Inside the Tribunal Process

A reader brought up the claim that the Tribunal in the Las Vegas Diocese handles only marriage annulments and will not handle the case with Msgr. McAuliffe. I asked a canon lawyer to clarify the role of the Tribunal, and here is the answer:

Tribunals can handle processes in addition to marriage nullity causes.  It is the church's court.  Although it functions differently than civil courts, it can handle a variety of matters just like civil courts.

It can handle disputes (e.g., a secretary alleges that she was unjustly fired by a pastor).  This is not common due to the fact that people don't know this, usually if they think of taking legal action they go to a civil court, plus the diocesan tribunal does not have any real enforcement ability except against clergy or religious.

The tribunal can handle penal processes.  For example, it can process a dismissal from the clerical state (e.g., if a priest is accused of sexual abuse of a minor) or it can impose an excommunication.

This is the basic process for handling a penal matter:

1.  A preliminary investigation is conducted by a local ordinary (by the bishop, vicar general, or another episcopal vicar).  This does not mean that the ordinary must conduct it personally, only that he oversees it.  An ordinary exercises executive power.

2.  Canon 1722 states:  "To prevent scandals, to protect the freedom of witnesses, and to guard the course of justice, the ordinary, after having heard the promoter of justice and cited the accused, at any stage of the process can exclude the accused from the sacred ministry or from some office and ecclesiastical function, can impose or forbid residence in some place or territory, or even can prohibit public participation in the Most Holy Eucharist."  It seems that this canon in part has been invoked in what the diocese is calling "administrative leave."

3.  Once the preliminary investigation is concluded, then the ordinary must determine how to proceed: whether to dismiss the accusations, whether to impose a penalty or some lesser penance or warning by executive power, or whether a judicial process must be initiated.

4.  If the ordinary decides that a judicial process must be initiated, then he must direct the promoter of justice to initiate a tribunal process.  Only at this stage is the tribunal involved.  The promoter of justice functions as the petitioner and the accused as the respondent.  Three judges must serve in the process with one of them as presiding judge.

5.  The tribunal then accepts the promoter of justice's petition, cites the respondent, determines the joinder of issues, and gathers evidence (in addition to whatever was gathered in the preliminary investigation).  The tribunal must be careful to protect the right of the accused to defend him or herself.  All of this takes time.

6.  Finally, the tribunal reaches a decision and either dismisses the process or imposes a penalty.

With Msgr. McAuliffe, it seems that they are still at the stage of the preliminary investigation.  What is unclear is, if theft has taken place, whether the police will also be involved.  What typically happens is that when criminal actions are taken by civil authorities, usually the ecclesiastical process is put on hold until the civil process is complete.  Often, the results of the civil criminal investigation is taken as evidence in the tribunal process.

New Vicar General Appointed

The Las Vegas Diocesan website has changed to reflect a new Vicar General, Fr. Bob Stoeckig. Fr. McAuliffe, now on leave due to the financial investigation at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, appears to have consequently been completely removed from this influential position, although to my knowledge, no public announcements have been made.

Fr. Stoeckig is Pastor of St. Andrew's in Boulder City. You might recall this post, about the "magical" labyrinth at St. Andrew's.

Fr. Stoeckig was quietly transferred to St. Andrew's from St. Joseph Husband of Mary about 2 years ago (correct me if I'm wrong on how long ago this occurred), after that parish's coffers were found to have been completely drained. No allegations of financial impropriety were made against Fr. Stoeckig, but the fact remains that the large financial surplus the parish had enjoyed (estimated to be over $1 million dollars) disappeared under Fr. Stoeckig's administration. For example, solar panels in the parking lot, estimated to have cost upwards of $300,000 were installed, and it unclear where the rest of the money has gone.

