Yesterday I posted that Fr. Frank Phillips who founded the Canons of St. John Cantius in Chicago, who had been accused of immoral behavior and suspended pended an investigation by a board, had been exonerated of all charges.

The board issued a letter.

I wrote, in an update to that post, that people in the Chicago would not make a mistake to attend Sunday Masses this weekend.

That’s because after I heard about the exoneration by the board that had been appointed, I learned that the Cardinal Archbishop decided not to go with the board’s decision and that he required the following to be printed and inserted in the parish bulletin for Masses this weekend. Until it was released publicly, I didn’t want to post anything.

The letter is now out.

The letter is from the Congregation of the Resurrection (“Resurrectionists”), to which Fr. Phillips belongs.

Nutshell: The review board came to a decision: “Fr. Phillips has not violated any secular criminal, civil or canon law.”

However, in the letter below Fr. Phillip’s superior wrote:

“We accept the Archdiocese’s decision that Fr. Phillips’ faculties for public ministry will remain withdrawn and that he not return as pastor of St John Cantius and as Superior of the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius.”

Hence, although they determined that he didn’t violate any laws, his faculties will not be returned and he has been removed from his offices anyway.

If you choose to attend Mass at St. John Cantius on Sunday, be mindful that there will probably be media there, given this controversy, and the newsies may want reactions from people as they leave Mass. Not everyone wants to get involved with that.