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Questions and answers:
What does this mean for Msgr. Dale Fushek and Fr. Mark Dippre?
Read the accompanying story: Two priests excommunicated for involvement in Praise and Worship Center
1. What is the most recent development?
Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted issued a decree last week declaring that Msgr. Dale Fushek and Fr. Mark Dippre have incurred excommunication for their involvement in the Praise and Worship Center.
2. What is excommunication?
Excommunication is knowingly and willingly placing oneself outside the full communion of the Catholic Church. A person excommunicates himself or herself. When a bishop declares an excommunication, its purpose is meant to be healing, and a call for the person to reconsider the action and reconcile with the Catholic Church.
3. Why has this excommunication been declared? Is it really necessary?
Yes, it is very necessary. Canon law provides for these kinds of sanctions in order to preserve the integrity and unity of the Church, in order to clarify the status of a person who has committed acts giving rise to excommunication, and in order to initiate a process by which the excommunicated person can recognize the error and come back into communion with the Catholic faithful.
In the present case, Fushek and Dippre have participated in the formation and operation of a faith community outside of the Catholic Church, have chosen to disobey their own bishop in doing so, and have consistently refused to comply with specific directions to discontinue their association with the Praise and Worship Center. Fushek and Dippre, who still hold the status as priests, have been acting for over a year in direct opposition to the specific instructions of Bishop Olmsted, and continue to do so by encouraging people of all faiths to attend the Praise and Worship Center.
The act of founding and maintaining a faith community apart from the Catholic Church is of great concern to Bishop Olmsted, as Fushek and Dippre have been prohibited from engaging in any kind of public ministry. Despite efforts by diocesan officials to assist Fushek in clarifying and regularizing his clerical status, Fushek has simply refused to cooperate with the diocese or to initiate the laicization process. In effect, this excommunication is not an action that the bishop has imposed upon the two priests; but rather, a declaration of what happened automatically, once they chose to be in schism with the Church by involving themselves in the foundation and operation of an opposing ecclesial community.
The bishop has an obligation to correct a priest when the priest’s teachings and actions are contrary to those of the Catholic Church. For a bishop to do nothing would be a serious failure on his part in caring for the faithful.
4. What is schism?
Schism occurs when a baptized Catholic withdraws from unity with the Pope or the local Bishop and the faithful under him.
5. How will Fushek and Dippre be affected by excommunication?
As excommunicated priests, Fushek and Dippre cannot participate in the celebration of the sacrifice of the Holy Eucharist or in any other ceremonies of worship. They are also prohibited from celebrating or receiving any of the sacraments. In addition, they forfeit the benefits of the dignity, office or any function that they had previously acquired in the Catholic Church.
6. Was the decree the result of an investigation and trial?
This decree did not warrant an investigation and trial. The excommunication is automatically incurred by virtue of the undisputed fact that Fushek and Dippre participated in the establishment of the Praise and Worship Center and in its day-to-day operations.
7. Did the bishop consult anyone before declaring the excommunications?
Yes. The bishop consulted canonical experts, who concluded that the two men chose to be in schism with the Catholic Church, and as such, had excommunicated themselves from the Catholic Church. The canonists opined that a decree of excommunication was necessary to clarify the two men’s status and to begin the healing process.
8. The Praise and Worship Center has existed for a year. Why did it take so long for the excommunication to be declared?
There have been attempts by Bishop Olmsted and by diocesan officials to get both men to cease their behavior and reconcile with the Church. These attempts were ignored as both continue to mislead the People of God and endanger the faith community. Eventually, after obtaining canonical opinions as to what course of action was required, schism was determined and therefore the declaration of excommunication was inevitable.
9. Is it possible for either man to be welcomed back to the Church after excommunication?
Yes, that is the bishop’s desire and prayer. In order to be welcomed back into the communion of the Church, a person who has been excommunicated must have dialogue with the diocesan bishop, must repent, and must express a sincere interest in returning to the Church. At that point, the person who has been excommunicated and the Bishop work together in an attempt to repair the public scandal caused by the excommunicated person. It is only after that process occurs that the excommunicated person can be welcomed back to the Church.
10. Why publicly announce an excommunication while the legal proceedings involving Fushek are still in progress?
Fushek’s excommunication has nothing whatsoever to do with Fushek’s ongoing legal proceedings and the status of those proceedings has had no effect whatsoever on the timing of Bishop Olmsted’s declaration of excommunication. They are two completely different matters, and the fact that Fushek has incurred the censure of excommunication should not be interpreted in any way to mean that the Diocese or Bishop Olmsted has made any determination of Fuskek’s innocence or guilt regarding the criminal charges against him.
11. If Fushek and Dippre have been excommunicated, can they still hold themselves out as priests?
Because both men received the sacrament of Holy Orders when they were ordained, they are priests and will remain priests for the rest of their lives but may be formally removed from the clerical state through a confidential process known as laicization. To date, neither Fushek nor Dippre has been laicized, and the diocese is not permitted to publicly discuss the possibility of any laicization, even if some type of procedure is taking place, until an official determination has been made. As a practical matter, since both Fushek and Dippre have been excommunicated, they cannot function as priests anyway, and they will be prohibited from functioning as priests for as long as they are subject to the decree or until there is another official determination of their status.
12. It has been reported that Fushek resigned from the priesthood. Is that true?
There is no such thing as “resigning from the priesthood;” there is only laicization. While Fushek did resign as pastor of St. Timothy Parish, effective June 30, 2005, he has made no formal request to be laicized.
13. What was the status of Dippre prior to his involvement in the Praise and Worship Center?
Dippre took a leave of absence from his priestly ministry in 2001. He entered into a civil marriage in 2003.
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