69 Indonesian priests quit in bishop protest. Ringing bell for Vatican dragging reform

Dozens of rebellious Indonesian priests have quit their posts en masse after accusing a bishop on the Catholic majority island of Flores of embezzling more than US$100,000 of church funds for personal use. At least 69 priests from Ruteng Diocese submitted letters of resignation this week quitting their posts as episcopal vicars and parish priests, and demanded that Bishop Hubertus Leteng heed their calls for a complete overhaul of how the diocese is run. Father Marthen Chen, their spokesman, said the overhaul is desperately needed "so the church can be truly in line with the guidance of the Holy Spirit." "We demand renewal in pastoral work as well as in church and financial management," Father Chen ted in old reporters, without elaborating.

www.ucanews.com...

That news may sound "local" however those who follow the developments in Catholic Church know it happens may be for the first time in our days. For a third world country where the priesthood is also a mean to make a descent living, 69 priests to quit formally means a lot.

It calls to mind a number of questions: how should the bishops be appointed in first place, why should they be not subject of removal when wrongdoing following some procedure, why should they stay "forever" in one place or until they reach age limit, and so on.

Why the world's largest Christian Church the Catholic, is the world's least democractic Church at the same time. How much say should the faithful have for things that are nothing like dogmas. Why should their obedience be taken for granted and mandatory "in God's name", while the obedience to God's laws by the presiding bishops, priests, as well as their service to the faithful for which they are chosen, is not being monitored by anyone outside the members of the same orders, i.e. other bishops, cardinals, pope.

The reform in the Catholic church reached the deadlock after 4 years papacy ofg good intentions and little things done. Will that continue, or shall we see a dramatic turnaround by pope's closest allies who finally will find the strength to implement the good words the pope pronounces on every major feast and every next visit to another country. We heard a lot, we saw little done.

With the clock ticking about Fatima and other prophecies, that I discuss in other threads, it could happen to be "too little too late".

a reply to: 2012newstart

What exactly do you do as an 'unemployed' priest?
Go on a pilgrimage back to the Vatican until further orders or something?

a reply to: strongfp

Im afraid that in the Indonesian case, those priests who resign their posts as parish priests etc. will be left outside churches, with as little as several months income of the rich priests in the West. That signifies what sacrifice and risk those people take, and how acute the problem with their bishop is. I do not know any details of the problem, I just read what is said in the article above.

Why should a church be democratic?

How can it be?

Are you going to veto the Holy Spirit?

I wouldn't recommend that.

a reply to: strongfp

Form a breakaway Catholic Church that may later re-join or indeed stay independant, one not riddled with Princes of the Church and there palaces, it has happened before it will happen again and there have always been corrupt priests, indeed for as long as there has been religion organized or not.

In this case I am certain they know what is going on and for so very many priests to quit the church in disgust if the Vatican does not do something about there concern's then it show's the level of entrenched corruption among the established clergy and there so called Princes of the Church, AKA the bishopry.

Many Bishop's are actually decent and god fearing men I have to point out but there have always been corrupt and even a time when those positions were for sale, indeed that also included the papacy for a very long and dark time in the Church history and that is how such as the Borgia gained control etc.

But for all those hypocrites there have always also been the St Martin of Assisi paragon of christian virtue type individual's whom espoused poverty and love of all god's creatures over greed and silk vestment's and such men show that even if a few corrupt disgrace far above there weight the church is itself very much still alive and many DO stick to the teaching's of Christ.

If you have two coat's and your brother has non then give him the one you are not using.
Go and sell all you own and come follow me (the son of man has no place to lay his head - no home)

This is am American page and so a form of self critique but it applied to every country, every culture in Christendom and indeed all church's.

www.zompist.com...

Look at all those pastor's in the US whom spout anti socialist lies and corrupt the word of God such as JHM whom actually used his church fund's to pay off his ex wife's settlement for example or others on the TV show's that are actually mutli millionaires from all the donation's they get which in fact should entirely be used on the poor, especially the poor of the church which is how the first church's were intended to work.

a reply to: LABTECH767

Of worthy note not all breakaway catholic's are actually what they claim to be, not all have broken away with the intent of rejoining and a lot of them are cult's and corruption's worse than this affected bishop whose action's led to this revolt.
en.wikipedia.org...