Diocese of Phoenix excommunicates priest
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Phoenix, Ariz., May 9, 2009 / 05:54 am (CNA).- A priest from the Diocese of Phoenix has been excommunicated for joining a breakaway sect, it was announced on Monday.

The excommunication of Rev. Chris Carpenter, who had been on leave from the diocese for three years, was issued in April but made public on Monday. According to the Arizona Republic, Bishop of Phoenix Thomas J. Olmstead said the decision came because Father Carpenter had joined an offshoot church, the Reformed Catholic Church.

Father Carpenter is banned from participating in Mass, Communion or other religious ceremonies either as a participant or a celebrant. He was well-known as the movie reviewer for the Catholic Sun newspaper. Citing health reasons, he took a leave of absence in 2006 after 10 years at Christ the King parish in Mesa, Arizona.

Rev. Carpenter, who is openly homosexual, has long disputed with the diocesan leadership over ministry to the homosexual community, the Arizona Republic reports.

In an e-mail to friends, Father Carpenter said the Reformed Catholic Church supports ordination of women, full participation of homosexual members and a married priesthood. He reportedly plans to begin a parish in California.

Rev. Gene Young, another former Phoenix priest excommunicated by Bishop Olmsted, is also a member of the church.

A third priest of the diocese, Monsignor Dale Fushek, was excommunicated last year.

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Subscriber comments:
Published by: Peter H Nguyen
Wichita, KS, USA 05/11/2009 11:17 AM EST
Congratulation to bishop Thomas Olmsted for taking back a great number of lapsed catholics to the folk. Praise for tough decision to excommunicate vagrant priests. The Roman Catholic Church has been a laughingstock by other denominations by the sexual abuse by its clergy,now Fr. Jenkins disregard the teaching of the Church to award an honorary degree to the anti-Catholic President. He should be fired from ND University, expelled from the Congregation of the Holy Cross and even excommunicated by the Church. Many undisciplined clergymen have damaged the Church more than the laity. Christ will resurrected again from the big scandal of its leaders.
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Published by: dAVID LARSEN
scituate Mass. USA 05/11/2009 03:41 AM EST
WHY AREN'T MEN BURSTING AT THE SEAMS TO BECOME NUNS?
All this is idiotic. Men are Priests. Holy orders is a Holy Sacrament and celibacy is the condition to enter Priesthood. It is also a vow to poverty and a life time commitment to serve God.If Priests had families it would limit their mobility. They would also have families and would need all those material burdens that would be necessary to see to their needs,decent salary,insurance,saving accounts,saving for kids education,health insurance and all that other STUFF.
Marriage is a Holy Sacrament between a Man and a Woman for the purpose of raising a family.
Women get pregnant and they have children. If they don't want that and wish to serve God then they become Nuns.
Everything works fine the way it is.
I am Married and my wife is sick. We will never have sex again. I would never dishonor her by having an extramarital affair. I am married and bound by a Holy Sacrament before God.
Sex is is overrated and this is all,that a lot of this STUFF is all about.
Learn what vocation is. Don't invent what you think is correct. Serve God! Be obedient to His most Holy Church. As a matter of fact fall in love with it.
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Published by: James
Inverness/Fl/USA 05/10/2009 06:57 AM EST
Perhaps now these Priests can be honest about who they really are instead of trying to change the teachings of the Catholic Church that they took a promise to uphold.
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Published by: c.w.
Wichita,KS USA 05/10/2009 12:47 AM EST
That "reformed" church as no business calling itself Catholic. The three mentioned men have brought this on themselves. I am sure the Bishop worked hard with them to get them to understand thier sins, before the excommunication.
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Published by: Warren Anderson
Victoria, BC, Canada 05/09/2009 01:18 PM EST
No one should applaud the excommunication of these errant priests. We should pray that they come to their senses, recant and repent of their sins. However, we can be thankful that God has given the people of Phoenix a strong, clear voice in the person of Bishop Olmstead. By canonically recognizing that Fathers Carpenter, Young and Fushek have excommunicated themselves, Bishop Olmstead has acted in a definitive manner to call these three wayward souls back to faithfulness while at the same time protecting the rest of his flock. Let's hope and pray for the salvation of all the people of Phoenix. And, let's pray for those who are involved in groups like the RCC - that they may find it within their hearts to stop creating division and confusion.
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Published by: Andrew Nelson
Columbia, SC USA 05/09/2009 07:54 AM EST
Priests make a vow of obedience, chastity and poverty. But it seems these days, some priests have no idea the meaning of obedience. Also, many lay Catholics disregard obedience to the Church. Pride is the root of this, which leads to scandal within the Church. I wish the Church would publicly excommunicate obstinate, pro-choice politicians who bring just as much, if not more, scandal to the church. Jesus Christ was obedient to the end and we all need to strive to live by His example.
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