By now, most of the world of Catholic Social Media, at least in the United States, is aware of the situation regarding (Father) Jonathan Morris. Morris, a former member of the Legionaries of Christ who was released from his vows in that tortured religious order, and later became a priest of the Archdiocese of New York, also became a valued contributor to Fox News for over 14 years. As a result of this, Father Morris developed a well-rounded social media presence, and certainly became one of the most visible priests from his already very visible Archdiocese.
His public announcement some weeks back that he has petitioned Pope Francis to be allowed to be dispensed from his solemn promises as an ordained priest and allowed to return to the lay state caused some of his followers to wish him well, and some to label him a coward who had abandoned his commitments as an ordained man in the Church.
To be very clear, I am not a great believer in the ease with which laicization (which should be more properly referred to as the release from clerical promises or vows) is often obtained by many ordained clerics. Many priests do this so that they can have the freedom to marry after having taken vows or made solemn promises of celibacy and chastity. Many deacons request a return to the lay state in order that they might marry after their wife dies, something the Apostle Paul forbids in ordinary circumstances even in Scripture itself (1 Timothy 3:2, 1 Timothy 3:12, Titus 1:5-7) when he says that an ordained man is to be "the husband of one wife" (he wasn't talking about polygamy, no Christian has ever been allowed to live a polygamous life validly or licitly).
Even though clerical celibacy did not become the official rule in the West until the Middle Ages, the practice that no cleric could marry once they were ordained dates to antiquity itself. If a man was already married and sought ordination, his family was thoroughly scrutinized, as Paul himself discusses in Scripture, so that they would not bring scandal upon the Church. This idea that members of the clergy could be released from their promises in order that they may live as they please is a thoroughly modern one. If the release from promises, the removal of faculties, and the return to the lay state voluntarily is too easily obtained, this truly shows an ill regard for the clerical state, and that is every bit as bad as the clergy showing an ill regard for the laity.
I stand by this belief, but it's also clear to me that Father Jonathan's case is far from normal. There are always exceptions to every rule, and we can't be anyone's ultimate judge. The perversion of the Legionaries of Christ under their founder, the late Father Marcial Maciel, is by now very well known to many people. Maciel was an abuser, pedarist, pedophile, and sexual predator, who used the religious society that he founded as a front for much of his perversion. Good holy young men like Jonathan Morris were really "peer pressured" into being ordained, as opposed to being authentically called by the Holy Spirit.
Late last week, Morris revealed that he had agreed to an interview on Fox News, where he had served for so long as Religious Affairs contributor because of his position as a priest and a moral authority. There were a lot of people, including myself, who wondered if such an interview was a good idea. Many of us worried that Morris was merely attention-seeking, trying now to capitalize on his position as a laicized priest. In watching the interview, this is not what I found.
The interview itself was around nine minutes long, hardly much time to grab a lot of publicity or do much "damage." Instead, I found that Morris was far from the media savvy man we often saw on Fox in a Roman collar, and he instead appeared nervous, a little repetitive, and unsure of himself. He clearly wasn't quite in his element, but he was desperately trying to explain to the many viewers who had come to appreciate his counsel what had happened in his life.
He admitted to having a relationship with a woman while he was in the seminary. He was ready to leave then, and was pressured into staying by Mariel Maciel himself. Based on Father Jonathan's description of what happened to him, it can hardly be said that his acceptance of religious life and ordination to the priesthood occurred because of authentic discernment. Jonathan Morris does not appear to have been allowed truly authentic discernment of his vocation.
I will discuss the Catholic theology of Holy Orders and ordination in a future post, but the reality is that there is really no such thing as a "former priest," "former deacon," or "former bishop." Those terms may be used, but they are not theologically correct at all. Ordination is permanent, and that means that Father Jonathan Morris will be "a priest forever." However, he will be a priest who has had his faculties to minister removed (albeit by his own choosing), and thus returned to the practical state of a layman.
We may be somewhat unfair to Morris in saying that he is attention-seeking. He is now cut off from the means of ecclesiastical support normally given to diocesan clergy-but especially priests- who are entitled to pay and pension, and often health insurance. Now he has to fend for himself. I don't know if I can blame him for intentionally snooping around in the media world where he has some experience.
I don't know if he has made the right decision, and it's not our place to say. But I do pray for Father Morris, I know he needs it.
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