Placed Out of Time
On June 17, my canon lawyer received a letter from the Congregation of the Clergy in Rome. The letter said two things.
1. My lawyer never had standing to speak on my behalf.
2. I should go to my new assignment, since the time limit to appeal the bishop’s decision had passed.
This surprised both my lawyer and me. Bishop Knestout had corresponded with my lawyer, taking for granted that my lawyer spoke for me, throughout April and into May.
(In March, we had presented to the bishop a notarized document in which I authorized my lawyer to write and speak on my behalf.)
We had followed all the proper procedures. My lawyer petitioned for justice; when the bishop rejected the petition, we went to Rome, asking for redress. We did everything well within the legal time limits. (The full timeline is available here.)
That same day, June 17, when the letter came from Rome, I also received a letter from Bishop Knestout. It informed me that I could not, in fact, take up my new assignment, as the Congregation said I should do, until this weblog ceased to exist.