Baltimore’s new Roman Catholic archbishop removed a priest who was pastor of three South Baltimore parishes for offenses that include officiating at a funeral Mass with an Episcopal priest, which violates canon law.<\/p>\n
Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien personally ordered the Rev. Ray Martin, who has led the Catholic Community of South Baltimore for five years, to resign from the three churches and sign a statement yesterday apologizing for “bringing scandal to the church.”<\/p>\n
Martin led the funeral Mass on Oct. 15 for Locust Point activist Ann Shirley Doda at Our Lady of Good Counsel with several clergy, including the Rev. Annette Chappell, the pastor of the Episcopal Church of the Redemption in Locust Point, Martin said.<\/p>\n
Doda’s son, Victor, who had invited Chappell to participate in the service, was stunned and outraged by the action taken against Martin.<\/p>\n
“I am sickened that they would treat our pastor this way,” he said. “It doesn’t sound possible that the church would take such a petty thing and ruin a man’s career.”<\/p>\n