response to the last criticism, Msgr Bezak criticized the sharp tone of the Congregation.
He didn't know what a "public shower" was, has no times for baths and is not interested in saunas.
He was simply at the sports center because of his back problem.
Link to kreuz.net....
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