In the midst of detecting and reporting many discouraging events, we at OnePeterFive are always grateful to report encouraging developments. One such good development comes to us now from Colombia, Southern America. As we have reported, Rigoberto Corredor Bermúdez, the Bishop of Pereira, on 16 January 2017, had suspended of his priests — Father Luis Carlos Uribe Medina — for having had “expressed publicly and privately his rejection of the doctrinal and pastoral teachings of the Holy Father Francis, mainly regarding Marriage and the Eucharist [in the bishop’s words].”
Then, however, on 1 February, we were able to publish a decree which shows that Father Uribe was surprisingly reinstated as a priest, after signing a document in which he says: “I wish to remain under the obedience and in respect toward the Holy Father Francis and to my diocesan bishop, within the the Doctrine and Apostolic Tradition of the Church.” At the time, Steve Skojec reported the following so as to give the background of this surprising development:
The Spanish-language website Secretum Meum Mihi (SMM) also reports that Radio Rosa Mistica Colombia, a Catholic broadcaster, has aired a story stating that Uribe’s bishop, Rigoberto Bermúdez, has not only corrected this situation, but “now seems to have rejected Cardinal Christoph Schönborn’s interpretation of Amoris Laetitia in favor of the orthodox view on Marriage and the Eucharist.” SMM says that this information, inasmuch as it is based on the interpretation of an anonymous witness, is not verifiable.
SMM includes an update to their story based on correspondence with Radio Rosa Mistica, in which the broadcaster has stated that the information “is true.” Further:
“We receive it from a source who is part of the group in which Father Luis Carlos spoke after the meeting with the bishop of Pereira. Although there is still no document on the orthodox position of the bishop, Father Luis Carlos informed these people in private that the prelate recognized his mistake, accepted the arguments of the priest whom he reinstitutes into his priestly magisterium and announced that he forbids in his diocese to give communion to the divorced and remarried in civil or free unions. Also the bishop said to be obedient, first of all, to the Sacred Catholic Doctrine…” [my emphasis]
We have now received from Father Uribe himself that official document (links to PDF original in Spanish) which, at the time, was still missing, in order to confirm the various reports from these different sources according to which the Bishop of Pereira himself has shown a change of heart. Father Uribe has now kindly sent to us the Pastoral Letter for Lent 2017, as it was published by Bishop Corredor Bermúdez, which shows that he now intends to preserve the traditional Catholic teaching on marriage. Dated 1 March 2017, the 11-page-long document deals with fundamental questions of the Catholic life in our world today. Bishop Corredor Bermúdez now conveys the importance of protecting human life and of carefully considering that God has given to us human beings a responsible free will. The Colombian bishop shows how men abuse this free will at times, and thus conduct themselves in a way which “distances us from God,” such as drug abuse, alcohol abuse, homocide and suicide, as well as “abortion which removes the innocent little children who have a right to live from their mother’s wombs.” The prelate regrets — also in the face of so much corruption — that many faithful today “are ignorant and negligent of all that which Christ offers us though His Church so that we may grow in our greater imitation of Christ.” Bishop Corredor Bermúdez also describes how all too many Catholics do not attend Sunday Masses any more after they received their First Holy Communion.
It is here, on page 10 of his Pastoral Letter, that the Bishop of Pereira invites all Catholics to return to the practice of the Catholic Faith and to return to the Sacraments, to the life of the Church, her prayers and works of charity and apostolic works. It is here that he makes it clear that not everybody may have access to the Holy Eucharist:
Although the impediments of certain states in life (adultery, cohabitation and civil union), do not allow the reception of the sacramental communion, this does not therefore say that these people can not still participate in other acts of the ecclesial life that we have pointed out. The Lord will give grace to return to full communion, through conversion. [my emphasis]
In the current context of indifferentism, materialism, and the “dictatorship of egoistical individualism (self-adoration),” Bishop Corredor Bermúdez also reminds his readers of Our Lord’s words “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.” (John 8:11) He calls upon the faithful contritely to approach Jesus Christ and to seek His forgiveness. The Colombian prelate ends his instruction with a beautiful reference to Our Lady: “The Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, awaits us on Golgotha, to help us heal the wounds of sin.”
Thus we have here the example of a bishop who — perhaps in humbly listening to one of his own candidly loyal priests — was able to change his former position and to distance himself from some of the troubling and confusing changes in the Church’s moral teaching that have come to us during the pontificate of Pope Francis.
The article has been updated.
And if he can do it, so can so many others. God bless both these men. (One day this conversion may be an EWTN movie)
This confirms that if we are faithful and speak out and defend the teaching of Christ and His Church, people can be moved to come into the light.
Kudos to the priest who stood his ground. May his kind increase.
Amen! And hats off to the bishop who had the humility to admit he was wrong. That’s brave and inspiring, kinda made my day.
Praise and glory to our Lord and Lady for giving this priest and bishop grace and wisdom in this situation.
Yes, indeed. THAT shows humility. Not the kinds that’s been on show of late from the top.
Deo Gratias.
I think both the priests loyalty to Christ and what he suffered when stood down, he must have offered up for his bishop. We must not be afraid to suffer
Wonderful news. As Our Blessed Lord said, “Salvation has found this house”! Wonderful news. Thats the kind of Bishop we need. Catholic in every sense of the word. Humility a breast plate, truth a sword.
The Church should be wary of unrepentant sinners, and welcome them into the doors of the Church, only if they agree not to promote sinful causes. Jesus came to heal such sinners, to give them a pathway away from their sin and reconciliation with the God they offend through their sins, not to give them a platform to be used to defend, promote or encourage sin within His Church. As to a loyalty pledge to Francis, which is implied consent of his agenda, I am sure this is occurring in many places, but those who submit to such will deal with having done so when they face Jesus. Perhaps, no further evidence of a lack of belief in Christ will be needed. And that is the minimum requirement needed to avoid damnation. Avoid the trap, start weeding out the unrepentant dissidents from outside the Church, who undermine the teachings of the Church, and then focus on weeding out those within the Church. No more sympathy for the devil.