Call to Prayer:

Lord God, your faithful sons and daughters are at your feet. Help us to fully give ourselves over to your Adorable Will and to trust completely in you. Bless your Holy Priests and Bishop, help and guide them so that they may always serve you first and foremost in all things. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Msgr. Kevin McAuliffe Placed on Leave

Over the weekend, the parishioners of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton were informed that Msgr. Kevin McAuliffe, Vicar General of our Diocese, would be on leave and that a financial investigation at the parish would be conducted. Fr. James Jankowsi will be taking over in his stead. Little other solid information has been made available.

It is interesting to note that the Judicial Vicar of the Diocese, Fr. Francis Vivona, is Msgr. McAuliffe's own roommate. Fr. Vivona would typically be expected to be the one heading up the Tribunal that could investigate this case. Hopefully he will be excused from this particular case, considering the disturbing conflict of interest that this would otherwise present.

Two articles published recently give few details about the situation, but here they are:
Las Vegas Review-Journal
KTNV

Msgr. McAuliffe should certainly be considered innocent until proven guilty, as are all priests who are placed on leave or investigated. Let us all pray to the Lord that this will be resolved in a timely manner, and that all innocent parties will be cleared of wrongdoing.

Call to Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we place our trust in your Divine Will, that the truth may be brought into the light and that your Holy Spirit will guide those involved in the investigation. We ask that Msgr. McAuliffe be shown your tender mercy and care, and that you strengthen your Holy Priest in his time of tribulation. Through the intercession of Mary our Mother, St. Joseph her Most Chaste Spouse, and St. Michael the Archangel, we pray to the Lord. Amen.

St. James the Apostle Gives Obama a Place of Honor

St. James the Apostle Catholic Church celebrated Black History this past February by having various displays in lobby depicting black individuals of note who have accomplished admirable things.

There is a poster of Martin Luther King, Jr. (the only Christian displayed prominently) as well as other people of importance, such as Maya Angelou, Denzil Washington, Sidney Poitier, Mohammed Ali (a Muslim), Malcolm X (another Muslim), Colin Powell, and Kweisi Mfume.

But the person of the most importance in the display is our firmly pro-abortion President, Barrack Obama. There are no less than five pictures and/or book covers of Obama in the church's lobby, including a large Obama sign prominently displayed just in front of the main entrance (pictured above).  Obama is indisputably pro-abortion, a stance that is in direct contradiction to the core moral teachings of our faith.

Obama has accomplished a lot, there is no question of that. His ambition, intelligence, and polished speaking abilities are certainly to be admired. But what overshadows and negates all of that is his support of the intrinsically moral evil of abortion. One cannot place him in a place of honor and pride and ignore his contribution to the culture of death, as if it were a minor side issue.

If a Catholic community was going to celebrate their ethnic heritage, why not do it in a way that is in keeping with their faith? And this begs the question, why not make the most prominent people in the displays black Catholics? There are many to choose from. What about any of the black Popes in our Church's history? How about a huge sign about St. Martin de Porres? Instead, the saint is relegated to a tiny figurine on a table full of other small religious and secular figurines.

The place of honor that was given to President Obama sends mixed signals. If the Church approves of putting him on this pedestal as someone to look up to, then the message is that abortion is not a big deal and isn't so bad. This is one more example of allowing confusing messages to be given to the Catholic faithful. Our faith is already being buffeted from all sides in Las Vegas. Our churches should be sanctuaries of clarity for all Catholics, they should not contribute to the confusion.

Here are a few more pictures from the display:

Call to Prayer:

Lord, we pray for all parishioners of St. James the Apostle, so that they may see the truth in the teachings of your Holy Church and not be led astray by political interests. Assist and strengthen Fr. Henry Salditos as he manages the parish, and help him to resist pressures to glorify the individuals who so openly support the evil of abortion. Let the eyes of the faithful be opened to the truth and horror of abortion so that they may always be conscious of this tragedy when voting for political candidates. Help us to turn to your Holy Saints for guidance and inspiration. Through the intercession of St. Martin de Porres and Pope St. Militiades, we pray to the Lord. Amen.

