Every time I read about Bishop Kevin Boland's draconian treatment of the Kumpel family I think of Star Wars with the evil Empire going after the rebels. The image puts me off balance because, normally, one would think the Church represents the rebels who are facing the evil Roman, or English, or Islamic, or Communist empire. Certainly that was the case in first century Rome and 16th and 17th century England. But today the tyrants are just as likely to be in bishops' offices and chanceries working out their persecution on ordinary faithful folks in the pew.
It's instructive to see how some bishops come down with both feet on orthodox priests while coddling and enabling dissenters and the members of the lavendar mafia. I thought the laity were immune from their strong-arm tactics. But after seeing this travesty with the Diocese of Savannah go on for two years, and after writing respectful letters to the bishop that go unanswered, I've come to see that the Diocese is filled with playground bullies. And the only response to a bully is to push back.
What's happened to the Kumpels is so bizarre it belongs in a novel -- a really unbelievable novel - something on the order of a vampire series where the chancery is filled with blood-sucking lawyers and zombie bureaucrats who use their positions to persecute the faithful. Sometimes persecution is relatively benign: blacklisting people from the diocesan paper, keeping them off diocesan and parish committees, or making them ineligible to volunteer. But when the persecution means denying a man the right to attend his own local parish for Mass with his family, it's time for others to rise up and stand in unity with a brother.
Click on the hotlink below for the latest chapter of this Catholic soap opera which certainly does not reflect well on Bishop Boland. We laity call our bishop our spiritual "father;" we have a right to expect him to behave like one. It is no surprise that people turn their backs on the Catholic Church when they see people treated the way the Kumpels have been.
Bishop Boland, what you are doing to the Kumpel family (and your own diocese) is shameful. Isn't it time to cut your losses and restore some sanity before your Diocese has the reputation of being the Death Star?
Problem with "dangerous" Catholics? Call in the Lawyers!
Please pray for the Kumpel family and for Bishop Boland. You can send the bishop a respectful message and a promise of your prayers here.
I almost had a restraining order placed on me as well. I live in an area where there was an extremely liberal Parish. I had tried to communicate with the Priest on different topics. There was never a welcoming feeling. During Lent when I went to ask him about why they always remove the crucifix over the altar for the entire season of Lent, as well as the Holy Water, he got up and started for the telephone. He started to dial saying he was going to call the polics and ask for a restraining order. I couldn't believe what I ws hearing, especially because I had not expressed anger or in any way been rude. He just didn't like the questions.
ReplyDeleteHe stopped dialing and never called but I knew enough that trying to talk to him would put me in jeopardy. I decided never to go to talk to him without a witnes with me and I ultimately removed myself from the parish. But I said to myself, "so that is how they are going to get rid of people they don't like..."
Reading this story is like reading something that came close to happening to me. We are in the middle of a inquisition in our society and some clergy are being part of it.
Let's not forget all the pro-life college students who've been threatened with arrest for distributing pro-life flyers at church.
ReplyDeleteNow, I only heard this second-hand, but there was an incident at St. Mary's in Fredericksburg a few years ago where a long time daily mass participant criticized Fr. Rooney for altering the words of the Agnus Dei, and someone called the cops, and the police told the man he was trespassing and would be arrested if he came to St. Mary's again. Apparently, Fr. Rooney actually intervened on the man's behalf.
Whenever we are threatened with the police, I tell those threatening "please do call the police". Usually they are bluffing and back down. The few times the Officials at the Los Angeles REC (WRECK) at the instigation of the so called Catholic leaders of the REC have actually called the police, the police have given them a lesson in the Law.
ReplyDeleteWe who are standing up, must know more on the Law, so we can call their bluffs.
In the case of poor Robert Kumpel, the Law has become the oppressor, and we are going to see more of that under the Obamanation.
Kenneth M. Fisher, Founder & Chairman, Concerned Roman Catholics of America, Inc.
wow crcoa, I thought whenI started using it in December, I was the only one using the term obamanation.
ReplyDeleteMust be the Holy Spirit - discernment of spirits
Oh No! You are not the only ones using Obamanation! I am a Messianic Jew and have been using that term since before he was elected! BTW, I have been living in Valdosta, GA for over a year now and this is the most rude and unfriendly place I have ever lived!
ReplyDeleteI'm a relative newcomer to St. John's parish in Valdosta but am appalled at the treatment the Kumpel family has received from the Diocese of Savannah and, specifically, Bishop J. Kevin Boland. It seems to be an unspeakable cruelty directed at Robert Kumpel, an orthodox Catholic blogger, who had the temerity to pursue and publish unsavory facts about the former priest of the parish. Mr. Kumpel is forbidden by the bishop from attending Mass with his family! What's going on!?
ReplyDeleteWhatever is "going on" it has the smell sulphur about it. I'd say this is one of those cases where the smoke of Satan has entered the Church. I hope you will support the Kumpel family and find other members of the parish who do as well. Perhaps if a group of parishioners rally round the Kumpels this travesty will end. They can't throw everybody out of the parish.
ReplyDeleteThe only "side" in this scandal is Truth.
ReplyDeleteIt can be stated, factually, that the "shunning", the lies, the denials and the restraining order continue against Mr. Kumpel continue.
If one puts aside the events surrounding the late Priest and alleged circumstances (true or false), the reported treatment of the Kumpel family by local clergy and certain parishioners is true.
The anger of the parish has not healed. The anger is a cancer hidden beneath of veneer of denial and the cancer is slowly spreading as newcomers to the parish express comments on what they have been told by the parish -- even if those expressing the comments were not present at the parish at the time. Feathers.
Why does a shepherd, a steward, a servant permit the un-Christian and un-Catholic behavior? What does the Catechism say? What does the Magisterium say? What does the Pope say and do? What does Christ say and do? What has been done and what has failed to be done?
Pray for the Clergy and the parishioners of St. John, pray for the Bishop of Savannah pray that they follow the commandment Christ stated in this week's (4/28/2013) Gospel reading: "I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another." -- untold spiritual damage is ongoing to those holding fast, enslaved to the anger, the lies and the vengeance.
PIT