On The Run Again

A cardinal’s investigation leads to suspension of ordinations for a Paraguayan diocese. Some non-Paraguayan protest at the UCANews site, which picked up the story from CatholicCulture.

It must be a fascinating tale of grooming that a priest booted out from the SSPX (twice, I think, but ordained in between the boots), and later having bilked millions from traditionalist Catholics for his “city on a hill” would find himself vicar general of a diocese on another continent. And at the center of a growing cadre of admirers, like this one quoted in this feature:

Father Urrutigoity is a true superior for us. We view him as a father. In spiritual guidance, which is the most important, in spiritual direction, counseling in difficult times, he helps us with everything.

It brings to mind an important question. When is gathering followers the genuine work of the Holy Spirit, and when is it bright-eyed but blind admiration of the personal charisma of a leader? Or worse, just grooming for domination?

A UCANews commenter:

Of course, this affair could have absolutely NOTHING to do with the fact that Bishop Livieres is traditionally minded and is the envy of all Paraguay´s bishops, having more seminarians in his small diocese than the rest of the country put together. No, no, no. That must be mere coincidence.

Or it could be that the numbers are all about grooming disciples rather than gathering them for the Master. It could be that visiting bishops found a lot of troubling things in their investigation of the Diocese of Ciudad del Este. It could be that people who spout traditional Catholicism are no more moral, and possibly quite a bit more immoral than progressive sisters and brothers they regularly lambaste in their musings.