Heads in the Sand

Here is some insight into why this blog was started, stated very eloquently by Michael Voris of Real Catholic TV. Please share this with other Catholic faithful.



This program is from RealCatholicTV.com

St. James the Apostle Celebrates a Kwanzaa Mass

I recently received a letter from a reader, detailing some concerns about the celebration of Mass at St. James the Apostle that integrated a Kwanzaa ceremony within it.

Although the Magisterium does not expressly say anything regarding the celebration of Kwanzaa outside of Mass, Sacrosanctum Concilium states clearly that the Mass cannot be changed or interrupted at will by the priests or the congregation.

Sacrosanctum Concilium #22: 1. Regulation of the sacred liturgy depends solely on the authority of the Church, that is, on the Apostolic See and, as laws may determine, on the bishop. 2. In virtue of power conceded by the law, the regulation of the liturgy within certain defined limits belongs also to various kinds of competent territorial bodies of bishops legitimately established. 3. Therefore no other person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority.

The practice of celebrating Kwanzaa at St. James has been around since at least 2002, as you can read in this Review Journal article from that year. It is implied in this article, though not directly stated, that Kwanzaa is inserted into the Mass ("...St. James is the only Catholic parish in the state in which African-American cultural traditions are integrated into worship...").

There are two issues that are important to highlight in the letter I received:

1. Heresy by those who proclaim the belief in Kwanzaa that humanity "springs from the corn", and
2. Liturgical abuse by inserting into the Mass a ceremony that does not have ecclesiastical approval as a valid addition to the Mass.

The letter I received is as follows:

Dear Faith Defender,

I am writing to you regarding St. James the Apostle. The parish prides itself on its African-American identity and has a Gospel Choir. The Gospel Mass at 11 a.m. on Sundays is more reminiscent of a Southern Baptist revival with the singers seeming more into their performance and the ensuing applause than in glorifying the One who gave them their talents. The standing ovations from the congregation confirm that its more like a concert than a Mass. The focus is definitely not on Christ, the Victim sacrificed for us.

I was in attendance the weekend of January 1st at their annual celebration of Kwanzaa, a secular ritual that is interjected into the Mass. Fr. Henry Salditos presided as they interrupted the Mass right before the Liturgy of the Eucharist to light the Kwanzaa candles, which were set on a table right next to the altar and an explanation of each of the symbols was read. It was something similar to what is in the content of this link. They explained that the ear of corn on the table was representative of the stalk from which we all sprang forth. The Church teaches what the Book of Genesis says -- that we were made in the image of God. He did not make us out of corn. This heresy went uncorrected by Fr. Salditos. In their explanation of the symbols, I don't recall any mention of THE Creator. The focus is on self and the community.

I researched a bit about this ritual and it seems that it was created in the 1960’s by an American Black Power activist named Maulana Karenga who originally created it to be an alternative to Christmas. Karenga was heard to say that "Jesus was psychotic, and that Christianity was a white religion that African-Americans should shun" (James Mtume. The quotable Karenga. Los Angeles: University of Sankore Press. pp.25). Karenga wanted African-Americans to adopt secular humanism and to reject all other practices, including Christianity, as mythical.

In regards to the question of ethnicity, the people of the parish may think that the celebration of Kwanzaa is similar to the Mexicans celebrating Our Lady of Guadalupe, and that if they have a special celebration, then African-Americans should too. However, the feast of our Lady of Guadalupe is very much Catholic, as Mary is the Mother of God incarnate. Perhaps they could also liken it to the Filipino community celebrating Simbang Gabi, but that feast is also firmly part of Catholicism. Kwanzaa has nothing to do even with God -- the man who created it rejected Jesus. Karenga considers Christianity a "white man's" religion and calls it "spookism".

