Dear John:

Your pastor is correct that we must respect the office of Bishop and to submit to legitimate directives from our Bishop. Such obedience, however, does not extend to a situation in which our Bishop orders us to do something that is immoral or in violation of Church teaching.

From a practical point of view, however, such a situation with laity is extremely rare. There is not likely to be a situation in which the laity of your diocese would be directed by your Bishop to do something which is improper.

If your Bishop, for example, was to direct the faithful of your diocese that the Sunday obligation is no longer relevant, then the faithful need to ignore that directive and practice the Sunday obligation anyway. If the Bishop were to direct the faithful to do jumping jacks at the consecration of the Eucharist, then it would be the duty of the faithful to disobey that directive.

But, as I said, situations of obedience that affect the laity will be extremely rare, if nonexistent, no matter how liberal the bishop.

As for trying to sneak female ordination through a backdoor, that is impossible. Any woman submitting herself ordination, and any bishop who would attempt to ordain her, will be excommunicated, and the so-called ordination invalid and nonexistent. There is no need to fear in this regard.

In terms of receiving the Sacraments, there is no connection between that and the nonsense of your Bishop. The Sacraments are valid. Do not ever allow a liberal Bishop or a liberal priest rob you of our Lord. The impecability of our priests do not affect the validity of the Sacraments. No matter what liturgical abuses a priest may practice the Sacrament is valid as long as the priest does what the church intends, the words of institution said, and the Sacraments are of proper form and matter.

Do not hesitate to receive the Sacraments. Offer your prayers during Mass for the conversion of your Bishop.

In terms of the tenure of your Bishop, it sounds as if the problem will soon be resolved by his retirement. If the people of your diocese wish to do so, they may certainly write letters to the Papal Nuncio and/or the Congregation on Bishops asking that for the good of the diocese the bishop be retired early. That request will probably not be fulfilled especially when normal retirement is no near.

Always keep in mind that any situation like this, the suffering that we must go through because of liberal bishops and priests, is an opportunity to lift up our suffering to God for the conversion of those bishops and priests. Except the opportunity and continue to live the good and loyal Catholic life in spite of those liberal bishops and priest. It is not likely that anything will occur that requires you to disobey.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary