Fr Altier Chooses Obedience to his Bishop

In a statement issued to Spirit Daily, Fr. Altier writes:

"Praised be Jesus Christ! The people who take care of the Desert Voice website informed me of your interest in the case in which I am involved with Archbishop Flynn. It is certainly fine with me if you want to write something about it, but there really does not seem to be much of a story, on the surface, to write. The fact that this thing has taken on a life of its own with no help from anyone in particular should tell you that it is really not about me at all. Rather, it is about something much larger than me.

"Beyond that, I really do not have much to say other than what was said of the Apostles 2000 years ago, i.e., that they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name [Acts 5:41]. All of this is part of God’s loving providence and He will bring about a greater good from this than any of us can ask or imagine. Can you think of a better way to live out the Lenten observance?

"Regarding the letter from the Archbishop, I will not release it to anyone. This is done solely out of respect for the Archbishop. He did not request that I not release the letter; it is my decision to act in this manner out of respect for his Excellency.

"The Archbishop acted within the bounds of his jurisdictional rights (canon 831 §2) and I simply have to obey. The rest is up to our Lord and Our Lady. It is so wonderful because I am at peace and filled with joy knowing that through obedience I am doing the will of God.

"Who could ask for anything more in this world than to know with certainty the will of God for you at any given moment and to be able to live it out in peace and joy? The whole thing is a pure gift from God. This is my take on the whole situation, but as I mentioned above, this cannot possibly be about me. I am merely an instrument that God is using for a much larger purpose. So, if you want to write an article, you really do need to look at what God is doing here."

"We'll let the Holy Spirit do that; we'll urge obedience (above sacrifice); and we'll leave it to your own discernment."

In this day and age, with the deification of one's own will, with so many having an abject and flawed sense of freedom, and the overwhelming reliance on a relativistic attitude and philosophy of life, it is remarkable that we witness a priest whose views and actions remind us of how a priest is to be, especially as we enter into Lent - it is a clear example of one following in the footsteps of our Lord and a reminder that we, too, are to take up our cross and follow Christ.

As always, please do not neglect to pray for those in this matter.

Source.