"The intention here is not to deny or diminish the importance of the African spiritual values, but to make a clear distinction between spiritual values and spookism. Spiritual values are profound commitments to the highest principles and most proactive practices of humankind, i.e., principles and practices which are most vital and effective in the protection and promotion of human life and development. Spookism, on the other hand, is intense emotional commitment to non-human-centered principles and practices which place humans at the mercy of invisible and omnipotent forces and thus, deny the right and capacity of humans to shape reality and their future according to their own needs and desires." (Karenga, Kwanzaa: Origin, Concepts, Practice, pp 44-45)

Whether for reasons of political correctness, fear of the “race card”, or simple misunderstanding of the Truth, the sacrilege and heresy during Mass is allowed to continue. Perhaps I should have walked out immediately. May God forgive me, but all I could think of at the time was to pray -- begging His forgiveness for the desecration of His altar and offering the terrible discomfort I was feeling within me as an act of reparation. I also prayed for the people who are in error and who perpetuate this ritual because they don't know better -- that they may come to the light and reject it. I hope one day that they realize that it's all about the soul and not the color of our skin. In the end, our soul is all that matters, our soul who will stand judgment before God. Before him, we are not black, white or any color.

God bless you and keep you safe.

I don't know if the Bishop is aware that this has been taking place for this many years. But if he is, he is allowing a secular, anti-Christian "celebration" to be invalidly honored during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and in a Catholic church.

Call to Prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ, you died on the cross for the salvation of all sinners regardless of race or color. We pray that you will assist Fr. Henry Salditos and Bishop Pepe to protect the integrity of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass so that it will not be invalidly altered for political purposes. Help us all to remain steadfast in defending Holy Mother Church under any adverse or difficult circumstances. We thank you for your Sacrifice on Calvary and we adore you, O Christ. 

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

St. Andrews' "Magic" Labyrinth

St. Andrew's Catholic Community in Boulder City has a labyrinth on its grounds, the only Catholic Church in the state of Nevada to have one.

Labyrinths have a long and ancient history across the globe, from the labyrinths of Greek mythology to Buddhist mandalas used for meditation. More recently they have become popular due in large part to a woman who is called by some the "mother of the labyrinth movement". Lauren Artress, an Episcopalian minister from San Francisco, makes a lot of claims about the powers of the labyrinth. From her website's homepage there is the following quote:

"Much of the future of the West depends on whether Christianity can rediscover its mystical core. In this rediscovery, Lauren Artress’s pioneering work using the labyrinth as a tool for self-alignment will be crucial. "

Self-alignment is not alignment to Christ. As Catholics, the idea is to decrease the self so that Christ can increase (John 3:30). The labyrinth does not center us in Christ, but rather in the self.

The claim that the labyrinth has been used by Catholics since the middle ages, and the references to labyrinths in Chartres and other European Churches, are used to legitimize the practice. However, evidence that those labyrinths were used as a spiritual tool where people walked them to meditate is scant at best.

In the case of St. Andrew's, their website reveals a disturbing focus on the occult and on the inherent powers of the labyrinth. The web page contains several descriptive paragraphs entitled "The Magic of the Labyrinth". It contains no references to God or Christ.

Here is the text from the page:

The Magic of the Labyrinth

The Labyrinth a path for prayer and meditation, is on the grounds for walking at any time. The labyrinth is lighted for night use until 10:30 PM each evening.

I can't begin to explain how or why the magic of the labyrinth works, but it does. This is a copy of the one on the floor of Chartres Cathedral. The church, and its masons, knew about sacred geometry and sacred architecture; and, if you had a model of the Cathedral, you could fold down the wall with the rose window, and the window would land precisely upon the labyrinth.

The labyrinth is a problem-solving device. You can print this one out, and follow the path in and out with you finger (suggest using your left hand if you are right-handed, and vice versa). , and you might like to think of the centre as your deeper, wiser self and the outside as the outside world - and your relationship to each as your finger makes its journey.

