Pope Francis Suspends Bishop Lovieres -- Intrigue Against Faithful Bishop Continues

Bishop Lovieres Suspended

Edit: basically, if the Pope himself were held to these standards, he would have to suspend himself.  

Of course, the media, and ambulance chasing, political activist attorneys love him too much to bring him down.

(Asuncion) Pope Francis has dismissed  Bishop Rogelio Ricardo Livieres Plano of Ciudad del Este in Paraguay today. At the same time, he has appointed Bishop Ricardo Jorge Valenzuela Ríos of Villarrica del Espiritu Santo as Apostolic Administrator of the vacant episcopal chair.

The decision had already been signed off last summer, when the attention of Pope Francis  fell obtrusively upon  the Latin American Diocese and an Apostolic Visitor was sent.

After completion of the Visitation, soothing and friendly explanations of the transferees were indeed given, but whoever knows internal church practices, already feared the peace before the storm.

In a statement, the Vatican press office states:

After a careful examination of the findings of the Apostolic Visitations made ​​to the Bishop, dioceses and seminaries of Ciudad del Este, by the Congregation for Bishops and the Congregation for the Clergy, the Holy Father has proceeded with the replacement of Bishop Rogelio Ricardo Livieres Plano. He has appointed Ricardo Jorge Valenzuela Ríos, Bishop of Villarrica del Espíritu Santo, as Apostolic Adminostrator of the now vacant diocese.

The grave decision taken by the Holy See, under the weight of serious pastoral concerns, is for the greater good and unity of the Church of Ciudad del Este and episcopal communion in Paraguay.

The Holy Father, in the exercise of his ministry as "the perpetual and visible principle and foundation of unity of both the bishops and of the faithful" (LG 23) calls for the clergy and the entire people of God of Ciudad del Este to accept the Holy See’s decision with the spirit of obedience, docility and an open heart, guided by faith.

Moreover, he invites the entire Church of Paraguay, led by its pastors, to a serious process of reconciliation and to overcome any factionalism and discord, so that the face of the one Church "purchased with the blood of his own Son" is not wounded and the "flock of Christ" is not deprived of the joy of the Gospel (cf. Acts 20: 28).

The serious decision of the Holy See, judiciously because of serious pastoral reflections is governed by the higher good of the unity of the Church of Ciudad del Este and the Episcopal Community of Paraguay.

The combined Vatican statement in understandable words

Bishop Livieres celebrates Old Rite

The Vatican statement must be translated into understandable words: faithful bishops disturb the "communion of bishops" and will continue in the name of an ominous "peace"  be sent into the desert.  Msgr. Ricardo Jorge Valenzuela Ríos, Bishop of Villarrica del Espiritu Santo, who is appointed by the Pope, is one of the most liberal bishops of Paraguay, as the Apostolic Administrator. An additional slap in the face.

The faithful Bishop Rogelio Ricardo Livieres Plano constituted an exception among Latin American diocesan bishops. Within a few years his Diocese of Ciudad del Este had flowered. In almost every parish of the Diocese  the Holy Mass is celebrated in the Old Rite. The seminary of the diocese has more than 200 seminarians, more than the seminaries of all other dioceses in Paraguay together.  Bishop Livieres was thus among the bishops what  the Franciscans of the Immaculate were among  the Orders. He showed that faithfulness in doctrine and liturgy brings great blessing. He became a bone of contention for the other bishops, who had very different "track records" to show.  Large archdioceses such as Buenos Aires and Montevideo have less than 30 seminarians (see report Latin Mass Boom in Paraguay - Causes Pope Francis to arrange visitation ). "That explains why the development in the Diocese of Ciudad del Este was interfered with by progressive parts of the Church," said Messa in Latino.

Bishop Livieres: Annoyed by Tradition and the Old Rite

Visitor Cardinal Abril and assistant in Ciudad del Este

Bishop Livieras also did something  else that did the Franciscans of the Immaculate did, they lifted up their voice, equally among the others. However, a voice that was heard outside of the choir.

Now he is the victim of an intrigue which was quickly threaded together. The scattering of some unsubstantiated rumors, and the denunciations in Rome, which conspired to send a visitation.  The diocese refuted the rumors disseminated point by point in a detailed dossier. Bishop Livieres saw through the game quickly, and named the Archbishop of Asuncion Msgr. Eustaquio Pastor Cuquejo Verga as one of the main schemers, which he did publicly in a speech at the March for Life, where he accused him ofb "homosexuality"  and complained that he had still not been removed from office . [Of course, this happens all the time, but bishops rarely say anything in public.]

