From Rod Dreher:

I’d like to ask you to make a correction to the record in the Father Clay matter. There’s been a lot of blog talk — much of it by me — referring to Father Clay’s suspension from ministry by the Diocese of Scranton. I’ve just spoken to Maria Orzel, spokeswoman for the Diocese of Scranton, to clarify a couple of things.

First, she said that Father Clay has not been suspended; rather, he has been “removed from public ministry pending outcome of the ongoing diocesan investigation.” I asked her what the difference is. She explained that the word “suspension” implies that his priestly faculties have been put on hold. That has not happened. He has simply been ordered not to exercise them in public. I think it’s important that your readers receive this clarification. It doesn’t change the fact that Father Clay was not supposed to be in
the pulpit at St. Mary the Virgin, but it does set the record straight over what exactly his diocese required of him.

I asked Ms. Orzel to explain the discrepancy between now-retired Bp. Timlin’s recent public claim that he approved Father Clay for ministry in Texas, and the official position of the chancery that Father Clay
remains removed from ministry in this case. She declined to comment. Like everyone else following this case, I await a fuller explanation of this matter. Nevertheless, it is important to keep in mind that as far as the Diocese of Scranton and the Diocese of Fort Worth are concerned, Father Clay is not to exercise public ministry, nor was he ever supposed to do so.

I apologize if anyone was misled about Father Clay’s status by my misuse of the term “suspension.” The error was unintentional, and I want to set the record straight. For most people, I suspect this is a distinction
without a difference, but canonically there is an important difference, and I want to get the facts right.