Guarding the Henhouse
VERNON, Conn. --A longstanding dispute between a Roman Catholic priest and the bishop of Norwich took another twist when the Rev. Justinian B. Rweyemamu found himself locked out of St. Bernard Church's rectory this weekend.
It was a move Norwich Bishop Michael Cote said was the result of the priest's refusal to obey repeated orders to leave, according to a story posted Sunday on the Journal-Inquirer Web site. In a statement released to the newspaper on Saturday, Cote said he has told the priest to leave the rectory three times since the beginning of the year, but that Rweyemamu has refused.
"I'm sorry that he has given me no other choice than to take this action," Cote said.
The two sides have been at odds since April 2004 when Rweyemamu, who is from Tanzania, says he was unfairly passed over for a temporary promotion in the parish, in part because of his race.
Cote, however, said race has played no role in the controversy. He said that parishioners have raised questions about Rweyemamu's homilies as well as his administration of a private charity not affiliated with the diocese.
Rweyemamu was joined outside the church by several supporters Sunday morning. Private security guards kept Rweyemamu from entering.
"They told me I can't go into a church of God," the priest said. "I can't even go in to pray."
Rweyemamu said after dining with friends Saturday night he returned to the rectory to find the locks had been changed. He spent the night at a friend's home.
Cote said his decision was prompted in part by a judgment from a Vatican department confirming his right to remove Rweyemamu from St. Bernard. Earlier this year, a Superior Court judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by Cote in an effort to force Rweyemamu out of the rectory.
The priest has also filed civil suits against Cote in state and federal court, charging discrimination and defamation.
This is just odd.
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posted by Rocco Palmo at 18:51
2 Comments:
I cannot comment on the particulars of this situation, but I cannot say enough about the good character and judgment of Bishop Cote, who was the auxiliary for northern Maine while I lived there. I had (vain) hopes he'd be sent to Boston after I moved back. He is a holy man with good practical judgment, at least from what I've seen.
I'm inclined to side with the Bish, but it seems that Connecticut is the place for bishops to change the keys on priests. The ECUSA Bishop of Connecticut has also recently deposed and locked out a priest-opponent of Gene Robinson. As a result, the parish is now suing the Bishop in federal court!
http://www.ctsix.org/
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