Pittsburgh Diocese reacts to priest's separation from Catholic Church

Published: 2004-05-11

PITTSBURGH (CNS) -- Father William Hausen "has apparently decided to separate from the Catholic Church to form his own church," the Diocese of Pittsburgh said in a statement after the suspended priest held services May 2 in a rented ballroom in Sewickley, near Pittsburgh. "We are all saddened by Father William Hausen's decision to start his own church, a church not a part of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh nor sanctioned by the Apostolic See," the statement said. "We regret this sad decision on his part and continue to hold out hope that he will return." Father Hausen, ordained for the Pittsburgh Diocese in 1965, has been on administrative leave since October 2003, meaning he could not say Mass publicly or identify himself publicly as a priest. At the time he was assigned to Sacred Heart Parish in Pittsburgh. He was transferred there from St. James in Sewickley in April 2002. While at St. James, Father Hausen threatened to start his own church after preaching an Easter Sunday homily in which he attacked mandatory celibacy for priests, criticized the hierarchy of the church and called for women's ordination.

Copyright (c) 2004 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .