Alaska Deacon on Ice

TRANSCRIPT

Heterodox bishops are continuing to strong-arm and cancel faithful clerics, even when they've done nothing wrong.

In tonight's In-Depth Report, Church Militant's Nick Wylie discusses a deacon sidelined for social media posts he didn't make.

Dcn. Dez Martinez, canceled cleric: "My faculties were taken away because of a post that was made on Facebook. Basically, because the archbishop was/is trying to take over a private Catholic school that did not belong under the archdiocese."

In November 2021, Dcn. Dez Martinez's faculties were stripped, and he was barred from ministry. 

The archdiocese of Anchorage–Juneau called Martinez into the chancery and reprimanded him over social media comments from an account connected to him.

Martinez:

They thought that I was the one who said it. So I was called into the chancery and told to have a seat. "You have a meeting with the archbishop." But the archbishop never showed up. I was given a letter saying that because of these posts, my faculties would be taken away temporarily, that I was on suspension.

The posts were actually made by the deacon's wife, Dr. Cindy Martinez, in reference to Holy Rosary Academy in Anchorage, which has been persecuted by the archdiocese.

Martinez: "I kept clarifying that it was my wife, and she was more than willing to sit down with him, explain why she wrote what she wrote. But yet they have never wanted to sit down with her and talk to her."

As a result, Dcn. Martinez also ended up losing more than just his faculties. 

Martinez: "At the end of the meeting, I was told that — the parish that I was assigned to — the priest there didn't want me there anymore."

The following month, Martinez received notice from Abp. Andrew Bellisario that the judicial vicar would conduct a formal investigation into whether he violated Canon 1373, which states, "A person who publicly incites among subjects animosities or hatred against the Apostolic See or an ordinary because of some act of power or ecclesiastical ministry or provokes subjects to disobey them is to be punished by an interdict or other just penalties." 

To this day, Abp. Bellisario has refused to meet with Dcn. Martinez to discuss the matter.

Martinez: "What I would like is to sit down with the archbishop, have a man-to-man talk with him. I really want to get back into ministry. I want to get my facilities back. I will continue to preach the truth that is Jesus Christ, no ifs, ands, buts."

There are plenty of clerics who deserve to be removed from ministry, yet it seems bishops only have problems with the orthodox ones.

Archbishop Bellisario is both archbishop of Anchorage–Juneau and apostolic administrator of the neighboring diocese of Fairbanks, giving him complete control of the Church in Alaska.