Page 1, 28th March 1969
Page 1, 28th March 1969 — I Three defiant Dutch priests suspended
Religion / Belief
Organisations: Catholic Church
People: Jan Kamphuis, van Veen
Thirty Years Ago
Page 7 from 26th March 1999
Defiant Dutch Priest 'would Obey Pope'
Page 2 from 3rd September 1971
Dutch Chaplains Drop Communion Experiment
Page 1 from 21st March 1969
Suspension Of Dutch Priests Ends
Page 1 from 9th May 1969
I Three defiant Dutch priests suspended
Keywords: Christian Theology, Christianity, Ecclesiology, Bishop, Catholic Church, Old Catholicism, Catholics Not In Communion With Rome, Religion / Belief
FROM A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
THREE Dutch priests have been Utrecht after defying his ban on part in celebrating Mass.
They had been told several times in recent weeks to stop the experiment but had refused, and the ban was ignored again on Sunday.
A statement by the Cardinal said the suspensions, which were made under Canon Law, were "for the time being."
On Sunday Fr. Jan Kamphuis celebrated Mass in the Catholic Students' C'hapel at Utrecht and allowed the Rev. van Veen, a Baptist minister, to read the prayer of consecration.
`Imperative'
After the service 10 Protestant and Catholic students' ministers and priests issued a statement saying they consider the common services used in the experiment "imperative for the Church life of themselves and the students."
They could not understand Christians not being allowed to offer each other the signs of Christ, bread and wine.
suspended by Cardinal Alfrink of allowing Protestant ministers to take
Young people liked the experiment, they said, and the Catholic Church, which itself had not found its position in the world of today. should leave room for religious services of this kind.
Threat to unity
The first inter-celebration experiment took place on the first Sunday in Lent. On March 10 the Catholic bishops ordered priests not to take part in any more.
A statement by the Dutch bishops said they understood and appreciated the movement towards church unity, but it was "a matter for ecumenical politeness" not to carry out this sort of experiment until the other churches had been consulted extensively."
They felt that if some groups went too far towards unity and got themselves isolated, the idea of the united world church might suffer.
Editorial comment—P. 4.