Question 65 – Can Priests, Who Have Been Cancelled By Their Superiors Falsely, Still Hear Confessions Validly?

Transcript:

This is an important question. I think for sure the absolution is valid because the grounds for the prohibition of the faculties are invalid. Hence, the bishop's decision to remove the faculties was against the interests of the soul and the church.

Because there is no criminal justification for this action, absolution will be legitimate here without a doubt of any kind because canonical laws are not the highest law of the Church. We are not created for the canon laws, but canonical laws are made for the salvation of souls. Otherwise, we revert to the mindset of the Pharisees and the Scribes, who placed the law above all else.

No, the salvation of souls needs to come first, and canon law should be secondary to that. Of course, in a normal situation, we must observe and obey. But this is an extraordinary situation in which the removal of the faculties is invalid in this case and is harming the salvation of souls and the good of the entire Church.

In this particular instance, the bishop's prohibition is superseded by the spiritual well-being of the entire Church. I'm merely bringing up particular instances here, not generalizations. When there is a good basis to remove a priest’s faculties, one should comply. In this instance, it's not just since it is perceived as supporting this fatal industry and protestant ideology.

Some bishops may decide to revoke the faculties of some priests because they want these priests to work together on various protestant-supporting matters in the diocese. If these priests intend to practice their faculties secretly, I would like to add a crucial point: they should avoid being guru-like or self-referential. This mentality is very dangerous.

The priest should encourage the people to pray for the conversion of his bishop, who is losing sight of the truth and is still the legitimate bishop while remaining humble and free from resentment. The priest should maintain his modesty and humility, administering the sacrament solely for the redemption of souls and celebrating the Traditional Latin Mass to aid in people's spiritual development—nothing more.