Press Release - January 02, 2005
THE DIOCESE OF SCRANTON ANNOUNCES THAT IT WILL BEGIN THE FORMATION
PROCESS FOR THE CONVERSION OF A MARRIED FORMER EPISCOPAL PRIEST, ERIC
BERGMAN, WHO HAS REQUESTED TO BECOME A ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST; A NUMBER
OF MEMBERS OF HIS CONGREGATION AT GOOD SHEPHERD EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN
SCRANTON'S GREEN RIDGE SECTION ALSO SEEK TO BECOME ROMAN CATHOLIC
For the first time in the history of the Diocese of
Scranton, the Most Reverend Joseph F. Martino, D.D., Hist. E.D., Bishop
of Scranton, has begun the implementation of a special Vatican process
that provides for the acceptance of a married former Scranton Episcopal
clergyman and father, who is seeking to become a priest in the Roman
Catholic Church.
The process, known as the "Pastoral Provision Decision,"
will result in the conversion, priestly formation and potential
ordination of Mr. Eric Bergman, a former priest of the Episcopal Diocese
of Bethlehem, as a member of the clergy of the Roman Catholic Diocese of
Scranton. He and his wife, Kristina, are the parents of three children,
Clara, Eric and Julia, all of whom who will become Catholic.
Mr. Bergman, former pastor of Good Shepherd Episcopal Church
in the Green Ridge section of Scranton, said he would no longer serve
the Episcopal Church USA, a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion,
because of differences he has with its teaching and practices.
When Mr. Bergman, a Bethlehem native, announced his
intention to resign to his former Scranton congregation, he said he
learned that a number of members also indicated that they, too, were
either leaning toward turning to the Roman Catholic Church, or had
decided not to remain Episcopalian. That number now stands at over 30
adults and more than 10 children who plan to convert to the Roman
Catholic faith with the former Rev. Bergman.
The Pastoral Provision Decision, rendered in 1980 by the
Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, came in response to a
request from the North American Province of the Society of the Holy
Cross, a secular institute of Anglican priests, whose married members
wished to offer themselves for priestly ministry in the Roman Catholic
Church, as well as lay Episcopalians who wished to enter the Catholic
Church with a common spiritual and liturgical identity.
In its acceptance of former married Episcopalian clergy as
clergy of the Roman Catholic Church, the Pastoral Provision Decision
grants a special exception to the Roman Catholic Church's rule of
mandatory priestly celibacy. However, the Decision stressed that this
particular exclusion "should not be understood as implying any change in
the Church's conviction of the value of priestly celibacy, which will
remain the rule for future candidates for the priesthood from this
group."
"I warmly welcome Mr. Bergman, his family and members of his
former lay community on their new faith journey to become Roman
Catholic," said Bishop Martino. "We assure them all of our prayers and
complete cooperation as they take the initial steps toward full
communion with the Roman Catholic Church in the Diocese of Scranton,"
the bishop stated.
Bishop Martino said that the Diocese of Scranton and Mr.
Bergman have taken initial steps to begin the conversion/ordination
process established through the Pastoral Provision Decision. The steps
include preparation and submission of a dossier, or report, containing
required documents which will accompany Mr. Bergman's petition to the
Holy See for priesthood and incardination, or service to the Diocese of
Scranton. The report will contain Bishop Martino's statement of
willingness to ordain Mr. Bergman -- provided that the Vatican
Congregation consents to this action -- along with various records
provided by Mr. Bergman, including baptism and marriage, a profession of
faith, seminary transcripts and a biography. The dossier will then be
forwarded to the Holy See for approval. When the consent, is provided,
the candidate then begins a period of theological preparation. A
Scranton diocesan priest will be appointed to meet regularly with the
petitioner and serve as his formation director. After the petitioner
undergoes sacramental preparation and reception, and is in full
communion with the Roman Catholic Church for a specified period of time,
he may be ordained a transitional deacon, then as a priest.
As of January 1, 2005, Mr. Bergman has resigned as a member
of the Episcopal clergy. Effective January 2, Bishop Martino has
announced that Mr. Bergman will become Executive Director of the
newly-formed St. Thomas More Society of St. Clare's Church in the Green
Ridge section of Scranton. Members of the St. Thomas More Society of
St. Clare's Church will provide for the temporal needs of Mr. Bergman
and study with him in preparation to enter the Catholic Church. Mr.
Bergman said that membership in the St. Thomas More Society is open to
all former Anglicans or Episcopalians.
"The parish community of St. Clare's offers its hospitality
with open arms," said pastor Monsignor William J. Feldcamp. "We are
most happy to provide Mr. Bergman and the St. Thomas More Society of St.
Clare's Church with shelter, a place to conduct worship and religious
instruction, and our utmost support in their efforts," he said. Msgr.
Feldcamp is announcing the establishment of the Society at all liturgies
at St. Clare's Church the weekend of January 1 - 2.
Msgr. Feldcamp noted that the St. Thomas More Society of St.
Clare's Church will conduct weekly Sunday Vespers, or Evening Prayer
services, while its members begin their period of catechesis, or
religious education in the Catholic faith. The service, taken from the
Book of Divine Worship, a book of Anglican-style liturgies approved for
use by the Holy See, is open to the public. The group has held
organizational meetings at the Catholic parish in preparation of the
creation of the Society.
To date, the Holy See has permitted the ordination of a
number of former Anglican or Episcopal priests who have become Catholic
in the U.S., Canada and Great Britain.