Read the story of an Australian nun who was excommunicated for reporting the sex abuse of a priest. She was the founder of a religious order to teach poor children. The sisters embraced poverty and their rule stressed no ownership of personal property with a dependence on Divine Providence to meet their needs.A priest friend of the abuser set out to destroy her and the Sisters of St. Joseph, . She persevered and was later exonerated. She will be canonized by Pope Benedict in October. What a saint for our times. I am praying to this courageous sister asking her to intercede for her brother, Fr. Haley.
In order for the excommunication to be valid at canon law, there would have to be proper cause. What was the cause? With no cause, I would think there was no valid excommunication. Am I correct?
ReplyDeleteThe bishops recanted five months later, and I doubt it would have held up if the sister had appealed to Rome, so I think you're right. This story reminds me of what Bishop Loverde did to Fr. Haley. He said, "You have no idea what I can do to you," and proceeded to do it. But, to paraphrase Shakespeare, "The bishop is an honorable man; so are they all (the bishops)honorable men."
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