Those who walk the labyrinth can stop and think, wherever they want, and spend as much time in the middle as they like. Some of them just dump their problems outside and, when they return, the problem has gone.

This attitude of finding the powers of the labyrinth inexplicable and of unknown origins seems quite pagan. Also the reference to the floor of Chartres Cathedral seems to give validity that it is part of our Catholic tradition except there is no evidence that labyrinths were walked on, and in fact when Artress first found the labyrinth at Chartres it was covered by hundreds of chairs. Additionally, after Artress moved the chairs without permission to walk on it, Chartres officials posted a sign stating that the labyrinth "cannot be a magical place where man pulls hidden forces from the Earth. That would be (were one to do so) a perversion of the builders/creators. For in doing so, one would substitute man in place of God. " Artress even states in her book "Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool", that there are "no known records of anyone walking the labyrinth" at Catholic churches, and she admits that she knows "no Christian writers or artists who directly refer to the labyrinth as a spiritual tool". The final comment about "suggest using your left hand if you are right-handed, and vice versa" is bizarre and gives the impression that you are the center of everything, and wisdom comes from self, not from God.

If you go in person to the labyrinth you will also see a very interesting progression of plaques. They are as follows, starting from the entrance to the path.




PRAYER
GARDEN

13 BILLION YEARS
FORMATION OF OUR UNIVERSE

4. 6 BILLION YEARS
FORMATION OF AN EARTH LIKE PLANET
THIRD ROCK FROM THE SUN

3. 9 BILLION YEARS
ALGAE AND BACTERIA
FIRST EVIDENCE OF LIFE

700 MILLION YEARS
EXPLOSION OF LIFE FORMS
FIRST LAND PLANTS
OXYGEN IN THE ATMOSPHERE

300 MILLION YEARS
FIRST REPTILES
LARGE COAL SWAMPS

65 MILLION YEARS
AGE OF THE DINOSAURS ENDS
FIRST MAMMALS APPEAR

3. 5 MILLION YEARS
EARLY HUMANS FIRST APPEAR

IN RELATION TO 13 BILLION
YEARS, THE CHURCH IS
5 SECONDS OLD

The conclusion we can come to is that the Earth is ancient, and that the Catholic Church is insignificant and unnecessary as compared to the Earth. It also has a resemblance to the creation account found in Genesis. It's almost like they are trying to replace it. This is the perfect set-up for a person to then walk into the labyrinth, forgetting everything about Christ and Holy Mother Church, or any monotheistic religion for that fact, and focusing on a personal relationship with Mother Earth instead.

There is a pamphlet that is available at the site of the labyrinth, which admits that the labyrinth is "not magic. " But then it goes on to state that "it is full of mystery...". The pamphlet even makes references to the labyrinth being "sacred ground". What makes it sacred? The inherent powers and "energies" of Mother Earth? One must deduce that the "sacred ground" is made as such by the "magic" of the labyrinth and by the inherent powers of the labyrinth.

The use of labyrinths in this modern way is a New Age phenomenon that raises up Eastern and alternative (sometimes pagan) philosophies of religion as equal to Catholicism as a path to salvation, much in the same way that the Stillpoint Center does.

The Diocese's own website promotes this labyrinth at St. Andrews. On the parish's page there is a link to "The Magic of the Labyrinth". However, if you click on it you will find that it is a broken link. I wanted to see what the home page to that broken link was about, and deleted the "/labyrinth.htm" from the URL to get to the home page.  Surprisingly, the home page to this broken link features a photo of a  scantily clad woman with the title "Working on the principle of seduction...".

Someone at the Dioceses needs to check what sites they link to from the their website. Being that it is the official site for our Diocese perhaps better care is needed in ensuring that these things do not happen. I am sure they did not purposefully intend to link to a morally questionable site. However, the first and foremost issue to consider is that the Diocese actually promotes a "magical" labyrinth.

Call to Prayer:

Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host -
by the Divine Power of God -
cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits,
who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.