Tyranical Extremist Scranton Bishop Suddenly Resigns Years Early - No Reason Given

[JPZenger]

He's 63 and in apparent good health. Bishops don't normally retire until 75.

http://ncronline.org/news/faith-parish/scrantons-bishop-martino-stepping-down

"Bishop Joseph F. Martino will resign as head of the Diocese of Scranton, as early as next week ...Martino was moving out of the residence for Scranton bishops... The 63-year-old Martino’s six-year-tenure has been distinctive for an almost non-stop round of battles with Catholic academics, Catholic teachers’ union, Catholic politicians and a range of other groups, including his own peers among the Catholic hierarchy.

Martino once famously arrived unannounced at a discussion in a parish of a document on political responsibility that had been passed by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops and declared: “No USCCB document is relevant in this diocese. The USCCB doesn’t speak for me.” He told the assembled crowd that “The only relevant document … is my letter,” referring to a letter on politics he had mandated be read at all masses on a given Sunday.

He has urged priests to deny communion to politicians whose views on the abortion issue differed from those of the bishop. He placed an official notice in the diocesan newspaper informing Eucharistic ministers that they had a duty to refuse communion to anyone whose “unworthiness” to receive was publicly known. The notice emphasized Catholic politicians. He threatened to bar Sen. Bob Casey, a long-time anti-abortion Democrat, from communion for voting to approve former Kathleen Sebelius as federal Health and Human Services secretary. He has battled with officials at Misericordia University, a Catholic college, for hosting author Keith Boykin, a gay rights advocate, and sought to close down the institution’s program on diversity.

Martino sent a letter to the leaders of Irish-American organizations threatening to close the cathedral during St. Patrick’s Day celebrations if the groups “honor pro-abortion officials” by inviting them to speak or otherwise be honored .. he again threatened to shut down the mass if members of the local Catholic teachers’ union were invited to march in the St. Patrick’s Day parade..."

[Tangerine LaBamba]

1. So, what comes out next?

There's got to be some kind of scandal involved. Young girls? Young boys? A child somewhere?

The man sounds like a Neanderthal, so I can't see the loss. Except his replacement will probably be the same.

(I like your screen name and your signature line is terrific!)

[JPZenger]

2. "Insomnia and fatigue"

http://www.scrantontimes.com/news/vatican_accepts_martino_s_resignation_interim_leaders_announced

A press conference was just held, in which the former bishop said he was resigning because of "insomnia and extreme fatigue". I guess they couldn't get away with claiming that he "wanted to spend more time with his family."

[JPZenger]

3. Typical comment on scranton newspaper website

"Bishop Martino defended the faith but he was not pastoral. He was not the man for the job...his arrogance, his lack of compassion, his unwillingess to speak to the laity and more importantly, his priests, his bombastic outbrusts, I could go on...his cutting himself off from the very people he was to care for, his method of communication - not to speak with people with to speak to people through letters - that is not a dialogue -- I can still go on.....

Good Catholics are upset by his above mentioned actions. We all know that schools and churches had to be closed but I am positive there was a better more compassionate way to do it. Please do not call us - cafeteria Catholics or Catholics in name only - that is a real insult. We very much care about our diocese and to see the division and discontent that this man caused if very hurtful to us. We are a hurting diocese - we need a pastoral bishop."

[pattymcq]

4. Not only that....

I was told that our local Catholic school has practically been stripped of funds to run it correctly and that it's curriculum is in bad shape. The teachers are paid very poorly. The money is going somewhere....who knows......

[JPZenger]

5. Some closings were necessary, but ...

There was a legitimate need to close some churches and schools, particularly when you have 5 Catholic churches in a town of 5,000 people. My own church (non-Catholic) merged with another church and it has been a great success. A stronger church is more able to provide needed services and activities that will attract and retain people.

However, there are allegations that the Dioceses kept grabbing a larger and larger share of local fundraising. Smart Catholics only donate directly to their own parish and bypass the "Bishop's Appeal."