Vigil for Leyland to be Held as 3 Meet with Bishop

From the Toledo Blade:

Supporters of the Rev. Thomas Leyland are planning a "quiet prayer vigil" outside the Catholic Center this afternoon when three members of Perrysburg's St. Rose Parish are scheduled to meet with Bishop Leonard Blair.

"I'm very hopeful. The bishop is a man; he can change his mind," said Sharon Cowan, a vigil organizer who said she expects several hundred concerned Catholics to participate.

Father Leyland, 69, retired yesterday. A new pastor, the Rev. David Nuss, begins his duties at St. Rose today.

Three parishioners presented a petition with more than 1,500 names to diocesan leaders June 25 asking Bishop Blair to let Father Leyland continue as pastor of St. Rose, a parish of 8,100 where he has served since 1999.

Petitioners also requested an open hearing with the bishop to discuss the pastor's status.

Father Leyland, a Perrysburg native, has said he wants to continue at St. Rose but feels that Bishop Blair is forcing him to retire because he publicly criticized the bishop over the way a neighboring parish was created.

The priest complained to the media that he was not adequately consulted even though the new parish, Blessed John XXIII, cut deeply into St. Rose's territory.

Bishop Blair has asserted that the personnel moves are routine, that Father Leyland is not being punished, and that the appointments are not a negative reflection on his pastorate.

He said Father Leyland was offered another assignment but chose to retire.

Father Leyland has appealed to the Vatican, asking it to overturn Bishop Blair's decision.

[More]

(emphasis added)

My Comments:
"The bishop is a man; he can change his mind ..."

Yes, the bishop is indeed a man. What's your point? This must be the new mantra of these folks. Just this past weekend, I had a commenter at this post say much the same thing, pointing out that Bishop Blair is a man with faults like everyone else.

Okay. Again, what's your point? If you ask me, the point seems to be that Bishop Blair is just a regular old fallible human like the rest of us, and that therefore his views on matters of import to the Church are no more important than those of the laity.

If that is the point, then I say "Horsecrap!" Bishop Blair is a successor to the Apostles and the shepherd of the Toledo Diocese - appointed to that role by the Vicar of Christ on earth. It's time for us to stop substituting our judgment for his, for us to recognize that it falls to him to lead this diocese (NOT us) and that he is ultimately responsible to Christ to make an accounting of how well he did that, and for us to be obedient to said leadership (for which we are ultimately responsible for making an accounting to Christ).


Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
Bishop Blair to Meet with Parishioners of St. Rose