I haven't mentioned the Fr. Cutie story. I was hoping very much that he would repent of his actions and reconcile with the Church. Instead, he has chosen full-blown heresy and schism. Per CNN:
Father Alberto Cutie, an internationally known Catholic priest who admitted having a romantic affair and breaking his vow of celibacy, is joining the Episcopal Church to be with the woman he loves, he said Thursday.
Father Alberto Cutie will deliver a sermon Sunday at a Florida Episcopal Church.
"I will always love the Catholic Church and all its members," he said at a news conference. "But I want to start today by going into a new family. Here before this community where I have chosen to serve and where I live, I am going to continue to proclaim the word of God and my love for God," Cutie said.
Translation: I need to be with this woman so badly that Truth is a secondary concern. The Episcopalians will be Ok with my marrying her. This is what counts.
Very, very sad. Archbishop Favalora is correct:
In Thursday's statement, Favalora said that, in the eyes of the Catholic church, Cutie now has the worst of both worlds: He may no longer perform a priest's sacraments and any mass he might perform would be "invalid," but he must abide by his vow of celibacy.
"Father Cutie is still bound by his promise to live a celibate life, which he freely embraced at ordination," Favalora said. "Only the Holy Father can release him from that obligation."
I think that's a misprint or something, as I'm pretty sure the Mass would be valid, but illicit.
It doesn't change the fact that we should pray for this man. A lot. And not just for him. He's a very popular figure, especially among the Hispanic community in Florida. We must hope and pray that he doesn't drag others into his sins.
You are correct that any Mass Father Cutie celebrates would be valid but illicit, unless for some reason his ordination was invalid. He has been removed from office automatically by virtue of his formal defection from the Catholic Church, but this does not affect his ordination as a priest. Of course (and here's the danger where his former parishioners are concerned) any Catholic who receives communion at a Mass he knows to be illicit commits mortal sin. (I think I am correct about this; please correct me if I'm wrong). I pray that Father Cutie will see the error of his ways and return to the Catholic Church. In this age of priest shortage, we cannot afford to lose priests, even bad ones.
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