College Defies Archbishop, Hosts Dissident Speaker

By Matthew Archbold
Cardinal Newman Society
July 23, 2013

http://www.cardinalnewmansociety.org/CatholicEducationDaily/DetailsPage/tabid/102/ArticleID/2386/College-Defies-Archbishop-Hosts-Dissident-Speaker.aspx


That was the question posed by Fr. Helmut Schuller in a speech at Chestnut Hill College, according to The National Catholic Reporter which covered the event.

OrdinationThe Cardinal Newman Society exclusively reported earlier this month that Fr. Schuller was barred from speaking at any parish or diocesan-related facility in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia because of his views that, according to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, “diverge very seriously from Catholic belief and practice” including female ordination.

The Archdiocese released a statement earlier this month, saying that Schuller’s presence on the campus of a Catholic college “inevitably damages the unity of the local Church.” Archbishop Chaput’s concerns were communicated to the college and the Sisters of St. Joseph who run the college to no avail.

Father Schuller, founder of the Austrian Priest Initiative, was a leader in a movement that issued a “Call to Disobedience,” which advocated for the ability of divorced and remarried Catholics to receive sacraments as well as the ordination of women and married men.

Currently, Fr. Schuller is touring the United States on what’s called “The Catholic Tipping Point” tour which is being sponsored by organizations such as Call to Action, Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, Dignity USA, Future Church, New Ways Ministry, Women's Ordination Conference, and Voice of the Faithful among others.

The majority of the stops on the tour are on non-Catholic properties but Chestnut Hill College hosted the event anyway. Last month Cardinal Sean O’Malley reportedly barred Fr. Schuller from speaking in a parish in the Archdiocese of Boston.

"Where has obedience got us?" reportedly asked Fr. Schuller at Chestnut Hill College of about 20 priests in an afternoon session. "I feel the church often misuses obedience to keep people down."

In the evening, he reportedly spoke to about 350 people where he reiterated his call to disobedience, saying that the “hierarchy” and the “lowerarchy” are at odds. He also stated that women should be ordained priests because "the image of God is incomplete if only represented by one gender."

Currently, nothing appears on Chestnut Hill College’s website concerning Fr. Schuller’s appearance.

Catholic Education Daily is an online publication of The Cardinal Newman Society. Click here for email updates and free online membership with The Cardinal Newman Society.