Bishop threatens to excommunicate flock for worshiping outside church

Bishop threatens to excommunicate flock for worshiping outside church

Parishioners, priest from closed St. Peter Catholic Church defy bishop, celebrate Mass in new home

When the Bishop closed their church (St. Peters in Cleveland), which had been open for 151 years, the parishioners of this church then rent a commercial space to continue their charitable work and hold small services - the Bishop threatens to EXCOMMUNICATE them.

Defying the authority of their bishop, parishioners and their priest from the closed St. Peter Catholic Church in downtown Cleveland celebrated Mass Sunday in leased commercial space they transformed into a church independent of the Cleveland Catholic Diocese.

The move by the new Community of St. Peter puts members in danger of excommunication because they had been warned by Bishop Richard Lennon, who shuttered St. Peter’s in April, not to hold worship services in places without his approval.

The worst offense has to be the fact that many of these churches being sold by the Catholic Diocese were built and paid for by the original parishioners of these churches, the descendants of whom still attend them. Yet the Church, experiencing a financial crunch, sells them right out from underneath them, THEN has the gall to prevent them from worshiping any place else without "church approval".

Constricting worship to the Temple - shouldn't the Catholic Church be able to recall what Jesus thought of it?

It's a business and they are not going to tolerate people "Bootlegging" God without the proper tithing - which is EXACTLY why I left the church. I don't need a church sanctioned building to worship and praise. My faith and my spirituality are between me and my Maker - not some money grubbing priest.

How awful for those people. Excommunication alone is enough to put fear into those people.

They are stuck between a rock and a hard place but if they truly have faith then they will pray for the Bishop to do the right thing and stop acting miserly.
(or ask for a bolt of lighting to strike him! )

EDIT: Smily got all weird O_o;;

[edit on 8/17/2010 by TheBloodRed]

Another reason why the Home Church Movement is growing daily. The pharisaical mindset is alive and well 2000 years later sadly. Hope these people can reestablish a place of worship.

The congregation is clearly guilty of what we today call “Thought Crime”. How dare these people think for themselves without the authority of the church? Next thing and they’ll be defecting to other religion!!!
So if the Church says there should be a Robed Git to bless every service (performed in the name of God) then people should realise the Church has standards to meet. After all you wouldn’t God rejecting the church services, because some lack Rof obed Gits, had allowed the congregation to make mistakes!!

But if the Bishop carries out his threat, my advice to the congregation would be to burn the Bishop at the stake, for practising witchcraft! Once the Vatican hears of the conviction, they will be bound to excommunicate the Bishop (making all his previous excommunications, void, under holy law).

At least that’s how things worked, last time these people’s mindsets were updated!!!

Catholicism.....

I have always thought it was funny that they think that a man in a robe can forgive them of their sins as though he is Jesus himself.

Even more funny, that a man with a funny hat has the power to bar someone from heaven as though he is god almighty himself.

Excommunication.... funny.

Jesus taught individual salvation. Not hierarchical domination. No mere man can get you into or prevent you from entering the kingdom of heaven based on their mortal decree.

Jesus died for you, not a power-mad organization.



[edit on 17-8-2010 by infolurker]

Excommunication still happens? Wow I thought that was a thing of the medieval ages

It's still a medieval concept.

I don't know how dire it is in Cleveland, but the Catholic Diocese there has closed 52 of it's churches,

52 Catholic churches to close in Cleveland

As bad as that is, the church auctioned them off, even the altar of one church that was bought, paid for, and built by the immigrant parishioners who founded the church in question.

Want to buy an altar? Cleveland's Catholic inventory is up for sale

It's a shame because some of these churches are stunning...

St. Procop's Church Interior

Originally posted by EnglishKing
Excommunication still happens? Wow I thought that was a thing of the medieval ages

The Church of Rome is still in the medieval ages!

reply to post by Blackmarketeer


This is more proof that organised religion is a form of controlling people, conform or be cast out!

Originally posted by Blackmarketeer
Parishioners, priest from closed St. Peter Catholic Church defy bishop, celebrate Mass in new home

RULES of the Catholic Church - lay people can't celebrate the Mass without an ordained priest. He must be the one to do the consecration of the Eucharist. the priest must also be in obedience to the bishop. If the bishop says 'no' and the priest does it anyways .. it could be an illicit mass.

The Bishop was correct in telling the parishioners that they would be excommunicated if they celebrated Mass without a priest who was in good standing.

If the people did a faux-concecration, then they don't believe in the Catholic Church anyways, and so an excommunication shouldn't phase them in the least.

A proclamation of 'excommunication' means that the church says you are not in communion with the beliefs of the church and therefore are not to receive Holy Communion during Mass. Those people would have known they'd be excommunicated for celebrating a mass without a priest in good standing. They obviously didn't care. So neither should we.

I know that I don't care.

[edit on 8/28/2010 by FlyersFan]

RULES of the Catholic Church - lay people can't celebrate the Mass without an ordained priest. He must be the one to do the consecration of the Eucharist. the priest must also be in obedience to the bishop. If the bishop says 'no' and the priest does it anyways .. it could be an illicit mass.

Doesn't this strike you as placing obedience to man over their worship of God?

Originally posted by kozmo
It's a business and they are not going to tolerate people "Bootlegging" God without the proper tithing - which is EXACTLY why I left the church. I don't need a church sanctioned building to worship and praise. My faith and my spirituality are between me and my Maker - not some money grubbing priest.

Is that Mum and Dad ?

Do you have a 'spiritual' relationship with them?

Extortion,
Outwresting, and/or exaction is a criminal offense which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person(s), entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime groups.

Would the excommunication be due to lack of contributions? I mean, taxes, I mean extorsion money.

You be the judge.