{"id":676,"date":"2009-05-12T05:49:00","date_gmt":"2009-05-12T05:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/deaconsbench\/2009\/05\/former-deacon-threatened-with-excommunication.html"},"modified":"2009-05-12T05:49:00","modified_gmt":"2009-05-12T05:49:00","slug":"former-deacon-threatened-with-excommunication","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/deaconsbench\/2009\/05\/former-deacon-threatened-with-excommunication.html","title":{"rendered":"Former deacon threatened with excommunication"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here’s a curious bit of news<\/a> about a former deacon determined to become a priest in a schismatic church: <\/p>\n

The Diocese of Scranton is notifying parishioners that James Calderone, a former deacon at St. Aloysius Church of Wilkes-Barre, will be excommunicated if he carries through with the decision to become an ordained priest in the American Catholic Church.<\/p>\n

The diocese issued a statement on its Web site<\/a>, (www.dioceseofscranton.org), Monday addressing the circumstances and directing parishioners, priests and other Roman Catholics not to attend the ordination or related gatherings.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur Most Reverend Bishop (Joseph F. Martino) directs that every Catholic in the Diocese of Scranton avoid any participation whatsoever in this offense against religion and the unity of the Church. Participation includes attending the schismatic ritual act itself or any gathering attached thereto,\u201d according to the statement.<\/p>\n

Calderone said he plans to be ordained at the end of May by Lawrence Harms, presiding archbishop of the American Catholic Church in the United States.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, the American Catholic Church really takes the best of Catholicism, in my judgment,\u201d Calderone said. \u201cIt\u2019s inclusive. It\u2019s ordained ministries are open to men, women, married, single, gay, straight. It does not have those kinds of divisions in terms of its ministries, and its sacraments are open to all, so at communion all are welcome to the table and for baptism as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the church\u2019s Web site, it was started in 1999 in Maryland and \u201caffirms traditional Catholic beliefs of faith and love, spirituality, community and prayer. It celebrates the seven sacraments and adheres to the essential Catholic doctrine and practice as expressed and implied in the statements of Vatican Council II, and in the light of the best contemporary thought.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is inclusive, proactive and compassionate, according to its Web site, and does not discriminate based on marital status, sexuality or orientation.<\/p>\n

Calderone said he was a deacon at St. Aloysius for nine years, and turned in his resignation in November. He has been accepted as a deacon into the American Catholic Church and is providing home and outreach ministry. After his ordination, he will be able to give Mass.<\/p>\n

Calderone lives in Kingston with his wife, Annette, who intends to remain a Roman Catholic and is a Eucharistic minister at St. Ignatius Church in Kingston.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I think we need to remember this man — and his wife — in our prayers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here’s a curious bit of news about a former deacon determined to become a priest in a schismatic church: The Diocese of Scranton is notifying parishioners that James Calderone, a former deacon at St. Aloysius Church of Wilkes-Barre, will be excommunicated if he carries through with the decision to become an ordained priest in the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":365,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-676","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-deacons"],"yoast_head":"\nFormer deacon threatened with excommunication - The Deacon's Bench<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/deaconsbench\/2009\/05\/former-deacon-threatened-with-excommunication.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Former deacon threatened with excommunication - 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