First, a note of sadness and a note of hope… Today was almost depressing for me (and probably a bit for you too). Seeing the now-bare front page of Canon212 left me empty. It meant I had to do my own work in finding the “news of the Church and of the world”. I hope and pray for Frank’s complete recovery (as I know you do as well). He was in my intentions at Mass this evening. That is where there is hope. Frank, if you read this, know that you are loved and missed. Please be well, my friend; but don’t take too long coming back to us.
Today was also a bit of a blur. You see My daughter and I went for our annual eye exam. We’re both blind. And I learned something today. Don’t take your monthly preventative dose of the injectible solution Vitamin I the night before a scheduled eye exam. Yeah, I’ll probably wind up with a prescription for Mr. Magoo.
Now then, on to pressing matters. If Frank had been at his post today I believe he would have run a magnificent headline like this: “Pillarboys say Vicar of Sacked Bishops Urged to Oust Catholic Bishop Strickland for Opposing Non-Catholic Bergoglio” At least, that’s how I would write it up. Frank would have also included a reference to the “Perv” and/or “Floaty” German episcopate. Somehow Frank would manage to make it pithier. And here is the story it would link to:
“Pope Francis [sic] Meet to Discuss Strackland Resignation”
Oh boy, here we go again. Another Catholic bishop is about to be ousted by the antipope and there doesn’t appear to be anything we can do about it. Oh well, guess we’ll lose a good one. Bishop Strickland was a good man who did his best but there’s nothing we can do…
And they’ll say those things because they’ve forgotten they’re men.
Because there may be something the good bishop can do after all. I’ve alluded to this in the past. A lawyer friend of mine (one of the best in the nation, no joke) first mentioned this idea to me over a year ago and I asked him to flesh it out. He’s been busy. But today he sent me the following. I’ve asked his permission to copy much of it verbatim and he has consented. So Bishop Strickland, if you’re reading, hit ctrl+p now because you’ll want a copy for your notes. Here now, some unsolicited advice from a solicitor.
“The Faithful should know how their diocese is run. This can be accomplished by all dioceses incorporating documents online on their websites. Before that happens (which will be never), we can at least assume one thing, that many, if not all of Catholic dioceses in the United States, are corporation soles. If I recall from law school a decade ago….. if the Tyler diocese is a Corporation Sole and if the Bishop of Tyler decides not to resign, there is likely no way for the Vatican to divest him, assuming he is of all the property held by the corporation sole, i.e. all of the Church property. The Bishop could even ban visitors from the property, have them physically removed by law enforcement or private security, and sue them for trespass if they are told they cannot enter but do anyway. And because of our First Amendment, the Vatican can’t do anything to stop this. See, e.g., Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church & School v. E.E.O.C., 565 U.S. 171 (2012).
The Bishop of Tyler perhaps made a mistake by not barring the visitors from his property, or making clear behind the scenes that he would. He could indicate that now behind the scenes, that he will not relinquish control of the corporation sole if they ask him to resign or even “fire” him (as much as the Pope can). He will just have to decide if that is a bluff or not, and if he is willing to suffer the acrimony if the Vatican “call his bluff” and he stands his ground, and all the claims of scandal, etc.
Of course, this depends on whether Tyler is a corporation sole, the text of the incorporating documents, and whether the Corporation Sole is held by whomever is the current Bishop of Tyler. This is a sort of fly by the seat legal analysis based on memories of law school classes from a decade ago, so mileage may vary. But there are lawyers out there who know in greater detail, and it is definitely something that should be looked into and maybe thought about by the Bishop. Francis has given China power to pick its bishops, Francis is perhaps the most medieval style pope [sic, not the pope] we’ve had in centuries, so it would make sense for Bishops to likewise approach Church politics in a, shall we say, more medieval fashion.
I cannot add to that. It may all come to naught but at least it’s a shot (and a rather manful one at that).
St. Joseph, Terror of Demons, pray for us!
PS: I had a good chuckle when I read that the Argentine is considering giving the Texan the boot because of the “public scandal” he (Strickland) is supposedly causing, calling out the non-Catholic Bergoglio as he should. Good job, Jorge. Now do the German bishops or just look in a mirror.
Harvey Millican's Blog: Musings of a Trad Dad 