Francis "Defrocks" 9 Ukraine Monks for Rogue Exorcisms, Following So-Called ‘Prophetess’
FRANCIS DOES NOT HAVE JURISDICTION TO DO ANYTHING. HE HIMSELF HAS PUT HIMSELF OUTSIDE THE CHURCH
Francis stripped holy orders from nine monks in Ukraine, following reports that they had engaged in unapproved exorcisms and listened to a "prophetess."
Investigators found monks
violating monastic discipline and performing exorcism prayers without
authorization at monasteries in Kolodiivka and Velyki Borky. Some of the
monks did not follow the rules and were guided by the orders of a
so-called "prophetess."
"The priest who wants to do
this should get the special permit, blessing from the local bishop. But
they did not heed the comments," Teodor Martynyuk, bishop-assistant of
the Ternopil-Zborowski archdiocese, claimed after an investigation last
year, Ukraine's 112.ua news agency reported.
The Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church (UGCC) reported the dismissals on Tuesday,
but Pope Francis chose to defrock the priests last month. The church
reported that the defrocked former monks are "illegally staying in the
village of Posich, Ivano-Frankivsk region."
Pope Francis' decrees stripped
the monks from the monastic state, forbade them to wear monastic
clothes, and struck down the rights and duties from their monastic vows.
They can no longer refer to themselves as monks. The monks also lost
their fraternal names.
Father monks Antony-Gregory
(born Roman Planchak) and Andrij (Mykola Kostevsky) also lost the rights
to conduct any religious rites. These former monastic leaders could
previously serve the Divine Liturgy, administer the Holy Mysteries, and
perform other services inside or outside the temple, including prayers
for the sick, exorcisms, or other practices. All of these privileges
have been stricken from them.
Many of the unapproved
practices — like reading exorcism prayers without permission — seem to
have originated from a self-proclaimed "prophetess."
"The people started to talk
about Sister Maria Baran from the monastery in Velkyi Borky in 2004,"
church leaders explained. "She seemed to hear the voice of God the
Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, Sacred Virgin Mary, and some
saints. Some of the messages were written down by Father Planchak. The
priest confirmed their veracity and origin from God but did not have the
authorities for this as the Synod of UGCC officially claimed."
The church ordered a
re-organization of the monastery thanks to the commission's conclusions.
Some of the monks refused to obey, however. They continued to violate
monastic rules and illegally settled elsewhere.
"After the proper warnings, nine monks were defrocked," a statement read. "Pope personally approved this decision."
While the Roman Catholic
Church is reportedly struggling with a high unmet demand for exorcism,
the authorities have strict rules around the practice.
Last month, Sicilian Friar Beningo Palilla told Vatican Radio that
there are roughly 500,000 cases requiring exorcism in Italy each year.
He called for an across-the-board improvement in training, and even
suggested a period of apprenticeship.
The Catholic Church's canon law
recognizes exorcism, but only when performed with high-level permission
from within the church. In 2014, the Vatican backed the International Association of Exorcists, which was founded in 1990 and has licensed about 200 members on six continents.
The Vatican will launch a weeklong international course in April at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum.
Strict adherence to rules on exorcism can be extremely important. Some amateur attempts at exorcism have resulted in torture and death. The
Catholic Church warns that medical explanations should be exhausted
before proceeding to an exorcism. Rev. Andrew Menke, executive director
of the U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops' Secretariat of Divine Worship,
quoted the introduction to the rite of Exorcism in a statement to PJ
Media.
"In the case of some
intervention that is said to be demonic, the Exorcist should above all
use the utmost circumspection and prudence as a matter of necessity," he
quoted. "First of all, he should not too easily believe that someone is
possessed by a demon, when the person may be laboring under some
illness, especially of a psychological nature."
"Catholic Priests who are
deputed to be exorcists regularly work with doctors and psychologists in
the evaluation of the situations they encounter," Menke concluded.
Following the official rules
for exorcism is extremely important, and Pope Francis' decision to
defrock these monks makes abundant sense in this context.
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