Switch to the mobile version of this page.

Arkansas Times

Arkansas Blog

« How extreme is Tom Cotton? Part II | VIDEO: Apologetic McDaniel takes qu… »

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Religion Arkansas bishop announces dismissal of priest

Posted by Max Brantley on Tue, Jan 8, 2013 at 8:44 AM

Bishop Anthony B. Taylor announced Jan. 6 that Royce Thomas, a former priest for the Diocese of Little Rock, has been dismissed from the priesthood after a "history of professional misconduct as a priest."

The bishop released the following statement Jan. 6:

"It is my sad duty to announce that on Dec. 29, 2012, I received from the Congregation for the Clergy in Rome their decree imposing on (former) Msgr. Royce R. Thomas the ecclesiastical penalty of involuntary dismissal from the clerical state. This decree dispenses him from all the obligations connected with sacred ordination, including sacred celibacy, and deprives him of all ecclesiastical honors previously received and offices previously held. This ecclesiastical penalty was imposed due to a history of professional misconduct as a priest, and the decree stipulates that there is no further recourse to this supreme and final decision. I met with (now) Mr. Thomas on Jan. 6, 2013 as directed by the Congregation for the Clergy to inform him of this decree. While he remains a Catholic in good standing, the congregation also required me to inform him of the restrictions imposed on him by Rome regarding any future public ministry as a layman in the Church. Please keep him in your prayers."

This is the ecclesiastical conclusion of a church issue that became public, and a matter of great controversy, when it was reported in 2010 that Thomas had been removed as pastor of Our Lady of Holy Souls Catholic Church. Bishop Taylor was criticized by many parishioners about removal of the popular pastor and fielded questions on Facebook about the matter.

Tags: Catholic Diocese of Little Rock, Bishop Anthony Taylor, Msgr. Royce Thomas, Our Lady of Holy Souls Catholic Church

        
Tweet
Share

Speaking of...

Catholic Diocese aims to strengthen religious identity of hospitals

May 14, 2013

by Max Brantley

A friend notes a news article in the Arkansas Catholic and the coincidence of timing with discussions about a merger of clinical operations of the public University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and St. Vincent Infirmary. /more/
UAMS, St. Vincent collaboration

April 11, 2013

by Leslie Newell Peacock

Devil's in the details, bishop says. /more/
UPDATE: Bishop expands on view on UAMS-St. Vincent combination

April 6, 2013

by Max Brantley

I received a response today from Bishop Anthony Taylor of the Catholic Diocese of Little Rock to a followup question I posed after Jo Ann Coleman shared an e-mail she received from the bishop about the proposed combination of St. Vincent Infirmary and UAMS for a range of health network services. /more/
Bishop speaks against St. Vincent affiliation with 'immoral medical practices'

April 5, 2013

by Max Brantley

Jo Ann Coleman, the civic gadfly who's been watchdogging the proposal for UAMS and St. Vincent Infirmary to form a new venture to jointly operate many clinical services, has seemingly produced a severe wrinkle in the process. /more/
More »

Comments (22)

Showing 1-22 of 22

Add a comment

Subscribe to this thread:

By Email

With RSS

Showing 1-22 of 22

More by Max Brantley

Spinning Bobby Petrino: The story of Jeff Long's speech

Good story in Arkansas Business by Chris Bahn on the preparation and delivery of the speech by UA Athletic Director Jeff Long a year ago on the decision to fire successful coach Bobby Petrino after his motorcycle wreck and revelation of an affair with an athletic department subordinate.
- by Max Brantley
- Apr 5, 2013
Practicing law with Bro. Rapert

Sen. Jason Rapert, author of the patently unconstitutional bill to ban most abortions in Arkansas at the 12th week of pregnancy, took heart yesterday at Judge Susan Webber Wright's indication that she was inclined to uphold the part of the law that requires women seeking an abortion in the 12th week of pregnancy or later to have an ultrasound and to be shown the results of that test.
- by Max Brantley
- May 18, 2013
More »