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Canon Law and Parish Councils
Q1: Can a parish council ever vote to overrule a decision made by the pastor of the parish? If not, then what’s the point of having a parish council in the first place? –Stephanie Q2: Is it obligatory...
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Excommunication and the Authority of the Parish Priest
Q: What course do parishioners have to ask the bishop to correct, reprimand or otherwise relocate a priest who refuses to baptize children of parents that he doesn’t “recognize” as parishioners, even...
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Catechetics and the Authority of the Parish Priest
Q: Our pastor implemented a new faith formation program. It is extremely rigorous and has been met with anger and frustration from all parents. In a nutshell, the program is “taught” by the parents…....
View Article(Repost:) Clergy and Summer Vacation
Q: Our pastor seems to go on vacation constantly. This year, he already spent one week at a retreat house, left on numerous short trips to see his relatives, and now he’s going away for two weeks to...
View ArticleCan the Pastor Buy and Sell Parish Property Without Our Consent?
Q: At Sunday Mass, Father announced that the church pipe organ was going to be replaced by a digital organ, because the pipe organ was in very bad shape. He said that he was given an anonymous gift...
View ArticleCan Our Pastor Kick Us Out of the Parish?
Q: My husband and I have a very difficult situation with our parish priest. He refused to allow our daughter to be baptized in 2013…. The Bishop declared that our baby should be baptized but the...
View ArticleWho’s in Charge of the Parish When There’s No Parish Priest?
Q: We recently lost our priest and the priest from another church was named the administrator. Now there is internal fighting on who reports to whom and who’s in charge. I think that the DRE [Director...
View ArticleCan the Pastor Expel Another Priest from the Rectory?
Q: Our parish priest (let’s call him Priest #1) retired, leaving the parish with a large amount of money before his retirement was announced. He volunteered to stay on as pastor emeritus and say some...
View ArticleExcommunication and the Authority of the Parish Priest
Q: What course do parishioners have to ask the bishop to correct, reprimand or otherwise relocate a priest who refuses to baptize children of parents that he doesn’t “recognize” as parishioners, even...
View ArticleCatechetics and the Authority of the Parish Priest
Q: Our pastor implemented a new faith formation program. It is extremely rigorous and has been met with anger and frustration from all parents. In a nutshell, the program of catechetics is “taught” by...
View Article(Repost:) Clergy and Summer Vacation
Q: Our pastor seems to go on vacation constantly. This year, he already spent one week at a retreat house, left on numerous short trips to see his relatives, and now he’s going away for two weeks to...
View ArticleCan the Pastor Buy and Sell Parish Property Without Our Consent?
Q: At Sunday Mass, Father announced that the church pipe organ was going to be replaced by a digital organ, because the pipe organ was in very bad shape. He said that he was given an anonymous gift...
View ArticleCan Our Pastor Kick Us Out of the Parish?
Q: My husband and I have a very difficult situation with our parish priest. He refused to allow our daughter to be baptized in 2013…. The Bishop declared that our baby should be baptized but the...
View ArticleWho’s in Charge of the Parish When There’s No Parish Priest?
Q: We recently lost our priest and the priest from another church was named the administrator. Now there is internal fighting on who reports to whom and who’s in charge. I think that the DRE [Director...
View ArticleCan the Pastor Expel Another Priest from the Rectory?
Q: Our parish priest (let’s call him Priest #1) retired, leaving the parish with a large amount of money before his retirement was announced. He volunteered to stay on as pastor emeritus and say some...
View ArticleCan the Pastor Set a Minimum Age for Baptism?
Q: Canonically speaking, may the pastor/parish set a minimum age of 4 months old for the baptism of an infant? If not, what steps should be taken by parents who want their child baptized before that...
View ArticleWhat’s the Difference Between a Cathedral Rector and a Parish Priest?
Q: Greetings, who is in charge of a Cathedral Parish? The Bishop or the Priest? Our priest (he is listed as the “Rector”) states it is his parish, but I feel obligated to obey what our Bishop states to...
View ArticleWhen Can Parish Buildings be Rented Out for Secular Use?
Q: Our parish church is located in a two-story building. The church where we have Mass is on the first floor and there is classroom space on the second floor. The bishop has decided to lease the...
View ArticleWhen Can a Pastor be Removed From Office?
Q: In this article you mentioned in passing that a bishop can’t remove the pastor of a parish just because the pastor does something the bishop doesn’t like. Can you elaborate? I ask because in Wales...
View ArticleWhen Can a Layperson Be a Pastor of a Parish?
Q: My sister-in-law and I were having an innocent conversation about our parishes, and ended up in a huge fight. I made some comment like, “the pastor of a parish always has to be a priest,” and she...
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