The Transalpine Redemptorists, who follow the Roman rite, have filed a
canonical complaint against Bishop Michael Gielen of Christchurch, New
Zealand, who is kicking them out of his diocese (Zenit.org, 6 August).
Last
month, an apostolic visitation recommended that the Redemptorists be
banned from celebrating Mass in the diocese. The bishop willingly
followed the Vatican's instructions.
The order's canon lawyer has
now formally asked the bishop to rescind his decision. If this request
is refused, the order intends to take the case to the Apostolic
Signatura, the Church's highest tribunal.
The Redemptorists must know that there is no chance of winning a case against the Vatican in the Vatican.
Monsignor
Gielen is expected to respond to the order's request in the coming
weeks. For now, the Redemptorists remain in the diocese, celebrating
'private' Masses with some parishioners.
Bishop Gielen has given them 90 days, until the beginning of October, to leave the diocese.
The
community of committed Catholics around the Redemptorists will be left
in the rain, and the property of the Redemptorists with a collective
cadastral value of $4.5 million will be lost.
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