Visitation Ordered by Pope

Bishop Livieres indictment that he openly raised  and not in the form of a denunciation, as his opponents  characterize it  had totally different kinds of consequences. Pope Francis sent a Visitor from 21-26th July, not to Asuncion, but to Ciudad del Este. The Episcopal Conference of Paraguay announced the impending visitation with obvious satisfaction at a specially convened press conference, of course, without  Bishop Livieres knowing about it.

If the impression  is awakened in the Vatican statement that the Congregation for Bishops and the Congregation for the Clergy had separately or even independently performed "visitations", this is not true. There was only one visitation and it was decided by Pope Francis personally. He also sent for the Visitor, Cardinal Santos Abril, Archpriest of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. Cardinal Abril, served from 2000-2003 as nuncio in Argentina and has been a close friend of Pope Francis (see report Pope suspended Ordinations in the Diocese of Ciudad del Este - A Deja-vu? ).

Believers demonstrate for Bishop Livieres

Catholic Tragedy

In Ciudad del Este is an oft repeated  Catholic tragedy,  one which has been experienced  the last 25 years  several times in the German language area. The attacks and intrigues were not always, but too often, successful. Not only bishops were deposed. In Austria a revolt of the progressive clergy and full-time employees of the Church,  rose up and put fraternal pressure and the interacted with the religion-hostile media already to prevent the consecration and inauguration of a bishop who'd just been  appointed.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: Eco Ciudad del Este / Diocesis de Ciudad del Este
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
Link to Katholisches...
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Pope Francis Suspends Priestly Ordinations in Paraguay: The Fate of Courageous Local Bishop in the Balance

The first step has been reached after the apostolic visit to the Paraguayan diocese. Francis will soon decide the future of Bishop Rogelio Livieres 

The following is part of a report by Andres Alvarez at the Neocatholic Vatican Insider at Italy's anti-Clerical La Stampa. There's no discussion that the courageous Bishop Livieres' accusations of aberrosexuality on the part of one of his brother bishops, or his denunciations of Liberation Theology had anything to do with this as reported earlier here. Surely there are worse Diocese in Paraguay who produce no vocations, house Old Liberal Bishops and confuse the faithful endlessly with their heterodoxy? Nope, sorry, too much Catholicism it seems.

[VATICAN CITY, Vatican Insider] An immediate and forceful measure was undertaken in the Paraguayan Diocese of Ciudad del Este. In recent days two envoys of the Pope to the government conducted an audit of Bishop Rogelio Livieres Plano and, before leaving the country, dropped a bomb: Francis has all sacerdotal and diaconal ordinations in the diocese. So far no one has reported on the reasons for the freeze, but it clearly responds to a serious situation in the local seminary. [Like too much Catholicism, Latin, apostolic charity...]

The news was reported by the apostolic visitors, Spanish Cardinal Santos Abril y Castelló and Milton Luis Troccoli, Auxiliary Bishop of Montevideo (Uruguay). They concluded their investigations "in loco" on Saturday July 26. Investigations conducted during intense week, in which they passed around. It included fainting and subsequent hospitalization of the cardinal. 

According to the practice of the Holy See, the apostolic visits are usually reserved audits are often carried out in absolute discretion. But the case of Ciudad del Este was different. First of all because the conflict between its bishop and other members of the Paraguayan Bishops is public domain several years ago.

Vocations Boom Via Old Mass in Paraguay -- Pope Francis Orders Visitation

Pope Francis' Bull

(Rome / Asuncion) Pope Francis has ordered an Apostolic Visitation of the Diocese of Ciudad del Este in Paraguay. The Diocese of Alto Paraná on the border of Brazil and Argentina is one of the most traditional and has an above average number of priestly and religious vocations. Why the Pope has ruled for the visitation of a comparatively thriving diocese, while in the capital Asuncion, the Archbishop is a nuisance, the news about aberrosexuality is all over town?

Pope Francis has paid special "attention" to diocese, orders and communities that are connected to tradition, since the beginning of the pontificate. Ciudad del Este is one of these dioceses. The bishop's see is located in the second largest city of the Latin American country. It covers an area of ​​nearly 30,000 square kilometers and holds 700,000 Catholics. This represents 98 percent of the population.

Under Bishop Livieres There is a Big Boost in the Diocese

The Bishop of Ciudad del Este is the Argentinean Rogelio Ricardo Livieres Plano, whom Pope John Paul II had appointed in 2004 at the head of the Paraguayan Diocese was only established in 1993. Since then the diocese has experienced an amazing recovery. The majority of the clergy consists of  priests from religious orders. By 2007, the diocese only had 12 diocesan priests and 70 religious priests. Today, they are preparing in the seminary more than 250 candidates for the priesthood. Almost all parishes of the diocese celebrate in the Old Rite.

