A Catholic priest, who was transferred two years ago after delivering a vulgar Easter homily advocating the ordination of women and married men, may be starting a breakaway church, Catholic officials said yesterday.
A Web site says that the Rev. William Hausen will be pastor of Christ Hope Ecumenical Catholic Church, which will begin holding services May 2 at Sewickley Country Inn.
The church's Web site, www.christhope.com, has no phone number and Hausen could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Officials of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh said they were trying to reach Hausen, who has been on administrative leave from ministry since October.
"Please be advised that this church is not part of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, is not recognized by Bishop [Donald] Wuerl, and is not sanctioned either by this diocese or the Apostolic See [Vatican]," said a notice faxed to pastors late yesterday afternoon. "You may wish to advise your parishioners of this notification and that participation in this church has grave consequences."
"Grave consequences" means that once he holds the breakaway service, Hausen is excommunicated and those who attend "become excommunicated when they understand that that is the penalty," said the Rev. Ronald Lengwin, spokesman for the diocese.
"When he excommunicates himself, if he does so, then he is also suspended from the priesthood," Lengwin said.
Joining the new church would also mean the acceptance of beliefs contrary to Catholic teaching, he said.
In his Easter homily two years ago, Hausen said parishioners should be "pissed off" about the sex scandal enveloping the church and that the church should allow women and married men to serve as priests. He was transferred from his position as parochial vicar of St. James in Sewickley to parochial vicar of his home parish, Sacred Heart in Shadyside.
A vocal group of St. James parishioners protested the move. At the time, diocesan officials said the move was not intended as punishment and was done partly because the Sewickley parish had become divided over Hausen's ministry.
On Oct. 13 the diocese placed Hausen on administrative leave for unspecified reasons. Administrative leave normally is used when there is a serious question about a priest's fitness for ministry.
Hausen since then has been forbidden to wear a Roman collar, to celebrate the sacraments in public or in any way to present himself as a priest in good standing, Lengwin said.
"We are trying to contact him so he will come in and meet with Bishop Wuerl to see if this is true and if there is any possibility of reconciliation," Lengwin said.
The Web site says Hausen is a validly ordained priest who "has not and will not resign his Priesthood. As taught in Catholic Theology, 'Once a priest, always a priest.'"
A letter of welcome is signed by Hausen and a parish council whose members aren't identified. It says that 12-step programs for addiction will be an important part of the church's ministry. It lists a variety of services the church will offer that would be in violation of canon law or Catholic teaching, including general absolution for sins, weddings in locations outside of church with a civil license as the only necessary paperwork, and communion for anyone who attends a liturgy.
"We believe that the only requirement for membership in Christ Hope Church is a desire to grow along the Spiritual lines of selfless love as expressed in the Gospel of Jesus Christ," the Web site said.
The Rev. Albert Semler, the current pastor of St. James, said he had heard about the new church but did not know who or how many of his parishioners might be involved.
"I've just been praying for the guy," Semler said of Hausen. "I still consider him to be a friend. He's doing something he certainly ought not to be involved in, but he hasn't come to me for advice in any way, shape or form."