Funeral prompts firing of priest
S. Baltimore pastor joined by Episcopal priest during Mass
Baltimore's new Roman Catholic archbishop removed a priest who was pastor of three South Baltimore parishes for offenses that include officiating at a funeral Mass with an Episcopal priest, which violates canon law.
Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien personally ordered the Rev. Ray Martin, who has led the Catholic Community of South Baltimore for five years, to resign from the three churches and sign a statement yesterday apologizing for "bringing scandal to the church."
Martin led the funeral Mass on Oct. 15 for Locust Point activist Ann Shirley Doda at Our Lady of Good Counsel with several clergy, including the Rev. Annette Chappell, the pastor of the Episcopal Church of the Redemption in Locust Point, Martin said.
Good for his Grace. Naturally, the Sun (and sadly, too: it was once edited by H. L. Mencken, one of my favorite atheists) the entire slant of the story, from the headline on down, is of the mean old bishop of the mean old Catholic Church victimizing a dedicated, if idealistic priest and includes a few sob quotes from the plantee's survivors who are stunned the bishop could be so cruel. Never mind Fr. Martin has repeatedly pulled stunts likes this, has repeatedly been counselled not to and has repeatedly ignored that counsel; never mind the survivors' upset could have been avoided if Fr. Martin had simply followed the Church teachings he vowed to uphold at his ordination. A spokesman for the Archdiocese of Baltimore couldn't have stated Bishop O'Brien's case more clearly: "How can we expect our own people to follow the teachings of the church if the priests don't?" Indeed, sir and a word to the wise: if you don't nip these things in the bud you must nip them in full flower and that is far messier.
(h/t Creative Minority Report)
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