12022: Statement of Monseigneur Willy Romulus concerning events inJeremie (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: kevin pina <kpinbox@hotmail.com>



SHEDDING LIGHT ON THE DEPARTURE OF FATHER JUDE BERTHOMIEUX

"Whoever lives by the truth comes into the light" (John 3:21). Indeed,let us
search for the truth:

Here is what has been said out there

1. We chased away a priest who is preaching against corruption and
immorality.
2. We banished him as a priest.
3. We made him leave.


Wherein all of this, what is the truth?

First, we did not chase the priest away. Here is what the letter we wrote
him says: "You are not authorized either to celebrate mass or to talk in
public as a priest", until we make a decision. If he left for
Port-au-Prince, it is not us who made him leave, it was his own decision,
without our knowledge.

His departure is motivated, not because he preached against priests, nuns,
brothers, etc., but because he was alienating the faithful, and he was not
listening to the advice we gave him (on the task of teaching, sanctifying
and leading God's people).

After his ordination, Father Jude was assigned to Leyon. Since his arrival
he was preaching one sermon, he attacked everybody, said the worst things
without any forethought. The faithful came several times to complain. We
gave him a warning. He continued in the same vein. We determined that the
father had an obsession. (Some people suffer from that sickness). We told
him that we were going to have a doctor examine him. He asked us for another
chance, that he would change, if he did not, we could proceed with medical
assistance. Thus, we assigned him to Les Abricots. We told him to be
mindful. We counted on him to succeed. He made nice promises.

In Les Abricots, he preached only in French, he said so he wouldn't go off
course. When the faithful came to complain, we called him, we told him that
what sends him off course in Creole is that he does not prepare his sermon.
We asked him to write his sermon down and to read only what he wrote. He
agreed with that. But, nothing changed so we were obliged to remove him
urgently and keep him with us at the Bishop's sanctuary. There, almost every
morning, he said mass with us and we gave him a post in St-Louis Cathedral
and the Frere Paulin school. If he was working elsewhere, I was not aware of
it.

In that position, he found a place where he felt comfortable speaking ill of
others. How can you understand someone who sees everyone else as bad and
only himself as good? Someone who sees evil everywhere, who speaks of things
he knows he does not see or verify, anywhere before any audience.

Many complaints reached my ears. I thought of calling him, and then one week
before the Charismatic Congress, he came to the bursarship, he came to see
me. I took the opportunity to talk to him. I told him: "It is not acceptable
to attack people like that, either believer,nun or brother, as he's doing in
public, without any control of what he is saying, without knowing what he is
talking about. He answered that he was resolved not to act like that,
especially as some people are encouraging him to do it! I told him not to
let people have a bad influence on him. He said: yes, he promised me that.

On Wednesday the 24th, they sent me the program for the Charismatic
Congress. I saw his name as one of the presenters. I could have prevented
him from speaking. But, I thought that he was going to keep his promise. But
everyone knows what happened.

Since 1999 I have been dialoguing with him, counseling and warning him,
being patient with him, can you call this a "quick" decision?


They say that we banished him as a priest. When someone is a priest, this is
for eternity. He can be suspended from some or all duties, pursuant to many
types of sanctions in Book VI of the Canonical Code to bring him back to
order. We told him: "he is not authorized either to celebrate mass, or to
speak publicly as a priest", until we decide. He has the right to celebrate
mass with other priests or in private. Moreover, wasn't he celebrating the
funeral mass with us on Wednesday, May 1.

They say that we made him leave. Where did we send him? If he went to
Port-au-Prince, it was his will. He asked for a letter in order to get a
visa. But, he wants that for himself. His supporters said: "watch out, they
forced him to leave!" They are the ones who know what business they have
with him. But what we know, we say it: "You are at the disposal of the
diocesean authorities, for them to accompany you and help you find a good
balance in order to provide good service to God's people."

As superiors, we decided to let the priest finish the year of law school,
then have him see a medical professional to help him. Responsibility is a
burden! According to Church regulations, a priest is not supposed to be
directed by people outside of the church, he is to be under the care and
direction of the Church hierarchy.

I hope that these words serve as a light! Whoever lives by the truth comes
into the light. May God light our way and bless all of us!

Monseigneur Willy Romulus
Bishop, Diocese of Jeremie
May 4, 2002

Thank you.


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