As Blogonicus reported, it was confirmed by the Apostolic Nuncio to Paraguay, Monsignor Eliseo Ariotti, that the Holy See will conduct an apostolic visitation of the diocese. Pope Francis has instructed so that the former Vatican diplomat, Cardinal Santos April y Castello, archpriest of the Patriarchal Basilica since 2011, Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. Santa Maria Maggiore has been in the spotlight since the election of Pope Francis because the miraculous image of Our Lady Salus Populi Romani is a favorite church of the Argentine Pope, which he has already visited several times. In Santa Maria Maggiore, oppressed brothers of the Order of the Franciscans of the Immaculate perform the altar service. There was the seat of the dissident group, which carried out a radical upheaval in the Order with the help of the Congregation of Religious. At the beginning of the month celebration of the Immemorial Mass of All Ages established since the Jubilee Year 2000, was abolished by Cardinal Santos Abril without replacement. Pope Francis has been friends with Cardinal Abril from the time when he was 2000-2003 nuncio in Argentina.

With Cardinal Abril, Bishop Milton Luis Troccoli Cebélio will perform the visitation from Montevideo. The Paraguayan Episcopal Conference announced the upcoming Apostolic Visitation at a specially convened press conference.



Diocese of Ciudad del Este "Oasis in the Modernist Morass"

Bishop Rogelio Liveires at March for Life in
Ciudad del Este

"The Diocese of Ciudad del Este is an oasis in the theological modernist morass of Latin America," said Messa in Latino. Bishop Livieres helped settle many traditional communities and start-ups in his diocese, which he offers "fatherly protection and spiritual retreat," said the tradition associated website. A diocesan priest from Ciudad del Este has written about the announced visitation by Rome: "It seems important to me, be noted that the prosecution does not proceed against the clergy of the diocese, where Don Rogerio Livieres is a popular and highly respected chief shepherd, but by other bishops who do not have his zeal. The attack comes from the commissions of the Episcopal Conference, led by progressives and where tradition and the Catholic faith is guided by the Bishop of Ciudad del Este, this is unbearable."

More Seminarians Than all Other Dioceses

Ten years after the appointment of Bishop Livieres, the fruits of his pastoral ministry are obvious. The Diocese of Ciudad del Este, which includes only twelve percent of Catholics, today with about 250 seminarians, has more seminarians than all other dioceses in Paraguay. Training in the diocesan seminary is know to be "truly Catholic in its doctrine and liturgy." As well known that other bishops are nervous about how demand the religious congregation in the case of the Franciscans of the Immaculate, and "counter-measures"?

Press Conference Announcing Pope Francis' Measures

Large archdioceses such as Buenos Aires and Montevideo have less than 30 seminarians. "That explains why the development in the Diocese of Ciudad del Este progressive parts of the church interfere," said Messa in Latino.

Bishop Complained to Archbishop of Asuncion About Aberrosexuality

The immediate occasion in which the visitation takes place right now, is likely to be a speech by Bishop Livieres which he gave in early June at the March for Life in his city. In it, he lamented with harsh words that the incumbent Archbishop of Asuncion, his Metropolitan, Eustaquio Pastor Cuquejo Verga has still not been removed from his office, despite the "existencia de pruebas concluyentes y coincidentes" [proven and demonstrable existence and coincidence] for his aberrosexuality. Archbishop Cuquejo, belonging to the Redemptorists, was still a Cardinal contender in 2002. He was appointed by Pope John Paul II as Auxiliary Bishop of Asuncion, first as interim from 1982 to 1889, and then officially appointed as archbishop in 1992. With the election of Pope Benedict XVI. this was withdrawn because of initial suspicions levied against Cuquejo, and a coadjutor was placed at his side in 2006. According to Bishop Livieres there was now no doubt. All Paraguay forms an ecclesiastical province. This attack on the highest representatives of the Catholic church in the country was strongly condemned by the General Secretariat of the Episcopal Conference and it demands an apology from Bishop Livieres. Which he refuses to do.

Not Two Months Later If a Visitation in Ciudad del Este Does Not Take Place in Asuncion

The Apostolic Visitation arranged by Pope Francis is set to take place from the 21-26th in July. One might entertain the hope that the Pope wants to make an accurate picture about why the diocese experienced such a bloom in vocations in order to eventually derive a model for the universal Church. Roman circles are trying to appease and to stress that the Apostolic Visitation is only serving the purpose to learn the diocesan relations and the local reality. A direct connection with the liturgy was not given. In traditional circles of Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina, however, they are harboring fears. The announcement of the visit has rekindled painful memories of the Vatican action against the Franciscans of the Immaculate.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
 image: Pagina Catolica / Messa in Latino
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
Katholisches...
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