Story on Father John Pasquini

I know Father John, taught him in the seminary. This happened last Fall, CruxNews is picking up a New Oxford Review piece on the incident. Just as an update, Father John is now working as a chaplain at Ave Maria University in Naples, FL.



From CruxNews.com:



"The Palm Beach Post (Oct. 11) reports that Fr. John J. Pasquini was relieved of his duties after only three months at St. Juliana Church in West Palm Beach, Florida, and was sent packing to a hospital chaplaincy. Chaplaincies at hospitals are 'dumping grounds for clerics,' notes The Post (if you don't believe that, just recall for a moment what happened to Fr. Cornelius Buckley, S.J., and Fr. Joseph Fessio, S.J.).



So, what did Fr. Pasquini do that was so terrible? Well, The Post begins its story this way: 'An outspoken Catholic priest who publicly condemned homosexuality and criticized Episcopalians for electing a gay bishop is being removed from his church and transferred to a job as a hospital chaplain.'



Would the Diocese of Palm Beach admit to that? According to the story, the Vicar General of the Diocese, Fr. Charles Notabartolo, claims that the reason for the removal was because Fr. Pasquini's 'homilies were poor' and 'he didn't show enough devotion to Mass.' On the other hand, Fr. Pasquini (who graduated top in his class at seminary, has two master's degrees, and has written 12 books) says that no one complained to him about his homilies or his devotion to Mass."



What did I teach him at the seminary? Homiletics! He is a very good preacher, in fact much better than the priest criticizing him.