It is an extremely serious matter for priests, deacons, religious and bishops to violate the rights of the faithful to authentic Catholic teaching, liturgy, pastoral stewardship and pastoral care. When false doctrine, liturgical aberrations, greed, and personal abuse go unpunished, it is a failure of both justice and effective governance. This is true even when something is done behind the scenes, such as causing an ecclesiastical person to disappear quietly, perhaps through timely retirement. I’ve said for years that as a matter of both justice and effective management, serious guilt demands that heads roll, and that the rest of us see them rolling.
Lest you think this is a type of sharia:
This is not about making any secular court enforce Canon Law.
Every organization has penalties for violating its principles. The Church should be no different, and the fact that the Church does not allow for any accountability weakens its credibility and authority.
My main concern is that such trials should be public, unless it's dealing with sensitive sexual matters (for the victim's sake.) If a priest is accused of heresy, the faithful should know what he has to say for himself. If a bishop defends such a priest, I want to know what he has to say for himself.
But it's not gonna happen under Francis. Prosecution is not what he's about.
H/T: Socon Or Bust.
