Philippine Bishop Precioso Cantillas of Maasin, who ordained John Baptist Ho Huu Hoa a priest last December, admitted that the controversy over the ordination "is truly unfortunate and upsetting."

"We are now taking the necessary steps and procedures which will hopefully help all concerned to be enlightened, and so issues will be clarified," Bishop Cantillas, who also ordained Hoa as a deacon last September, said in a statement on Feb. 17.

Controversy about the 'priest' began in February after Catholics in Vietnam objected to John Baptist Ho Huu Hoa administering sacraments.

Hoa was jailed for bribery and released from prison in late 2021.

The timing meant he could not have had the mandatory four years of theology training in a seminary.

Complaints about Hoa reached Bishop Alfonse Nguyen Huu Long of Vinh, where Hoa's parish is based in Vietnam.

Long then banned him "from celebrating sacraments and services" in the diocese.

The bishop said he had been "surprised" by Hoa's ordination and asked him to "present the documents of his ordination so that he could celebrate sacraments validly.

"So far, I have not received any documents from him or Maasin diocese," Long said.

On 10 February, he issued a statement disowning Hoa as a priest.

How Hoa convinced people

A video of Hoa's ordination ceremony went viral on social media.

It shows the priest chancellor of the Maasin diocese in the Philippines reading out Long's dimissorial letter about Hoa during the ordination ceremony.

The dimissorial letter is a canonical document issued by a bishop to a person in his diocese so another bishop can ordain him.

The letter "is completely fake" Long said.

"We are now taking the necessary steps and procedures which will hopefully help all concerned to be enlightened, and so issues will be clarified."

Long has also suspended the diocesan chancellor of Father Gerard Nguyen Nam Viet, who testified for Hoa during his ordination in the Philippine diocese.

Philippine Bishop Precioso Cantillas of Maasin, who ordained Hoa last December, said the controversy over the ordination "is truly unfortunate and upsetting".

Cantillas also ordained Hoa as a deacon last September.

A Vietnamese priest said Cantillas must be held responsible "for the illicit ordination as he totally failed to carry out a full investigation".

The prelate could have verified Hoa's background, as many Vietnamese priests study and work in the Philippines.

The priest accused Cantillas of causing a great scandal in the Churches in Vietnam and the Philippines.

Source

• UCA News
• UCA News

Boyce (pictured), was due to be ordained in the Traditional Latin Rite by Sydney's Opus Dei bishop, Richard Umbers however a pause in the travel bubble with Australia intervened.

Instead, Boyce was ordained by retired Hamilton Bishop, Denis Browne in Auckland on July 3.

Boyce is a member of the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter, serve the Latin Mass Community in Auckland.

On July 16, and for the sake of church unity, Pope Francis issued "Traditionis Custodes" a motu proprio restricting the use of the pre-Vatican II, traditional form of Latin Mass.

Priests ordained after Pope Francis issued motu proprio and who want to celebrate the Tridentine Mass "should submit a formal request to the diocesan Bishop who shall consult the Apostolic See before granting this authorisation."

Those already celebrating the Tridentine Mass must ask the diocesan bishop permission to continue.

In a letter to the world's bishops accompanying the motu proprio, Francis says concessions granted by his predecessors relating to using the 1962 Roman Missal were "motivated by the desire to foster the healing of the schism with the movement of Mons. Lefebvre" and "the ecclesial intention of restoring the unity of the Church."

Despite these aims, the concessions were "exploited to widen the gaps, reinforce the divergences and encourage disagreements that injure the church, block her path and expose her to the peril of division," Francis said.

Asked about his hopes for his future ministry Boyce said, "Really, in one respect it is a question of having the humility to do what you are asked.

"Obedience is very, very important for any community. Obedience to your superiors, obedience to Our Lord, obedience to the Church."

Boyce says growing up in a home where the faith was clearly valued and practised was important, although there were times in Auckland when he did not always practise his faith.

Before beginning his seminary training, he embarked on a teaching career and for just over a decade taught Latin at Auckland Grammar School.

Prior to his ordination as a priest, Boyce's seminary training was in the USA and his pastoral placement was in Sydney.

His first posting as a priest is back to Sydney.

Source

• NZ Catholic
• CathNews
• Image: Twitter