Pope laicizes Canadian Bishop Lahey
who pled guilty to possession of child porn
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops issued this statement yesterday:
May 16, 2012
On May 4, 2011, then Bishop Raymond Lahey entered a plea of guilty in civil court to the possession of child pornography. He was sentenced in accordance with civil law on January 4, 2012.
It remained for the Holy See to follow the canonical procedures in effect for such cases to determine what appropriate disciplinary or penal measures would be imposed.
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has now been informed by the Holy See that Raymond Lahey has been dismissed from the clerical state.
According to Canon 292 of the Code of Canon Law, the penalty of dismissal from the clerical state has the following effects:
- Loss of the rights and duties attached to the clerical state, except for the obligation of celibacy;
- Prohibition of the exercise of any ministry, except as provided for by Canon 976 of the Code of Canon Law in those cases involving danger of death;
- Loss of all offices and functions and of all delegated power, as well as prohibition of the use of clerical attire.
Raymond Lahey has accepted the Decree of Dismissal, which also requires him to pray the Liturgy of the Hours in reparation for the harm and the scandal he has caused, and for the sanctification of the clergy.
I have to check when was the last time a Pope laicized a bishop. I'm not sure that the Viennese and Polish bishops who admitted to sex abuse of minors during the John Paul II Pontificate were laicized. The known offense by the now-plain Mr. Lahey - possession of child porn - is far less than theirs.
On the question of religious freedom, about which the United States Bishops have been actively fighting against any laws that would violate it, the Canadian bishops issued a forceful statement of their position onthe issue in the form of a 12-page pastoral letter last month:
The full document is on
www.cccb.ca/site/images/stories/pdf/Freedom_of_Conscience_and_Reli...
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 17/05/2012 19:33]