Insisting that a priest must be appointed, the Holy See has vetoed an election by the American Maryknoll religious order of a non-ordained religious brother as the order’s superior in the United States. The decision, communicated to Maryknoll in early August, is consistent with earlier Vatican rulings that in religious orders containing both priests and lay brothers, formal authority must be exercised by priests, NCR Online reports.
The decision means that Maryknoll Br Wayne Fitzpatrick, elected in May to the position of regional superior for the United States, will not take that office. New elections are currently underway, with the result expected by late August.
Fr Ed Dougherty, the superior general of Maryknoll, told NCR that the order’s constitutions specify that if a brother is elected to certain offices, the order must petition Rome for permission.
Because Maryknoll is a missionary society, it falls under the jurisdiction of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, the Vatican office that oversees missionary activity.
Dougherty told NCR Online that he asked the congregation to approve Fitzpatrick’s election, hoping that the fact that a majority of electors were priests, combined with Fitzpatrick’s track record of leadership in the order, would overcome the presumption in favor of a priest.
He said Fitzpatrick has previously served on the order’s general council in the United States for two terms, as well as holding the position of secretary general of the entire order for twelve years.
In addition, Dougherty said, a religious brother had been elected to the position of assistant regional superior in Kenya twelve years ago, and in that case the Vatican approved the result.
Dougherty said members of the order were “very disappointed” in the Vatican decision, feeling they had chosen “the best person for the job.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to us or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that we agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
SIC: CTHAS