As a reminder, on Sunday, August 28, 2022, Monika Schmid, a Zurich pastoral assistant employed by the Diocese of Chur, said goodbye during a Mass that she “concelebrated” in the company of two priests, a deacon and a theologian. The photographic testimony of the scene leaves no doubt: it is indeed the pastoral assistant who is leading the prayer.
Faced with the reactions of the faithful, the bishop of Chur decided to open a canonical investigation, and the three bishops of Basel, Chur, and Saint-Gall warned against liturgical abuses in January 2023. The investigation concluded, Msgr. Joseph Bonnemain, Bishop of Chur, which includes the Zurich region, decided to issue a formal “warning” to the actors in this “concelebration.”
The bishop justifies this sentence by explaining that careful examination of the facts showed “that no serious liturgical violation, the judgment of which would be reserved for the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, took place during this celebration. . Therefore, no criminal proceedings are necessary according to canon law.”
However, he specified, important liturgical provisions, “which are binding on the entire Church,” were ignored during this celebration. The bishop cannot therefore do anything other than give a formal warning to the pastoral agents involved.
On August 15, 2023, Bishop Bonnemain therefore sent the five people concerned the corresponding warning in personal interviews, so that such errors do not occur again in the future. Thus, for the bishop this matter is closed.
The conclusion of this affair leaves one speechless: the fact that a woman led a “concelebration,” which cannot be, is therefore not a serious liturgical violation. The fact that she delivered the homily, which is formally prohibited by Canon Law, is also not a serious liturgical violation.
The fact that another woman participated in this act is also not a serious liturgical violation. In other words, the fact that two people, not invested with the sacrament of Holy Orders, have arrogated to themselves strictly priestly powers is not a serious liturgical violation. But where can seriousness begin in this matter for Bishop Bonnemain?
After examination of the facts by the Diocese of Chur, former pastoral assistant Monika Schmid finally received a simple warning for the events that took place on August 28, 2022, and which caused a scandal.