A Los Angeles bishop stepped down from his duties with the Catholic church on Wednesday after acknowledging he fathered two children.
Auxiliary Bishop Gabino Zavala, 60, told the archdiocese in December that he was the father of two teenagers who live out of the state with their mother, the Associated Press reported.
Zavala submitted his resignation with the Vatican shortly thereafter. Under Catholic doctrine, priests must take a vow of celibacy.
Zavala filed his resignation under the code of canon law that allows bishops to apply for retirement before the age of 75 for medical purposes or for reasons making them unsuitable for their jobs, according to the AP.
Well, at least he resigned. If a priest cannot keep to his vows - and stop calling the vow of celibacy "unrealistic", because it is voluntary and if your spouse was unable to engage in sexual relations, would you dump them? - then maybe he ought to consider laicization, just as I have suggested to pople who cannot keep their marriage vows, to divorce and end the farce. Because if all that - marriage, the Church, commitment, your integrity, your honor - means less than getting laid, you are in one sorry state. Mind you, I would only suggest this as a last resort, because sin is a continual thing and there is a hope for redemption if confession and atonement are also continual. If suicide is marked by despair, don't commit spiritual suicide.
So I am assuming that this is not a case of any medical condition, but that either (a) the guilt got too much for him, or (b) circumstances were such that he would be found out, and came clean. If the latter, that is sad - this "confession" only came when a light was going to shine upon the lie. So that's hardly "coming clean."
And . . . the article also says it is offering financial support to his children for college costs. Nice gesture, but is that what my tithing is going to? Hasn't this guy have any money of his own to contribute towards his children?
Stories like this can discourage my faith because it makes you think it must all be a lie if people cannot abide by certain rules, like the vow of celibacy, and no one is to be trusted, especially if they wear a Roman collar. That is one of the reasons why I am glad to have moved to Eastern Tennessee - a number of the Catholics I have met are converts and as former Baptists, Methodists, or Pentecostals, they bring a strong moral fiber to the Church - coupled with their enthusiasm as converts to Catholicism, they help to dispel the discouragement.
3 comments:
I really don't have anything nice to say....must be worth a blog post then
Hilaire Belloc: “[The Church is] an institute run with such knavish imbecility that if it were not the work of God it would not last a fortnight.”
St. Theresa of Avila: "Let nothing disturb you; Let nothing frighten you. All things are passing. God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Nothing is wanting to him who possesses God. God alone suffices."
Abigail van Buren (no joke): "The Church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for Saints."
Susan: "Dumbasses who soil the Bride's dress can't touch the beauty of Her Body, for She is Christ's and His alone. We will all be called to account for our dumbassery, and for our faithfulness to Christ and His Church (or lack thereof). Therefore, be a good witness in the midst of wolves, and work out your salvation in fear and trembling, praying for the wolves along the way."
that last written by a dumbass who was prayed for by her father across the veil, after she had squandered her wealth of youth and energy in a 'far off land' eating with the pigs, and finally returned to her true Father and the beauty and safety of His Church.
Brava, Susan!
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