Cardinal Cupich and Fr. Frank Phillips, Merciful Accompaniment or the Mailed Fist?

What is really going on with Cardinal Cupich's
action against Fr. Frank Phillips?

It's all over the Catholic blogosphere. Fr. Frank Phillips of the Canons Regular and pastor of traditional parish, St. John Cantius, has been removed (very publicly) for unspecified "credible allegations" of improper behavior with adult men. Is it true? Who knows at this point. It's under investigation.

Bishop Emeritus Rene Gracida posted on his shock and disturbance at the way the situation is being handled:

I was stunned by the news....Thirty years ago Father Phillips, a member of the Resurrection Congregation, had founded at Saint John Cantius Parish a Diocesan Institute known as the Canons Regular of Saint John Cantius. Over the years the Canons Regular have grown in numbers and have made Saint John Cantius world famous as a church where the Traditional Latin Mass is celebrated in all its forms perfectly.

What I find so disturbing in the news about the removal of Father Phillips is that the public way in which Cardinal Cupich removed Father Phillips was so uncalled for. Every bishop at one time or another is faced with the sexual misbehavior of a priest with a man or a woman who is not a minor. In the case of minors the Dallas Charter demands rapid and harsh measures by the bishop in handling the case. In the case of adults, such measures are not only not required but are inadvisable because of the scandal of the weak which results. Instead, the priest is suspended and quietly removed from office and no public announcement by the Ordinary is necessary, a simple discrete letter to the people of the parish is sufficient.

Cardinal Cupich acquired a reputation in his former office as Bishop of Spokane as being totally opposed to the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass in the Diocese. That fact combined with his welcoming of Father James Martin, S.J. to the Cathedral in Chicago to speak in support of the homosexual lifestyle that he promotes in his book Building Bridges, a lifestyle that sometimes involves the sin of sodomy, causes me to wonder if the removal of Father Phillips is not part of an elaborate plot leading to the suppression of Saint John Cantius Parish as a center for the promotion of the Traditional Latin Mass. The hypocrisy of removing Father Phillips as Pastor based on a possible false accusation of homosexuality on the eve of Father Martin's talk at the Cathedral promoting ‘respect’ for homosexuals is too much for people of common sense to accept and to wonder about hypocrisy.

This is indeed a head-scratcher. Priests are applauded for "coming out" as homosexual and every diocese has known homosexuals among its clergy. There's a lavender mafia at the Vatican. Most of the time it's hush-hush. Only when a priest comes out like Milwaukee priest, Fr. Gregory Greiten, is the light shone on the problem. Or is it a problem? Not according to a number of prelates who think ordaining homosexuals is a-okay.

But think of it. The Church to a same-sex attracted man is a veritable playground where he can spend much of his time chumming with men to whom he is attracted. He lives with them, eats with them, goes on retreat with them, can spend his days off and vacations with them and no one raises an eyebrow. So he has a "particular friend?" What of it?

If a seminarian or priest attracted to women spent all his time with women, think of the different reaction. They're out at restaurants, riding bikes together, going to shows, sharing a hot tub. Eyebrows would be raised and the chatter would be loud enough to be heard at the chancery. Imagine a man who wanted to live in the convent with the nuns. Ridiculous? No more than putting same sex attracted men in close quarters with the group to whom they are sexually attracted - other men including young seminarians and newly ordained priests.

Meanwhile, Cardinal Cupich totally supports sodomy-promoting Fr. James Martin and has him doing a Lenten program in his diocese. Cupich is a general in the "Gay" Civil War in the Church and he calls in his field officer, Fr. James Martin, to carry the rainbow flag on the battlefield. Removing Fr. Phillips from the field makes total sense as part of the battle plan.



Pray for Fr. Phillips and for St. John Canisius and, of course, for Cardinal Cupich. We are, indeed, in troubling times. As the saying goes, Life is hard; handle with prayer.

Lord Jesus, High Priest of the Universal Church, have mercy on us.