The Truth will set you free.
A powerful story, OnePeterFive…I thank you.
After reading about Archbishop Chaput, Bishop of Pereira, and Pro-Francis resignation Cardinals, perhaps there is a growing understanding with prelates that God is more powerful than heretics?
Pro-Francis resignation
cardinals?
Deo Gratias! Those who say it’s a waste of time to pray for these men, you are mistaken.
Boom, there it is…..a humble bishop, a true shepherd to his flock. So that’s what conversion looks like!
Thank You Lord for the faithful priest that inspired his change of heart, and for his humility to be willing to see his error.
This is truly good and welcome news!
Send more, LORD, send more 😉
This is indeed excellent news and God bless Bishop Bermúdez but the mere fact that the bishop’s Pastoral Letter rightly qualifies as a news item highlights just how low (how very low) an ebb our Church has reached. Our faithful forebears of just a few generations ago wouldn’t for a moment have considered as morale-boosting an article which basically could be titled “Catholic Bishop Upholds Catholic Teaching”.
Well put!
Wonderful to here good news for a change. Thank you both Father Uribe and Bishop Bermudez.
It saddens me that this thought will not leave my mind since I read this article, but perhaps the rats are leaving the sinking ship.
Msgr. Schulte, your rhetorical question perplexes me a little. The “ship” is the Barque of Peter, no doubt. So who then, since rats are vermin, are “the rats” to whom you refer? Or am I reading you too literally?
Or did you mean that it is the Barque of Francis that is beginning to capsize, and the prudent “rats” are confirming their allocated place aboard the Barque of Peter?
????
Thanks be to God and his mysterious workings.
AMEN!!!
God reward Bishop Bermudez abundantly!
And he leaves us with a rich and concise diagnosis of so much that is wrong in both church and society…“dictatorship of egoistical individualism (self-adoration),”
I’ll be using that.
Must be some holy prayer warriors in the Diocese of Pereira.
Jesus said; “I come, not to bring peace, but the sword.” The sword of which He speaks is the Sword of Truth. We “pharisees”; we “rigid-ones”, we “doctors of the law” are being constantly admonished that we must keep this sword in its scabbard while we “accompany” those in grave moral danger, making polite and non-challenging conversation, as we travel the road to ……… where?
As Totus Tuus below said this is what real dialogue looks like. Would it such humility and openness to dialogue was exercised by the Pope.
Very much unlike the Malta bishops who told seminarians they can go elsewhere if they don’t follow the Maltese guidelines.
Francis will soon find a good pretext to dismiss this too orthodox bishop, like he did with Mgr Leonard, the archbp of Brussels whom he replaced by the archimodernist Mgr De Kesel upon the good advice of his best friend Card. Danneels, the chief of the St Gallen mafia. De Kesel is now eagerly at the task to destroy the good job of Mgr Leonard and at expelling the traditional orders he welcomed in this diocese, like the Priestly society of the holy Apostles of Fr Zanotti.
A priest who fraternally corrects his bishop, the fact is so amazing and so seldom that it should be given as an example for the next coming “correction” of the Pope Francis by the “Four cardinals”.
Let’s dream a few seconds and imagine that Francis, striken by God’s Grace will repent of all his bad deeds and words and call Card. Burke to replace Müller at the head of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith.
Just dreamin’…
This is encouraging in illustrating how confusion can eventually be straitened out and Truth reign.
Talking to a priest the other day I explained my problems with this papacy. He asked me whether I looked at blogs and of course I said I did. He seemed to imply this was the problem. He pointed out that the Pope had not actually spoken any heresy. I would not disagree with that but I regard Amoris Laetitia as a signpost or invitation to heresy which some Bishops have followed into heresy. Thus I think one can obey and respect the person of the Pope (although I am not quite sure how respecting somebody’s person is different from respecting them!). We can pray for him although in the various Eucharistic prayers we do not pray for him but just mention him as part of the Church. As for AL it is clear that there is confusion as to what it means and therefore we should not rely upon such ambiguities to justify any departure from the teachings of the Church. However while one accords a certain respect for the Pope one is entitled and indeed required to inquire as to what is going on so as to inform one’s conscience and to comment on events. Therefore carry on blogging!
It’s worth it to watch, broadcasted by the Colombian Catholic TV Channel (in English):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpiGpJuofBw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68ZCRnA41dc
I have been extremely busy ministering in my Parishes of and thus have not been able to comment on current developments. I just wanted to chime in with full support of this Bishop and say that he is a credit to the Episcopal Office! He had the humility to not only admit that he was in the wrong for suspending one of his faithful priests but to also fully support that priests position, even though it oppose the current papal prerogative. Furthermore, for those who question the priest’s promise to obedience to the Roman Pontiff, please note that every priest makes such a promise at ordination via his promise to obey his bishop who is in union with the Pope. however, please no that he made it clear that his obedience is in only on accord “within the the Doctrine and Apostolic Tradition of the Church.” As in, if the popes says that black is white he can jump in a lake, for it is contrary to the Apostolic tradition to assert such a thing.
May God bless this Bishop and may many more bishops recognize that now is the time to boldly proclaim the Truth of Jesus Christ in the face of enemy of souls, even if the current Pope happens to be on the wrong side of the Truth.
I want to encourage 1P5evers to offer their Lenten Penances for the conversion of as many Bishops and Priests as is possible. Please, pray everyday during this sacred season that as many Bishops and Priests as possible wake up to the very real crisis griping the Church and boldly speak out against it.